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Help with this Fairbairn Sykes Commando Knife


TheMariner
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I know these were carried by many countries! I know very little about this knife, i did some research on a few sites and still have a number of questions! Firstly i am curious if this is in fact a 3rd Pattern,i read somewhere all of the ones marked england were sold as surplus but i have heard of them being issued to US special forces guys! Can information on this example would be greatly appreciated! Thanks in advance! post-160496-0-24266900-1487546594_thumb.jpgpost-160496-0-53660000-1487546600_thumb.jpgpost-160496-0-37349400-1487546607_thumb.jpg

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I think it's English.

it is but this knife is allowed to be discussed on the forum, it has been discussed here before because it was also heavily used by US forces and is actually present on at least 2x US patches, 1 SF Group and i believe a marine patch!

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Patchcollector

I don't know much about these,so I could be wrong about this but your knife looks a lot like one I picked up in the early 80's from,IIRC,Atlanta Cutlery.

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British 3rd pattern late war type.The most common of them all.The ENGLAND is an export marking as these were shipped to the US/Canada for commecial sale and all types of the FS knives were in these expot sales.At times you may find ENGLAND stamped on the upper scabbard too above the belt slots and elastic strap

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British 3rd pattern late war type.The most common of them all.The ENGLAND is an export marking as these were shipped to the US/Canada for commecial sale and all types of the FS knives were in these expot sales.At times you may find ENGLAND stamped on the upper scabbard too above the belt slots and elastic strap

So this is an original ww2 surplus example ? it is also marked england on the scabbard! Thanks

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Doyler,, wouldn't a WWII issue also have the British broad arrow mark somewhere on the guard as well as a cast number near the hilt of the knife?

 

CG

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Doyler,, wouldn't a WWII issue also have the British broad arrow mark somewhere on the guard as well as a cast number near the hilt of the knife?

 

CG

 

There are many with just England on them.

 

My undestandind if it had the broad arrow it was issued or govt stock.

 

My 2nd Pattern knife from an original 1st Ranger Bn member is broad arrow proofed.

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bredpil20.jpg I stamp is not Ishapor but the acceptance mark of the India Stores Department, who prewar marked the Broad Arrow and ISD.

During the war any stores for India were marked bredpil20.jpgI

Some World War 2 vintage F-S knives can be found with a stamp ENGLAND on the hand guard.

The stamp ENGLAND was added to the knives after the end of the war by the British.

These knives were sold as surplus to USA 1946. 167 000 knives went as a payment for the credits of war over the Atlantic.

If you find an American Rifleman from 1947 – 1952 you can read advertisements of these knives sold for $2.95 each!

 

 

More info from the site...

 

This gives you a look at the markings

 

http://gotavapen.se/gota/artiklar/fs/more/fs_marks_eng.htm

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Patchcollector

British 3rd pattern late war type.The most common of them all.The ENGLAND is an export marking as these were shipped to the US/Canada for commecial sale and all types of the FS knives were in these expot sales.At times you may find ENGLAND stamped on the upper scabbard too above the belt slots and elastic strap

 

That is great news!I'm going to have to dig mine out and recheck the markings.

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I got my first F-S knife in 1974. At that time there were a lot of places you could pick them up. Like yours it was marked on one side of the guard with "England", it also had the broad arrow next to it but no marks following it. On the other side of the handle the guard was marked "Sheffield". I don't consider myself well versed on the subject of F-S knives. I do believe that knife was also a pattern 3, and assumed it was made post war. I have had other people who spent more time studying F-S knives tell me that they felt at least some of the knives coming into the country even at that time were left over WW2 stock.

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