Pattern 1905 Clasp Knife

[Gspragge]

I picked this up last week. Generally thought to be of WW1
manufacture but made undated until 1937 and not made after 1939.
Though I would expect as Canadian issue likely WW1 vintage
as unlikely to have been purchased between the wars due to
budget cuts and likely enough left over WW1 stock on hand
for the smaller post war military. But others will likely know
more than I do about these.

 

[beihan62]

I had one of these until recently dated 1938,
Don,

 

[sksvlad]

I see these at gun shows periodically. What is a clasp knife? I only collect bayonets in conjunction with guns, so I know nothing about knives. I did see a cool US Navy diver's knife which weighs a ton (so it always hangs down and does not float away).

 

[Gspragge]

clasp knife
Word Origin
noun
1.
a large pocket knife having a blade or blades that may be folded into the handle.

 

[ammofo]

Mine is definitely undated, with the soldier's number burned into the handle (unfortunately !). The same has happened to my Boer War knife too. There's one of these 1905 pattern knives I saw in a mixed auction lot that I might bid on that's dated 1938. From memory, that one's as clean as a whistle. (Let me know if anyone's interested in it in case I win the auction as I hadn't really planned to keep it)

 

[smle2009]

Why do you say (unfortunately)? surely the soldiers number burned into the handle gives it history of ownership and provenance to the Knife?...I don't know about knives but when I used to collect bayonets things such as this was always a bonus,maybe you could research the soldiers No and find out his regiment and from there the regiments history from that time....could turn out to be very interesting and give your knife far more history.

Tony