One of four fire-steels (lengths 3 to 2 1/4 ins)

PART OF:
Bryant and May collection of fire-making appliances.
Made:
Bow and Bow and

[One of] Four Fire-steels (lengths 3 to 2 1/4 ins), all of similar type; roughly-rectangular, short and broad; at top, a loose suspension-ring (in two examples of iron, in two of brass); bottom sharpened for use as screw-driver; screwing-spike projects from centre of back; below it, back cut away in a curious feather-like pattern; each has a pricker and a small scoop hinged on a rivet near top; two have also a pipe-scraper and one a pair of tweezers, both similarly hinged on the same or a second rivet near top; all more or less engraved ornamentally. Turkey. [NB: One of 14 examples (nos. 467 to 480) of varying shapes, all having on their back a thick blunt spike serving to screw a flint firmly in the hammer of a flint-lock gun, and all having also a screw-driver at the bottom. They are clearly intended to be carried on the person, either in the pocket or suspended from the belt, for use in the field. All are from the Near East - four from Turkey, three from Albania, one from Smyrna, and the others from adjacent countries.]

Details

Category:
Firemaking
Object Number:
1937-682/473
type:
firesteels
credit:
Wilkinson Sword Ltd.