The Traditional Fisherman's Forum

What a great find for my coming new season on the Ashby Canal !!!

Winging it's way to me is this "new old stock' Abbey Bread punch, made by Asco Products of Horwich, near Bolton.



Supplied with 3 sizes of brass punch, the spares are held in the barrel to keep them safe.

It looks like it has a 'pen style clip,' so will slip nicely into one of the top pockets on my gilet !

Blimey Mal, that takes me back. My first ever bread punch in the early 1970s looked identical to that, right down to the red plastic screw in cap! Thanks for sharing.

Phil

Ooh! I still have and use one of those, bought from the local tackle shop with some pocket money.

I still have one in my tackle box,although I rarely use it. I should do ,but don't eat the white sliced bread that you need to use the punch on.

I had one when I was a nipper but it had a metal screw in cap rather than a plastic one. I'll have to see if it made the journey out to France.

Coral Maestro wrote: ↑Thu Feb 25, 2021 6:45 am I had one when I was a nipper but it had a metal screw in cap rather than a plastic one. I'll have to see if it made the journey out to France.

Yep, mine had a brass cap too. Only lost it a few years ago. Happily got a replacement in a job lot last year.

Always wondered how you hook the bread - especially at breathless matchman speed - without ruining the hook-point?

Vole wrote: ↑Sun Jul 09, 2023 5:40 pm Always wondered how you hook the bread - especially at breathless matchman speed - without ruining the hook-point?

I'm not sure if the Abbey is the same, but one of my similar bread punches has a slot in each of the four brass heads, through which the bread pellet can be easily hooked?

(On a second one of mine, only the two smallest heads are slotted, but the larger two are not).

Mine's probably not a pukka "Abbey", then. Maybe I should risk its vintage status and slot the heads!

John Milford wrote: ↑Mon Jul 10, 2023 4:21 pm

Vole wrote: ↑Sun Jul 09, 2023 5:40 pm Always wondered how you hook the bread - especially at breathless matchman speed - without ruining the hook-point?

I'm not sure if the Abbey is the same, but one of my similar bread punches has a slot in each of the four brass heads, through which the bread pellet can be easily hooked?

(On a second one of mine, only the two smallest heads are slotted, but the larger two are not).

Screenshot_20230710-161222_Photos~2.jpg

I shall be slotting mine directly...