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THBWWII Australian Commonwealth Salvage Board Knife
About Seller
448 S. Pattie Ave
Wichita, KS 67211
United States
Nation’s Attic Incorporated is located in Wichita, KS. As a full time business we offer expert factory correct restoration & repair services for antique slot machines made from the 1880’s to 1950. Only dealing in authentic examples of antique slot machines, we are one of the few remaining full time ...Read more
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About Auction
LiveDec 9, 2023
Nation's Attic annual Diving Into History auction 2023! This event is filled with high-quality, authentic vintage & antique diving helmets and related equipment. Some of the rarest historical diving in the world are selling in this auction at no reserve! Nation's Attic Inc. helmets@nationsattic.com
View Full Catalog (243)
- Lot Description
One of the joys of handling historic diving equipment for the past 19 years is discovering something you never knew existed! This truly historic World War II divers’ knife is such an item.
The Commonwealth Salvage Board was established on March 14, 1942, in Australia during World War II. It was the Australian governments authority over maritime salvage during WWII and was abolished after the end of WWII on January 1, 1946. During its operational life, it salvaged 83 out of 86 vessels, and its Chief Salvage Officer was the legendary Captain J.P. Williams, who was later knighted for his service. A book on salvage inscribed to Captain Williams from author David Masters is in the following Lot. As Australia was a British Commonwealth nation, English diving equipment manufacturers Siebe Gorman and Heinke were traditionally the nations suppliers, but their supply chain from England was cut off in WWII, and Australia had to design and manufacture any new diving equipment it wanted. The Robison diving helmet is a prime example. This very, very, rare divers knife is another.
The knife is approximately 12.25 inches long and weighs 3.98 lbs. The knife blade measures approximately 7.875 inches long, and the knife alone weighs 1.91 lbs. The blade is in good complete condition with mild pitting from approximately 80 years of wear, and there is no damage to either cutting edge. The non-ferrous custom handle of the knife is stamped GREGORY STEEL PRODUCTS, MADE IN AUSTRALIA. The word STEEL is faded and not completely legible, but upon our research, we are convinced that the word STEEL is correct. The heavy brass sheath of this knife is based on the pressure-clip sheaths of Siebe Gorman and Heinke. The pressure clip is in place, and it holds the knife well. The sheath has the name of the government department, Commonwealth Salvage Board, boldly cast into the surface. It retains the leather loop for attaching it to the diver’s belt and has a leather strap with a buckle to secure the knife handle. The word CRUSADER is cleanly stamped into the top of the sheath, and probably denotes the knife was part of dive locker of the Australian Army Amphibious vessel AV2767 CRUSADER.
From the internet: Gregory Steel Products Melbourne was in business from c. 1912-1975. James (Jim) Havelock Gregory, an experienced saw-filer (saw doctor), began his own blade sharpening service in Melbourne in 1912. The firm produced and designed a large variety of knife patterns and in 1952, had the distinction of being the largest manufacturer of knives in the Southern Hemisphere. The company closed in 1970. More information on the manufacturer is in the book Edgemaster by Keith Spencer.
An extremely rare WWII diver’s knife in very, very good condition and a signature piece for any collection of military diving knives.
All items will be shipped with a signature required upon delivery and full insurance either via FedEx or the USPS Priority Mail. Worldwide shipping is available; however, no ocean freight will be offered on large items. DHL Express is an option for international shipments under 600 pounds via air. Payment via bank wire for customers outside the USA is required. A shipping quote prior to the auction can be provided by emailing your postal code. International bidders are advised that some countries do not allow the importation of knives. Nations Attic is not responsible for shipping charges going or coming back if your countries customs denies delivery. Rejected items can be consigned into a future sale as there are no refunds. - Shipping Info
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Shipping fees listed with each lot pertain to domestic shipping only (contiguous or lower 48). International bidders are subject to higher shipping fees. Please inquire about shipping to a particular country before the start of the auction. Purchased items will be shipped on a first paid, first shipped basis and may take up to twenty (20) business days for said shipment to leave our (Nations Attic, Inc.) business. For time sensitive shipments, we (Nations Attic, Inc.) will expedite payment processing and shipping for a nominal fee. Items paid for by personal check are subject to a ten (10) business day hold for funds clearance. All domestic mainland items are shipped via FedEx ground or via USPS unless otherwise specified or requested by the customer. International shipments are shipped via DHL Express or FedEx Express. USPS is no longer used for international shipments due to issues with tracking packages. Insurance: All items are insured for the full purchase amount less carrier shipping charges, or the maximum amount allowed by the carrier and/or country of destination. Insurance is included in the specified shipping amount listed in the shipping section of the final invoice pricing. All invoices are sent with insurance already factored into the shipping charge. The customer has the right to waive any insurance amount by providing written consent that the customer will not hold Nations Attic, Inc. or its shipping carriers responsible for damaged and/or lost shipments due to uninsured/under insured packages. In some instances, we (Nations Attic, Inc.) reserve the right to only ship certain items if insurance is purchased for the full amount of the item(s) being shipped. International buyers are responsible for all duties and taxes. If shipment is rejected, buyer is responsible for all return shipping costs or disposal fees incurred.
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