An unfinished example of the rare 1908 Pattern Webbing Entrenching Tool Helve Carrier in very good unblancoed, unissued condition; this aside of course from it missing its two piece brass press closure button which has never been applied.
Found in an Army Surplus store in the 1980’s alongside the 1908 Webbing Head Carrier I have also listed, it would appear this unfinished Helve Holder is a factory discard from the end of WW1 when the contracts for 1908 Entrenching Tool items were not renewed due to the British Army no longer using such Entrenching Tools.
Discarded mid production this 1908 Helve Carrier has never had its two piece brass press closure button applied. Due to its unfinished status it is also neither maker marked nor dated, it does however nicely retain its original webbing colour from it being unused.
Similarly to its companion Head Carrier this unissued item has clearly simply been stored somewhere for a very long a time with the unused brasswork dulling to a near black colour in the process.
The 1908 Pattern Webbing Entrenching Tool Helve Carrier is well known to be the most difficult item of 1908 Equipment to obtain and is much faked. The example here is obviously incomplete, however it is genuine and low priced due to its flaw. If this item had the missing brass press closure button it would be more than double the present asking price.
