All About Pocket Knives

Hi all, I am after some assistance please...I was given this knife about 30 years ago and had lost track of it over the years. However I have recently moved and found it again!
Could anybody be able to tell me what type of knife it is If it was issued by the MOD. And if the handle material is likely to be.

It has a plate on one side printed with the following “ No 3169 Pte Fred West The border Regt”

Thank you for any information or history you could pass on.

I would say the knife is an antique. It is a "horseman's" or "sportsman's" knife with the big curved hook meant for picking stones from a horse's hoof. This would not be a MOD issue knife but one a soldier would have purchased himself or have been given to him. These knives are quite collectable although with the broken blades yours will not command a lot of value.

Your old workhorse of a knife is a: C.Johnson & Co., Sheffield England. 1865 to present. According to Goin's encyclopedia.
Some of the older markings include "Johnson Western Works".
The handles look like they are either smooth bone or ivory.
The curved tool is for cleaning horse hooves.
At least it still has its two accessories.
Nice old artifact.

I think the inscription on the shield is the most significant thing about the knife.

You should research the Regiment and the man, find out when and where he served. That will date your knife for you, to some extent.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Border_Regiment

Charlie Noyes

Welcome to AAPK, mtazz! As you can see, this is a great place to find info about cutlery. I think you have a great historical piece, even though it’s not pristine, belongs in a museum somewhere appropriate to its history IMHO.

Thanks for showing it here.

Ken

Thank you so much guys. I will definitely look into the border Regt and its great to know they were not issued to the soldiers, that will save me going down the wrong rabbit hole finding out the history of it

Thanks again

The saw teeth are all but worn off and the 2 main blades are broken off. This is commonly seen with old Horseman's knives. Most of the ones you see on ebay have 1 or more blades snapped off. No other vintage pattern seems to so frequently have snapped off blades. People must have used them in situations where a different tool was actually indicated.
Often tweezers and/or pick are gone so it is a positive for your knife to still have them.
Neat old knife, like an old man, some parts broken and some still work.
kj

Lots of information is available about the Border Regiment; here's one with some period photos: https://www.cumbriasmuseumofmilitarylif ... -regiment/.

Pte is the British abbreviation for "Private" (Pvt. in the U.S.).

I can't quite make out the Service Number, is it No. 5159? Goggle "XXXX Fred West Border Regiment" (in quotes) and see what comes up.

Dennis

If you Google Fred West in any form, you’ll get multiple examples of a murderer by that name.

Did "Fred West" use a knife and break off the blade while committing murder ? But i am sure there are hundreds of men with the name "Fred West" in Britain over the last ~ 150 years.
kj

I was not intimating the OP knife belonged to the murderous Fred West.

KJ, - I know how the knife feels...Most of my parts are worn out or damaged but still going! Lol

Thanks again guys for your help, greatly appreciated and I will give you an update on what I find out about Pte West