The drawings are excellent quality, but nothing justifies the crazy prices being asked for this out of print primer by alan locken. This knife is a superb copy of what fairbairn, sykes and wilkinson achieved as a team during the early days of wwii, with a balance, size, and appearance identical to the originals. Ww2 british army fairbairnsykes fighting knife commando dagger. Mar 22, 2011 the fairbairn sykes commando dagger has become iconic as the most widely recognized fighting knife in the world. According to one knife authority, both the knife and sheath are characteristic of having been made in sheffield. Fairbairn sykes british commando dagger, black ixl sheffield the fairbairn sykes british commando knife is a doubleedged knife with a cast metal grip developed by william ewart fairbairn and eric anthony sykes before world war ii. Jun 17, 2014 these two knives represent completely different philosophies with the kabar being a very strong and sturdy fighting knife of utilitarian design, and the fairbairn sykes representing a more elegant design for more delicate use in clandestine operations.
It had a long history as a very successful fighting system from the very early 1920s. This knife is generalized as a fighting knife but actually it is a ambushattack knife by design and more importantly by the employment methods stressed by both designers. Apr 08, 2011 fairbairnsykes fighting knife, william rodgers, sheffield england todays exhibition is a british, fairbairnsykes fighting knife and sheath. Its one of the first batch shown on paul macdonalds display of these beauties. British commando took out isis fighter with a ww2 fairbairn. Swords, blades uk, sword, knives, martial arts, samurai. This is a small paperback book nicely illustrated with line drawings. Corporal aubrey sharpens his fighting knife as he prepares for combat in the aegean sea in 1944. In 1936 shanghai was asias busiest port and according christopher mcdougals book natural born heroes. Fairbairn sykes knife comparisons relevant 19012011. The humiliating defeat at dunkirk lead to the realisation that britain was not in a position to launch a large scale military attack against the german army.
The origins of the dagger can be traced to shanghai in the 1930s where w. Fighting knives used by british commandos and soe during ww2. Sep 05, 2015 without any doubt, the fairbairn sykes fs knife has deliveredsuch a high number of souls that only the devilhas a tally. Fairbairn s son, a retired british intelligence officer, told me that his father was never really satisfied with the fairbairn sykes knife and always thought to make improvements. The foundation of the defendu method was rooted in the harsh and brutal realities of real world violence. If you are seeking a wonderful way to take on virtually any cutting mission, select the. Fairbairn had been chief of police in shanghai before the japanese capture of the city.
My name is roy shadbolt, im a writer, historian and purveyor of original fairbairn sykes fighting knives. History of the fairbairn sykes british fighting knife and the man behind its creation. Fairbairnsykes fighting knife, william rodgers, sheffield. Fairbairn and us marine officers including sam yeaton carried out experiments in developing what they considered the perfect knife for close combat. If you happen to find an original fairbairnsykes fighting knife through looking you can be assured that this is a keeper because these knives were made to withstand the rigors of battle and they have lasted the test of time. The fairbairnsykes fighting knife is a doubleedged fighting knife resembling a dagger or poignard with a foil grip developed by william ewart fairbairn and eric anthony sykes in shanghai based on concepts which the two men initiated before world war ii while serving on the shanghai municipal police in china. Defendu was a complete method of armed and unarmed close. The first pattern knife i ordered from macdonald armouries arrived this morning. Find great deals on ebay for fairbairn sykes and fairbairn sykes knife. My contacts within the knife collecting community are extensive and worldwide, as a result many of the knives offered for sale here are sold by me on consignment.
The first batch of fifty fs fighting knives were produced in january 1941 by wilkinson sword ltd after fairbairn and sykes had traveled down to their factory from the special training centre at lochailort in november 1940 to discuss their ideas for a fighting knife. This is a collection site and none of the items in the collection are for sale at this point in time. Kelly yeaton has written a book about this called the first commando knives. The knife or dagger is also one of the oldest weapons in the world and it is most likely impossible to make inventions any more. I keep using the word rare and while its true, i know i have overused it. Ive had this knife for a number of years and have carried it off and on during that time. Adams sheffield england 12 gold plated commando dagger knife 008. Fairbairnsykes fighting knife remembrance pin it includes production details, descriptions and illustrations of 1st, 2nd and 3rd pattern knives made by the wilkinson sword company. The fairbairn and sykes method fas was the predominate fighting system of wwii. The fairbairnsykes fighting knife was designed by william ewart fairbairn and eric anthony sykes, and was based on the shanghai fighting knife they designed while serving as constables in the shanghai municipal police smp, the multinational police force of shanghais international community. If you would like me to take on all the work and offer your knives for sale here, then please contact me and we can discus details. As noted, the fairbairnsykes fighting knife is not an original surplus item it is a reproduction, and an excellent one at that. It was made famous during the war when issued to british commandos, including the sas.
