Rare tool with super rare sheath

[MultiMat]

I have wanted a made in Australia Whittingslowe tool No.43 ,1950's vintage one piece tool with matching leather sheath for quite some time. A number of weeks ago member Dutchy357 was in town & we met up for a trade + a chin wag. I had a great arvo with John/Dutchy , John was in town attending a regimental function. We met at the keswick army barracks & got to have a quick tour of the army museum  .
This is what I got ;

 


Leather sheath is in great nick given it is well over 60 years old  .
John mentioned you can tell if a No.43 has been stored in it's leather sheath , they tend to be a bit tarnished  . You can see this in the following photos , the tarnished No. 43 is the one that came with the sheath the more original looking one did not come with a sheath.




You would of thought storing the tool in the sheath would preserve it better 

These 2 photos were taken from a Aussie Ebay sale with the owners permission  , a original No. 43 + it's instruction sheet 

[Gareth]

It has a razor sharpener?   Very cool little tool Mat.

[AHB]

Great score Mat, gotta love these ol' things.. 
Any chance you could measure the sheath, I have some leather lying around and maybe I should make a sheath for my No. 43 sometime..

[MultiMat]

107mm long


37mm wide

Sheath is 2 identical pieces of leather stitched together.

[Neil]

I heard keeping old knives in their original pouches could be detrimental to the metal so I'm not surprised at the tarnishing.  I guess they can trap moisture and keep it in contact with the metal longer   I'm sure someone with more experience will chip in and confirm deny

Nice catch Mat

[Gareth]

I am the only one that pick up on the subtle message that Mat thought Allan's request was in fact a PAIN in the ASS?



 

[Neil]

  Child!

<snigger> 

[AHB]

Just wait 'till I get my hands on Mat.. 




 




Thanks btw.. 

[Mr. Whippy]

Actually, I think Mat's quite clever to figure out a way around the smurf filter. 

[Grant Lamontagne]

I heard keeping old knives in their original pouches could be detrimental to the metal so I'm not surprised at the tarnishing.  I guess they can trap moisture and keep it in contact with the metal longer   I'm sure someone with more experience will chip in and confirm deny

Nice catch Mat

I have not only heard that but experienced it on several occasions, both with the old pre-1964 Puma White Hunter I got from may father and my brass Cold Steel Master Tanto.

Leather plus old steel equals messy old steel.

Def

[MultiMat]

I am the only one that pick up on the subtle message that Mat thought Allan's request was in fact a PAIN in the ASS?

(Image removed from quote.)

 

  That was not my intension at all  .

Now where is my Dirty Rotten MoFo ruler , I need to redo those photos

I have not only heard that but experienced it on several occasions, both with the old pre-1964 Puma White Hunter I got from may father and my brass Cold Steel Master Tanto.

Leather plus old steel equals messy old steel.

Def

Ebay speak 'the item has a wonderful Patina forming on it's surface' 


Addit if you did have a Dirty Rotten MoFo ruler I wonder what you would measure with it  .

[J-sews]

Congrats there Mat on a fine old No. 43!

So how many Whittingslowe pieces do have now, and how many are left to go?

[David]

Great catch there Mat!

[JimShockz]

I have wanted a made in Australia Whittingslowe tool No.43 ,1950's vintage one piece tool with matching leather sheath for quite some time. A number of weeks ago member Dutchy357 was in town & we met up for a trade + a chin wag. I had a great arvo with John/Dutchy , John was in town attending a regimental function. We met at the keswick army barracks & got to have a quick tour of the army museum  .
This is what I got ;

 (Image removed from quote.)

(Image removed from quote.)
Leather sheath is in great nick given it is well over 60 years old  .
John mentioned you can tell if a No.43 has been stored in it's leather sheath , they tend to be a bit tarnished  . You can see this in the following photos , the tarnished No. 43 is the one that came with the sheath the more original looking one did not come with a sheath.

(Image removed from quote.)

(Image removed from quote.)
You would of thought storing the tool in the sheath would preserve it better 

These 2 photos were taken from a Aussie Ebay sale with the owners permission  , a original No. 43 + it's instruction sheet 
(Image removed from quote.)
(Image removed from quote.)

Just cant get enough of the older tools,I have a drill auger from the 1800s,it just brings you back to when all things were  done by hand incredible.

-JH

[Leadfoot]

Tanning acids can be very caustic, my guess for the condition of the plating.
Hi end custom knives are very seldom stored in sheath for this reason.
Well that and putting the blade in the sheath might leave a mark. 

don't get me wrong, a couple of my safe queens have never been in leather.


Leadfoot

[RICHJ]

Does anyone else find the the razorblade sharpener image a little frightening ? 

[MultiMat]

Tanning acids can be very caustic, my guess for the condition of the plating.
Hi end custom knives are very seldom stored in sheath for this reason.
Well that and putting the blade in the sheath might leave a mark. 

don't get me wrong, a couple of my safe queens have never been in leather.


Leadfoot

Seems reasonable mate , I recently got another NO.43 one piece with original leather sheath in a slightly different pattern (crocodile skin pattern?) , interestingly the tool that came with it's plating was unaffected  Some leather is more caustic than others  .



I am pretty happy to have both styles of sheaths 





It has been raining 43s  , 2 keepers 2 moving on...maybe  .

Does anyone else find the the razorblade sharpener image a little frightening ? 

It is a little odd  I wonder how many people used to re-sharpen their razor blades 

[RICHJ]

Any idea how it actually sharpens razorblades or are we getting the wrong end of the stick ?
Maybe it means you fit a razorblade and use it to sharpen other items

[David]

Mat great collection of 43's.           

[MultiMat]

Any idea how it actually sharpens razorblades or are we getting the wrong end of the stick ?
Maybe it means you fit a razorblade and use it to sharpen other items

Nope mate I think it is early marketing ploy  , the idea is you use the tool's edge to restore the razor blade's edge. Potentially you can use many hard surfaces too restore a blade's edge , time it takes & the effectiveness varies greatly. Ceramic mugs/bowls have been used as sharpeners , I remember seeing a video in which the fella used the edge of a car window. Not sure how good it would work myself  I find it challenging enough using a dedicated blade sharpener never mind a improvised one 

Mat great collection of 43's.           

Thanks David  , how is yours going mate