Today's fun miniature. Indian maker: 'Rat Brand' Anyone know them?
Posted: Tue Nov 28, 2017 9:32 am
This was £5 in an antiques fair yesterday. It looked quite rusty on the blade and a novelty item only so I tried to negotiate the dealer down to £4, but I'm not good at such things and she held out for the full fiver 
Once polished up though, it's quite an interesting little brass and steel knife, and by 'little' I mean under an inch for the blade and a touch over an inch on the handle. It's primitive in construction - but amazingly it has a really nice lock on it and it folds away with a good solid snap. The blade doesn't wobble at all and is strong and very sharp so this will probably be my "go to" knife for small applications and it's a perfect fit on my key fob. And you've got to love the rats on the side!
A search for Rat Brand only revealed this one site http://balisongbutterflyknives.com/inde ... tail&p=304 advertising an Antique 1900's Rat Brand Steel Balisong Butterfly Knife - saying Rat Brand was made in India between 1900 and 1940 so this is probably 80 years old at least.
Anyone know anymore about the brand or these kind of miniatures?
Thanks, Iain
Once polished up though, it's quite an interesting little brass and steel knife, and by 'little' I mean under an inch for the blade and a touch over an inch on the handle. It's primitive in construction - but amazingly it has a really nice lock on it and it folds away with a good solid snap. The blade doesn't wobble at all and is strong and very sharp so this will probably be my "go to" knife for small applications and it's a perfect fit on my key fob. And you've got to love the rats on the side!
A search for Rat Brand only revealed this one site http://balisongbutterflyknives.com/inde ... tail&p=304 advertising an Antique 1900's Rat Brand Steel Balisong Butterfly Knife - saying Rat Brand was made in India between 1900 and 1940 so this is probably 80 years old at least.
Anyone know anymore about the brand or these kind of miniatures?
Thanks, Iain