The unique feature of the fs fighting knife was the composition and the perfect balance. The fairbairn sykes fighting knives the fairbairnsykes fighting knife is a doubleedged knife with a foil grip developed by william ewart fairbairn and eric anthony sykes in shanghai before world war ii, but made famous during the war when issued to british commandos, including the sas. If you are seeking a wonderful way to take on virtually any cutting mission, select the sheffield sykes fairbairn fixed knife. The fairbairn sykes fighting knife is named for the two british officers who designed it, based on their experience with the shanghai police. Without any doubt, the fairbairnsykes fs knife has deliveredsuch a high number of souls that only the devilhas a tally. Fairbairnsykes fighting knife, william rodgers, sheffield england todays exhibition is a british, fairbairnsykes fighting knife and sheath. Nov 29, 2014 by roger phillips, owner and operator of fight focused concepts to answer this question we really need to look at the historical context of it all. Get the best deals for fairbairn sykes fighting knife at. Rarest of them all the fairbairn sykes fighting knives. The fairbairnsykes commando dagger has become iconic as the most widely recognized fighting knife in the world. As such, it is in perfect condition, ready for displaying as a collectible or adding to your world war ii reenactment gear. The commando regiment was formed in 1940 at the behest of winston churchill himself. The book is over 260 pages long, again, printed on good quality paper. Cassidy entitled a brief history of the fairbairn sykes fighting knife.
Along with the shakespear knife these are among the more difficult british fighting knives to find. Recommended reading the fairbairn sykes fighting knives. Fairbairn sykes knife for sale in uk view 15 bargains. This fairbairnsykes commando knife was the preferred commando weapon in world war ii for both the u. My name is roy shadbolt, im a writer, historian and purveyor of original fairbairnsykes fighting knives. Fairbairnsykes fighting knife reproduction knife used by. Unfollow fairbairn sykes knife to stop getting updates on your ebay feed. This knife is generalized as a fighting knife but actually it is a ambushattack knife by design and more importantly by the employment methods stressed by. Stiletto wwii fairbairn sykes knife pancake flipper 2. He wrote in a book in 1942 that there is no weapon deadlier in closequarters combat than a knife. Why did the fairbairn and sykes method fall out of favor. The fairbairnsykes fighting knife stands symbolic for daring secret operations that britain ran during world war ii. At opticsplanet, we make it our responsibility to present you with the item which you have been looking for, and the sheffield sykes fairbairn fixed knife is certainly one that we are proud to highlight. Fairbairns son, a retired british intelligence officer, told me that his father was never really satisfied with the fairbairnsykes knife and always thought to.
The fairbairn sykes fighting knives the fairbairn sykes fighting knife is a doubleedged knife with a foil grip developed by william ewart fairbairn and eric anthony sykes in shanghai before world war ii, but made famous during the war when issued to british commandos, including the sas. By roger phillips, owner and operator of fight focused concepts to answer this question we really need to look at the historical context of it all. The fairbairnsykes fighting knife defense media network. When the decision to sell everything comes an email will be sent to all registered users. The fairbairnsykes dagger was designed in 1941 by william fairbairn, a former royal marine. This new website is currently under construction and is a companion site to my original website wilkinson fs collection which i encourage you to visit. Israeli commando knife fighting tutorial 3 duration. Page 1 of 2 british fairbairnsykes commando stiletto posted in edged weapons. Mar 18, 2019 in 1936 shanghai was asias busiest port and according christopher mcdougals book natural born heroes. This classic mod spec fairbairn sykes fixedblade dagger features a 7 double edge parkerized carbon steel blade for extra strength and cast metal handle with nowill trademark which is hand fit to the frame for optimum performance. From this beginning, the evolution of a new brand of fighting knife was created. For sure fairbairn sykes brought with them some specific ideas how they wanted a true fighting knife to look like.
Full text of the fairbairn manual of knife fighting. Fairbairn sykes knife for sale war collectibles for sale. The first time i saw one was in ron flooks book on london knife makers. This fairbairn sykes commando knife was the preferred commando weapon in world war ii for both the u. The history of the commando knife stretches back to the second world war.
For sure fairbairnsykes brought with them some specific ideas how they wanted a true fighting knife to look like. The fairbairnsykes fighting knife gunsamerica digest. Fairbairnsykes fighting knife second pattern part 2. Cassidy entitled a brief history of the fairbairnsykes fighting knife. Sheffield she006 fairbairn sykes british commando dagger 67. Unarguably, this style of knife would be the predecessor of all of the. These knives are all beautiful replicas of the original fairbairnsykes fighting knife but if you must have the original fairbairnsykes fighting knife there are several for sale in mint condition, and for collectors, this is a must to add because these are the original fairbairnsykes commando knives. I got this one on ebay while looking for fairbairn knives. These two knives represent completely different philosophies with the kabar being a very strong and sturdy fighting knife of utilitarian design, and the fairbairnsykes representing a more elegant design for more delicate use in clandestine operations. This third pattern fairbairn sykes fighting knife is very interesting. Fairbairn sykes fighting knife australian military knives. Apr 19, 2020 if war marks them, you will have to pay a pretty penny because that makes their value go up exponentially. The first time i saw one was in ron flooks book on london knife. This is a page dedicated to showing and sharing pictures and knowledge about the fairbairnsykes knives and the men that created this historical knife.
1054 133 746 527 622 576 1168 493 320 1189 1109 765 1362 508 256 122 911 405 731 222 550 707 105 907 174 593 1257 317 1087 894 1115 425 592 574 1139 1417 571 576 455 1012 523 1327 140 920