British, WW1, Admiralty Pattern 301 Staghorn Jack Knife, “Non XLL” by Joseph Allen & Sons Sheffield

*British, WW1, Admiralty Pattern 301 Staghorn Jack Knife, “Non XLL” by Joseph Allen & Sons Sheffield*

A scarce British WW1 Royal Navy seaman’s admiralty pattern 301 clasp knife. The 301 pattern was manufactured for the Royal Navy with stag antler scales from 1910 to the early 1930s.

Maker mark is a partially rubbed – but is “Non XLL, Joseph Allen & Sons”. A Sheffield maker. The cursive phrase on the blade is unclear. Blade is 90mm, marlin spike is 78mm, 205mm overall with the main blade open and 120mm closed.

NON*XLL means None Excel, when read aloud, becomes “non-excelled” meaning “without peer”. It was the trademark of Joseph Allen acquired in 1883 from Unwin & Rodgers, Sheffield. He was in competition with George Wostenholm who used I*XL as a trademark and was a much larger operation selling more knives.

*Condition*
It is clean with some pitting on the steelwork but the general condition is good. Please see photographs as part of the condition report.

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