Help ID some trinkets from my last visit to the Surplus store

[chris vickery]

I think you lucked out there my friend...
I think the one item was called a matchette, cross between a hatchet and a machete.
Those do appear to be genuine Indian items. Wow.
Any goodies for me???

[rob love]

Sorry Chris, nothing for you this time, but I am keeping my eyes open.

I googled matchette and none of the images look like this one. For some reason I think I saw a photo of a similar knife included in one of the 25 pdr manuals....I'll have to check at work tomorrow.

Just remembered, there is some marking on the blade: ArtBrockvilleCanada. Does that mean anything to anyone?

edited to add:Looked at a blowup of the photo and it is Smart Brockville Canada. Found some info on them here: http://yesteryearstools.com/Yesterye...fg.%20Co..html

[rob love]

Looks like the knife is called a billhook. Here is a page on them including the same maker as shown on mine: http://billhooks.co.uk/photos-and-ot...y-billhooks-1/

OK, with that out of the way, does anyone have the manuals for the Canadian Indian motorcycle and could possibly confirm if these wrenches were EIS for those bikes.

[barriefield-brian]

I have one of these hook-bill machetes. I bought mine from surplus when I was a kid and used it to chop firewood when camping. Lost the handle years ago but it is in a leather sheath stamped J.E. Lortie Montreal 1942. The metal is marked in raised letters CF8F 1942 and also has a G inside a diamond. No C broad arrow so always wondered if they were military or not. Always wondered what they were used for as well. Cheers Brian

[rob love]

On the site for the Smart mfg Company, it shows where the G in the diamond was also used by Smart....maintained after the acquisition of the Gardiner tool Co of Montreal.

CF&F rings a bell, as I know I have seen it somewhere else. Found it, and it does have a connection with Smart: http://yesteryearstools.com/Yesterye...0Forgings.html

No C/l\ on mine either. Of the half dozen of these that I saw in the surplus store, more than half were missing their handles.

[Wayne Hingley]

Try this for the Indian wrench Rob... http://www.ebay.com/itm/Vintage-Indi...wAAOSwHMJYHjB5

Below is a clipping from TM-10-1287 (October 18, 1941). Indian Motorcycle Model 741-B

[Wayne Hingley]

From manual...

[barriefield-brian]

You were typing the same time as me. I had heard these called bill hooks but had no further info. I bought mine in the 60's in the army surplus and have not seen any since. Wish I hadn't lost the handle. Thanks for the info. Cheers Brian

[rob love]

Originally Posted by Wayne Hingley

Try this for the Indian wrench Rob... http://www.ebay.com/itm/Vintage-Indi...wAAOSwHMJYHjB5

Below is a clipping from TM-10-1287 (October 18, 1941). Indian Motorcycle Model 741-B

Thanks Wayne....exactly what I was looking for. Had a look on ebay, and the prices seem to vary. Kind of neat to have them NOS in the box....my only fear is if I keep them I will end up with an Indian motorcycle.

I'll drag in a couple more trinkets from the last trip to Westbourne.

[Michael R.]

Originally Posted by rob love

Thanks Wayne...my only fear is if I keep them I will end up with an Indian motorcycle.

Shame! It all started with a wrench ...