The collecting of fuse caps, the conical tips of projectiles, was common in WW1 - it is mentioned many times in contemporary accounts and is even immortalised in a Bruce Bairnsfather cartoon of the period, picturing a chap sitting astride a large ‘dud’ shell, bashing at the fuse cap with a hammer and a nonchalant onlooker helpfully adding “Give it a good ‘ard ‘un, Bert; you can generally ‘ear ‘em fizzing a bit first if they are a-goin’ to explode.” !!
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A common way to make something useful from these fuse caps was to turn them into ink wells, hinging the tip and using the hollow inside to hold a reservoir for ink. These ink wells were then mounted into a stand made from scrap brass, usually with places to put your pens and feet made from bullets. Decoration is usually etched, although you also find items welded to the brass, such as horse shoes, shrapnel fragments and regimental badges and buttons.
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