Intro and Fairbairn Sykes

[dcollector]

Hi Guys,

 

New member here.

I am on the US military forums, but, have a few English blades and gear too.

 

Some photos of my English blades, some US ones may have slipped in too (particularly the last picture.)

 

Also collect WWII British weapons and accessories to a degree, too.

 

Nice to meet you all.

 

JVJ

 

[SARGE]

Nice!  

 

Welcome to the WMF.  

 

[dcollector]

5 hours ago, SARGE said:

Nice!  

 

Welcome to the WMF.  

 

Cheers.

 

 

[Tony v]

JVJ

 

    Welcome aboard ! Very nice collection and thank you for sharing

 

Tony

 

[Brian Keith]

You have a major collection! Thanks for posting it>

Best Regards,

BKW

[Custermen]

Welcome.

 

I am not a knife collector but I have always loved knives ---every since I cut my finger on the first knife I got when I was 6 or 7.  

 

I would love to have one of those commando daggers even if it was a modern version.  That look so cool and deadly ---if you have the right training.  

[AKC123]

World class collection. Thanks for sharing 

[dcollector]

These are my first pattern daggers - photographed in the US.

(My fifth 1st is still in the UK, the Ricasso is shown in the last two pictures.)

 

As you can see here, my progress as a collector can be plotted by the progression of quality of blade.

When I started I just wanted original first patterns.

Actually I still do, no matter what quality, except when I started that was all I seemed to be able to afford.

 

These are original First Patterns, the blades were not chemically coated or blued and they often seem to turn up in poor shape.

IMO Much worse on the whole than wartime 2nd or 3rd pattern wartime wear.

(Admittedly, ENGLAND marked 2nd and 3rds often look awful, but that's 100% post war civilian use and wear and of zero interest to me.)

 

Anyway, these 1st blades go from rough to good.

 

These knives are not US war reparation knives, they were not "England" stamped in the late 40's.

The wear on the blades is very likely wartime, as there would have been little practicality in carrying the knife later.

Over sharpened and abused like grandad used to do with his pocket folder.

 

There is some variance in grip knurling and how close it gets to the hand guard, there are theories on this. There are light etch and deep factory etches, there are theories on this too. Watch a show on blade etching, and how the current eats away the steel through the wax and you realize that it's not an exact science at all.

 

Theses belong, for me at least, in the category marked: if only they could talk.

 

 

[JGW]

Impressive collection.  Thank you for sharing!  
 

A Fairbairn Sykes is on my “someday” list!  Any advice on where to look and what price range?  I’m sure there are more common (less expensive) on up to rare (and more expensive), just like other collectibles.  Since I don’t collect Fairbairn Sykes specifically, I’m curious as to acceptable price range for a nice knife of the more common variety(ies).

 

JGW

[Ivydiv]

Great stuff. Thanks for sharing. Dave

[dcollector]

On 11/15/2022 at 4:14 AM, JGW said:

Impressive collection.  Thank you for sharing!  
 

A Fairbairn Sykes is on my “someday” list!  Any advice on where to look and what price range?  I’m sure there are more common (less expensive) on up to rare (and more expensive), just like other collectibles.  Since I don’t collect Fairbairn Sykes specifically, I’m curious as to acceptable price range for a nice knife of the more common variety(ies).

 

JGW

 

There are lots more variants than the list below, which is truly inadequate, but it's a start.

 

There are no "set" prices, but a 3rd pattern is about $250-$500 while a first pattern is about $3000-5000+

*A mint 3rd pattern hand-ground blade with great leather could cost you more than a beat 2nd pattern with no sheath.

 

IMO In order of commonality not price

 

1. 3rd pattern - the machine ground.

2. 3rd pattern - hand ground blade.

3. 3rd pattern with Wilkinson etch - quite rare.

4. "3rd pattern" FS wood handled variants: 

A. "Fat wood" handled RAF variant.

B. "Black wood" handled variant.

5. 2nd pattern all black unmarked.

6. 2nd pattern Wilkinson blade etch.

7. 2nd pattern nickel handle.

8. 2nd pattern blade banner etched.

9. "2nd pattern" variants:

A. Beaded and ribbed.

B. Roped and ridged.

C. Smooth handled Polish.

D. Nail handle drop knife.

E. Bakelite handled Wilkinson store knife.

F. Fatboy handle.

10. First pattern 

11. First pattern tight S

12. First Pattern 3 inch guard.

[Blade69]

Nice collection remind me not to break into your house lol

[dcollector]

These haven't all been out in a year - so, felt they should get photographed.

2022's 1st, 2nd and 3rd pattern collection.

No wood/steel handles, foreign variants or post war knives photographed.

Have a great one.

Happy New Year!

[SARGE]

Nice!  Nice!  Nice!

 

 

[JEdwin]

I know that there are different manufacturers of sheaths but I have a 3rd pattern with a letter or number imprinted on the back of the sheath? It looks like a number 8. Is there any way of identifying that? Not much out there on the sheaths? I have a couple of these daggers nothing like your collection. Very nice by the way! 

Here are the flip side of my 2nd and 3rd 

[dcollector]

Really nice pair of knives.

 

Regarding the "8" stamped on your sheath, I'm sorry I don't now what it means.

As you correctly state it could have been from the sheath manufacturer.

Or at the time of assigning to a knife with Wilkinson.

It could also be from the Pall Mall shop as yours looks like a beautiful etched private purchase knife.

Or it could be a unit marking, I have a few with numbers stamped into the leather at a unit level or even an individual soldier ID level.

 

There are many with a far deeper knowledge of the history of these knives than me, perhaps they can chime in.

I just collect them at a layman's level.