fuse/det cord cutter

[kiwieod]

I got this and was told that is a fuse/det cord cutter.its made from brass/bronze(non sparking) which makes sense.its also fairly sharp.also stamped A (broadarrow)D which I have not seen before,could that be ammunition depot?
could have been used to cut other explosives/powder as well?

 

[ammofo]

I got this and was told that is a fuse/det cord cutter.its made from brass/bronze(non sparking) which makes sense.its also fairly sharp.also stamped A (broadarrow)D which I have not seen before,could that be ammunition depot?
could have been used to cut other explosives/powder as well?

That's not something you see every day - the tool or the markings. As you probably already know an arrow with a D denotes Australia (WW2), a D either side of an arrow denotes Australia (pre WW2). I see you're based in NZ which could explain an Australian piece in your back yard, but whether the 'A' denotes Australia or not I couldn't say. As a suggestion, could it have been used temporarily (in error or otherwise) in the transition between 'D/|\D' and '/|\D' around the beginning of WW2 ? Worth a thought, perhaps. Great tool though, an excellent example of how these items were essential in the preparation and usage of "things that go bang".
Another example off the top of my head is a WW1 spokeshave I recently sold - it would have been very useful for repairing wooden artillery gun spokes in the field. Without functioning wheels, an 18lbr is just a dangerous paperweight. I might post a few pictures of it if anyone's interested ?

 

[specopsaust]

I was under the impression that while "D/|\D" was army, "A/|\D" was air force.

 

[glevum]

Some non sparking tools are made from Beryllium Copper. Beryllium dust is very hazardous.

For this reason is is extremely inadvisable to clean and polish or grind non sparking tools. In particular those marked Telcon or Berylco.

Beryllium Copper in a lump is a safe material. It is fine particles that are a problem.