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Kershaw binoculars


Buster

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I picked these up yesterday on a local FB selling page! As you can see they are a British pair of binoculars , they where manufactured  by  Kershaw & are dated 1943, they still have the original webbing neck strap fitted, also came with a leather case that's seen better days, but still hanging in there.

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Nice item, very similar to it's German counterpart or Dienstglas (smallest version fieldglasses), lucky that you got the original webbing strap to go with it, this would be impossible to replace nowadays.

Here, the German version 6x30 with "Strichplatte", these had a black or brown leather carrying strap and various accessories for wear. I had several examples many years ago.

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 Those are very nice indeed ,I have been after a nice war time  pair for a while now & stumbled upon these yesterday just by chance, do you know if these whould come in a leather or webbing case ?

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Hard to say what sort of case, often the German counterpart was worn without a case, just suspended around the neck for ready use, a little leather tab could be added, which could then be buttoned to the tunic front to secure it. I had a normal service pattern case many years ago of reinforced tan leather, but for a much bigger set, this had buckles to fit the webbing set, and was lined in felt.

Here are some examples I found:

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Kershaw made good binoculars, MkII x 6 army issue like yours would have the webbing 37 pattern case. Here is a history of the company.

A.KERSHAW AND SONS LTD., 76 Woodhouse Lane, Leeds, moved to large site in Harehills Lane, Leeds in 1916. Founded by Abraham Kershaw (1861-1929) in Leeds in 1888, manufacturing and repairing scientific equipment. During the Great War they were appointed to manufacture prismatic binoculars. They recruited three key workers from Carl Zeiss (London) Ltd. at Mill Hill. On 15 June 1916 the Company received an order for 25000 No 3 Mk I binoculars. The prisms were supplied by Barr and Stroud and the lens sets by Thomas Cooke and Son Ltd and Taylor, Taylor Hobson Ltd. Later Kershaw started manufacturing its own lenses. The Ministry considered they were generally better than those supplied by the other companies. By 29 December 1917, 5798 had been delivered. From 4 February 1918 not less than 50% of production was to be of Mk.II specification. Kershaw made binoculars of both Ross and Zeiss pattern construction. After the War Kershaw continued to manufacture binoculars for occasional military orders and for the commercial market. By 1930 their catalogue listed 26 models.

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Spotted these ones stated as Kershaw, 1939/1940

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  • 2 weeks later...

I have the binocular case a clean up, it revealed something scratched into the lid, or it looks like FOURNIER , PARIS , METROPAX then the number under the handle 399444. 

Just googled it , it's a maker of  French binoculars, most likely the original occupant of the case.

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French made binoculars and accessories were also known to be used by British forces in WW1, and in some cases by the Germans in WW2

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