All About Pocket Knives

Have a lobster style riggers knife (like a case 46, but with 3 blades). A sheepfoot, a long old style can opener, and a marlin spike. The knife is 3-5/8 closed, fluted iron bolsters with a bail. The liners are also iron. The center scale extends from the closed knife and looks like a flat blade screwdriver. The handles are, I believe, bone in a gunstock style checkered jigging pattern. On the Sheepfoot blade is stamped "N." and below the N is "A." (what I believe is) "C." (could be an O but I don't think so). On the long 2-5/8s can opener blade is stamped "1940" The knife was almost solid rust when I got it. The bail looks like a repair job because it is copper. The Sheepfoot stamp looks like:
N.
A. C.
Does anyone have an idea who made this knife and when. Is the 1940 a date or a pattern number. The knife was used a lot. This is a big heavy knife that has seen a lot of hard use. I would appreciate any information.
Thanks,
Joe

can you post pics?

I will when my wife gets home. She has the camera.

Joe

Kinda guessing without a picture yet, but it sounds like an English Navy knife, 1940 probably being the date. Many came with copper bails, I dont know why, but most of the older rigging knives I've seen, and the two I own, have copper bails so (without seeing the picture) it may be original. Hope this helps until you get the picture.

Attached are three pictures (I think). Thanks for the information. The bail is so bright because I used rust remover on the knife. If this is the knife you were thinking of, please let me know. I paid $5 for the knife mainly because of the can opener, which was a style which I had not seen before. That doesn't mean much because I have only been collecting since March. I know it is in poor condition but, it caught my fancy because I worked construction for many a year and the knife looks like it was a tough old work knife.
Again Thanks,
Joe

bail does look original, likely English, possibly another European navy knife, handles look like either some sort of pressed fiber of black composition rather than bone. 1940 is almost definately a year. not bad for five dollars, nice knife.

That is the standard British WWII Army knife. I'm not sure about the maker's mark. The scales are made from a tough synthetic material called Bexoid. The copper bail was phased-out on these knives after 1940. Also towards end of the war the steel bolsters were removed. Both measures to save on valuable materials during the war. s-k

Thank you one and all. I was especially pleased about the info on the handles. I was really stumped. They did not seem like bone or composition. As a new collector I have read many books and have looked at a lot of knives, but this site is a real bonus. There is nothing like talking with the people that have the experience and are willing to share it.
Joe

Nice marlin spike.

Your $5 bexoid knife is still available for $60+

Thanks for posting, I went and looked at my knife and it is the same. Steel loop not copper.