Traditional Austrailian Bunny knife questions

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Australian " Bunny " knife.
 
waynorth said:
Some interesting discussion in this thread!!
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There is mate, a subject very dear to my heart. When i was a kid and got my first Bunny Knife it was a Joseph Rodgers single blade, on asking a lot of the old timers why some were a clip and pen blade, and some were just a single clip, got a very interesting answer. Cost, during the 1930's, 40's interspersed with the War, money was really tight, so a lot of the Bunny Knives sold were single blade just to save some money. They were different and difficult times. That generation including my parents had been through World War one, followed by the Great Depression, they saved money where ever they could. They saved for a rainy day, they did not know what the future held. But they were inventive, creative and resilient, and they were recycling things before recycling was ever heard of. :) .
 
waynorth said:
Some interesting discussion in this thread!!
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Nice resurrection Charlie :) :thumbsup:
cudgee said:
There is mate, a subject very dear to my heart. When i was a kid and got my first Bunny Knife it was a Joseph Rodgers single blade, on asking a lot of the old timers why some were a clip and pen blade, and some were just a single clip, got a very interesting answer. Cost, during the 1930's, 40's interspersed with the War, money was really tight, so a lot of the Bunny Knives sold were single blade just to save some money. They were different and difficult times. That generation including my parents had been through World War one, followed by the Great Depression, they saved money where ever they could. They saved for a rainy day, they did not know what the future held. But they were inventive, creative and resilient, and they were recycling things before recycling was ever heard of. :) .
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That's an interesting point Leon, Sheffield-made knives must have been relatively expensive in Australia, due to transport costs, and also scarce during, and immediately after, WW2, when production of non-military knives ceased in Sheffield :thumbsup:

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Jack Black said:
Nice resurrection Charlie :) :thumbsup:

That's an interesting point Leon, Sheffield-made knives must have been relatively expensive in Australia, due to transport costs, and also scarce during, and immediately after, WW2, when production of non-military knives ceased in Sheffield :thumbsup:

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Yes Jack they were, also people have to realize that metal was scarce from the late thirties till the end of the forties, most of it went into the war effort then after the war, we as you did in England still had rationing and coupons till the end of the forties. They were hard and difficult times, my oldest sister who died last year was born before the start of the second world war and she could regale stories of the blackouts and rationing when she was a young girl till a teenager at the end of the 1940's. Most people don't realize that, they think that when the war ended every thing went back to normal and life just resumed. 🤝
 
cudgee said:
Yes Jack they were, also people have to realize that metal was scarce from the late thirties till the end of the forties, most of it went into the war effort then after the war, we as you did in England still had rationing and coupons till the end of the forties. They were hard and difficult times, my oldest sister who died last year was born before the start of the second world war and she could regale stories of the blackouts and rationing when she was a young girl till a teenager at the end of the 1940's. Most people don't realize that, they think that when the war ended every thing went back to normal and life just resumed. 🤝
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Another important point my friend :thumbsup: Yes, food rationing didn't end until the middle of 1954 here, and I think those who lived through that period were very much affected by that aspect of the war, as well as everything else. I wasn't born until 1961, and even though I spent my childhood playing on bomb-sites, I thought the war was ancient history, but when I look back, I can remember we were still affected by terrible poverty, with the country coming close to bankruptcy. I was never allowed to leave so much as a scrap of fat on my plate, and food, frankly, was very bad. I remember in cafes, people who didn't take sugar in their tea, would take a couple of lumps from the sugar-bowl, as their 'ration'. A lot of folks developed a sweet tooth too, and there was a lot of hoarding of sugar (and other previously-rationed items), which at one point, led to shortage of sugar in the shops, with supermarkets rationing it! Apparently, former prime minister Margaret Thatcher, had hoarded a whole cellar full of sugar! :eek: :D
 
Jack Black said:
Another important point my friend :thumbsup: Yes, food rationing didn't end until the middle of 1954 here, and I think those who lived through that period were very much affected by that aspect of the war, as well as everything else. I wasn't born until 1961, and even though I spent my childhood playing on bomb-sites, I thought the war was ancient history, but when I look back, I can remember we were still affected by terrible poverty, with the country coming close to bankruptcy. I was never allowed to leave so much as a scrap of fat on my plate, and food, frankly, was very bad. I remember in cafes, people who didn't take sugar in their tea, would take a couple of lumps from the sugar-bowl, as their 'ration'. A lot of folks developed a sweet tooth too, and there was a lot of hoarding of sugar (and other previously-rationed items), which at one point, led to shortage of sugar in the shops, with supermarkets rationing it! Apparently, former prime minister Margaret Thatcher, had hoarded a whole cellar full of sugar! :eek: :D
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Yes i remember reading about the rationing and poverty continuing in England till the mid - fifties. The fifties and early sixties were the best times over here. There was full employment, little crime and the economy was booming, they were great times. What happened. o_O:eek::eek::eek::)
 
cudgee said:
Yes i remember reading about the rationing and poverty continuing in England till the mid - fifties. The fifties and early sixties were the best times over here. There was full employment, little crime and the economy was booming, they were great times. What happened. o_O:eek::eek::eek::)
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I know what you mean mate, I think we peaked here in the mid 70's, and it's been downhill ever since :rolleyes:
 
Hmm ...school milk was a great idea....the crates were delivered before school started then left out in the boiling Australian sun for 5 hrs.At 2pm the hottest part of the day we were allowed to have the deliciously warm ,sour, curdled milk....yuck.Some kids had chocolate nesquick to add and make it drinkable.... To this day Im not a milk drinker...and does anyone remember those kids who had thick green snot candles hanging from their nostrils....ya dont see that much anymore either...wondering if its related.
cudgee said:
Yes i remember reading about the rationing and poverty continuing in England till the mid - fifties. The fifties and early sixties were the best times over here. There was full employment, little crime and the economy was booming, they were great times. What happened. o_O:eek::eek::eek::)
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Johnny O Keefe ?




 
meako said:
..school milk was a great idea....the crates were delivered before school started then left out in the boiling Australian sun for 5 hrs.At 2pm the hottest part of the day we were allowed to have the deliciously warm ,sour, curdled milk....yuck.
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" What Doesn't Kill You Makes You Stronger ". 😂
 
meako said:
Hmm ...school milk was a great idea....the crates were delivered before school started then left out in the boiling Australian sun for 5 hrs.At 2pm the hottest part of the day we were allowed to have the deliciously warm ,sour, curdled milk....yuck.Some kids had chocolate nesquick to add and make it drinkable.... To this day Im not a milk drinker...and does anyone remember those kids who had thick green snot candles hanging from their nostrils....ya dont see that much anymore either...wondering if its related.
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There wasn't anymore thought given to the distribution here mate, by the time it was issued it had been sitting around for about the same amount of time, and was warm, and often curdled. Good idea about the Nesquik! :D Strangely, the only kid I ever see who has those candles is my mate's youngest, and he's vegan due to a bunch of allergies! He's a bit older now, so he's a bit more presentable, but when he was young, if I saw him, I'd have to chase him around with a handkerchief! :eek: :D :thumbsup:
 
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