Thanks for all your input, I've worked out what it is, with some inspiration from silverport, no its not a jam spade but it is a butter spade whhoooo!! so I'm happy now, cheers all
Yes zongo I see what you mean but I've never seen a silver oil painting knife, and my father-in-law is a "fine artist" and he said it would of had a crank in the arm, and this is completely straight