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knife fighting...killing with bare hands...is this stuff still taught or is it just fantasy? and what about "combat knives"? are there any such items officially issued to SAS/SBS personnel?

only knife you will find issued besides the bayonet are
the clasp knife ,Machete , possibley the Survival Knife (if you need it )and not forgetting the KFS

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sas and sbs ranks get issued a fighting knife, can't remember what its called but its a US bit of kit, carbon steel blade and all that jazz.

Prior to this they used to get issued the Sykes Fairburn fighting knife (which is the famous Commando dagger) - heard a rumour lately that recruits are getting this issued again in training. Anyone know anymore?

Is the commando dagger not standard issue for marines then???

it used to be issued, then they stopped, i've heard they have started re-issuing it again but don't know for sure.

You weren't in the gang unless you had a K-Bar, US Navy issue knife.

Landing craft ranks used to be issued with a heavy knife for hacking ropes, etc: If anyone is looking for # 127/8214, I know where it is.

Aye - Andy.

i thought FS daggers went out of fashion after WW2? u cant really do much with the original design, ud think theyd have something more suitable for all round use. theres modern variants around that are far better, the Applegate-Fairbairn series for a start.

iv just ordered a Gerber Mini Applegate-Fairbairn folder, legal to carry as well!

http://www.bkcg.co.uk/products/manu/gerber/g6924.html

sexy or what?

I think you're missing the point middy. The FS as far as fighting knife design goes is pretty much on the ball. It doesn't need to be sexy or practical - its only purpose is to kill someone. Hence the twin blade design so you don't have to worry about holding it the right way round.

Thanks prez - 'K-bar' thats the kiddy, knew someone would know what it is called.

gash-hand wrote:I think you're missing the point middy. The FS as far as fighting knife design goes is pretty much on the ball. It doesn't need to be sexy or practical - its only purpose is to kill someone. Hence the twin blade design so you don't have to worry about holding it the right way round.

Thanks prez - 'K-bar' thats the kiddy, knew someone would know what it is called.

ah but see the original FS design, as deadly as it was, had some basic design flaws. the blade was tapered too long which made it brittle, also the completely round handle made for a poor grip.
theres a lot of modern variants around that are vastly improved on the original, such as the Boker Applegate-Fairbairn so why dish out the same old design?

The original Dagger,was the same design as the one bought
in PR shops, the main difference being the handle, the original
dagger han an adjusting nut at the end of the hilt, this was used to
be able to adjust the balance.

Aye

John_D

The dagger that you see advertised for twenty-odd of your English quids is a cheap copy. It looks the same, but the balance is wrong and it’s made from cheap steel. I recently checked out Wilkinson’s site and the FS Commando Dagger is still made, and still sold in bulk, worldwide. It is a hand-made item. A basic blue-ed, or black dagger costs 130 quid. A pollished steel presentation dagger costs over 200. For 40-odd quid they will engrave it for you. The round handle is not a design fault but an integral part of how the dagger is used. It will allow the dagger to turn as the blade passes through ribs, something that a K-bar will not do. It is a perfect design in itself, but there have been two modifications since the Mk 1. Neither was significant, they were mainly to speed production. The base of the blade was simplified and the hand guard?(where yer thumb rests) was changed to a straight pattern. All three variants are available from Wilkinsons. Of far more everyday use is the new WS Survival Knife, designed "with the help of RM Survival Instructors" it looks like a gollack with a fire steel in the (removable) handle and has a nice plastic sheath.

www.wilkinson-swords.co.uk/knives/fairbairn.html

I clicked on "send me more info" on Wilkinsons web site, expecting an e-mail. What turned up was an expensive catalogue and order form all the way from Europe You should see how much swords are, if you thought 200 quid was expensive
Aye,