Description

blade is: 23.5cm

An authentic 19th century sailor’s fid or marlinspike, featuring a turned bone handle housed within its original wooden scabbard.

Used extensively throughout the Age of Sail and into the 19th century maritime period, fids and marlinspikes were essential rope-working tools carried by sailors, riggers, and sailmakers aboard working vessels.

These tools were primarily used for opening rope strands during splicing, loosening tight knots, and assisting with rigging repairs aboard ship.

Traditional examples were commonly crafted from hardwoods, iron or steel, with bone and whalebone handles often seen in maritime and whaling contexts.

This example has a beautifully aged turned bone handle with concentric ring decoration, paired with a long square-section steel spike and a dark hardwood protective scabbard.

The overall form and construction strongly suggest a mid to late 19th century maritime working tool, likely sailor-made or privately commissioned rather than mass manufactured.

Pieces such as this are highly sought after by collectors of maritime antiques, rope-working tools, treen, sailor’s folk art, and nautical curiosities.