The rather lengthy title of this wee knife tells most of the story, though a little more information might help. J.H. Thompson was one of many fine cutlery makers based in Sheffield in the 1950s, no surprise then that the Ministry of Defense (MOD) got them to make these knives for issuing to sailors in the Royal Navy. The little arrow above the 1952 is the MOD logo, sometimes called a ‘crows foot’. The plastic coating is classic packaging for the MOD, designed to protect from damage and corrosion in transit and storage.

The main blade and tin opener are fairly standard on most knives, but the ‘spikey thing’ is known as a Marlin Spike, which can be used for many things, though primarily for splicing ropes.

Founder of our collection, Mick Tighe, acquired this one when he was a young Royal Marine (Marines are part of the Navy) many moons ago. It will be in mint condition inside the wrapping, so we’d better leave it that way.