*British, c1970, Royal Navy Divers Knife with Rubber Grip, Siebe Gorman & Co Non-Magnetic Blade 0433-431-7338 & Flat Non-Magnetic Brass Scabbard 0433-431-7339*
Marked on either side of the scabbard: Non-Magnetic 0433-431-7339
Marked on either side of the blade: Non-Magnetic 0433-431-7338
Marked on the brass pommel with three circles.
This is an excellent Royal Navy Divers' Knife with Rubber Grip bearing NATO stores marks and complete with deep sea cast brass scabbard. The grip is black rubber with brass pommel and is unmarked. The pommel is marked with three circles typically found on Royal Navy Siebe Gorman Knives of the 1970's. The grip with its three ridges is the same style as those made by Hopkinson and John Knowill & Sons Ltd in the 70's except that they had a steel pommel and branding on the grip or blade. The Nato Stores number found on the blade 433-431-7338 and scabbard 0433-431-7339 are associated with Siebe Gorman & Co Diving Knives and Scabbards issued 1968-1995.
In the 1940s and 1950s, Siebe Gorman & Co were the primary suppliers of diving knives to the Admiralty. Around 1957, a new Admiralty pattern was introduced into military service. This new knife did not feature a maker's name on the blade; instead, it had a military code and the words "non-magnetic" chemically etched onto the surface. The associated flat brass case also had these codes deeply inscribed. The knife featured one plain sharp edge and one saw edge with large teeth. Three circular military code marks were often seen on the flat end of the tang nut. The knife was marked "0433-432-7338 Non-magnetic" on both sides of the blade, while the case was inscribed "non-magnetic 0433-431-7339." The service issue period for these knives was from 1968 to 1995.
By 1972, the armed forces began adopting lighter, more modern rubber-hilted divers' knives from various manufacturers, including Taylor's Eye Witness, Typhoon, Hopkinson, Nowill & Sons, Life Support Engineering, and Technisub. Some of these knives were specifically designed with non-magnetic and non-sparking characteristics for underwater mine clearance. Within the Admiralty, there was a significant overlap period—over 20 years—between the use of Siebe Gorman Heavy Weight Push Knives and the newer rubber-hilted knives. Early knives and sheaths bear the earlier Admiralty store codes, and it was not uncommon for the Admiralty to issue these knives with the older-style military diver’s scabbard.
*Condition*
Excellent used condition. Slight chip to rim off scabbard. Please see photographs as part of the condition report.
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