Thread: Counterfeit knife for your perusal

Originally Posted by entropy1049

Even the Russians understand the fantastic utility of a good sheep's foot rope knife. I got this one from the Chief Boatswain on the Russian destroyer Rostoropny back in the early '90's when I was Chief Boatswain's Mate on the USS O'Bannon. He needed some chewing tobacco so I grabbed some at our ship's store. In return for a can of Copenhagen he gave me his deck knife. Seemed like a cool guy .

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Interesting that you posted that knife. Way cool story and damn sure a keeper.

Here is a style of knife you see for sale quite often. 99% of the time they are advertised as "sailor's knives".

Pretty much every Sheffield cutlery house made these knives for the MOD or Ministry of Defense. This one happens to have been made by WATTS. It's a substantial knife and the blade snaps like an alligator.

Folks see the marlin spike and immediately think SAILOR. With respect to these knives, they're wrong. This style knife was issued to the ground troops not the sailors. Sailors had a smaller version of the Rope knife that usually included a finger nail file rather than a can opener. The sailor's knives did NOT have a marlin spike. Go figure.

I learned a trick when I was on my ship. I'd buy two "forty pounder" (40 oz) bottles of bourbon and sneak 'em on the ship and hide 'em. When the alcoholic lifers ran out of their stash, they'd pay $200 for a bottle. That was only slightly less than an E-4's monthly pay in '72. Got cussed but I sold my stash regularly when we had an extended line period.

I remember guys sitting in the berthing watching evening movies on cctv and drinking Listerine underway...zero shame lol.

My Dad tells tales of some guys drinking Aqua Velva strained through bread then mixed with grapefruit juice . This was in the Army during WW II. Rough....