Fairbairn-Sykes?

[Florey55]

I would like to get a Fairbairn Sykes.

I don't mind having a currently made one so, my question is -

Who makes the best version? Nowill? the Chinese? Someone else?

Best means high quality steel and faithful adherence to the originals..

Information

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[M1 C FAN]

I purchased a Nowill and Sons 2 yrs ago that i love it. The quality is great and it was reasonably priced compared to a vintage example.

[Daan Kemp]

An operator colleague of mine, told me in 1975 the FS they were issued with weren't satisfactory. Bent, didn't keep an edge. Stock might have been bought from the lowest bidder.

[Flying10uk]

You'll get what you pay for. In other words if you want a top quality reproduction 1st Pattern F/S knife there are a number of firms out there who do make such knives but you will have to be prepared to pay a significant amount of money to obtain one. If you want a repro 2nd Pattern F/S knife and don't want to spend too much but still want a reasonably good product, I would say look at an Indian 2nd Pattern F/S knife. I wouldn't bother with repro 3rd Pattern F/S knives since originals are available at a reasonable price.

[Roy]

I used to have a modern William Rogers of Sheffield FS knife which was exactly the same as the one shown to me by a Royal Engineer who was in the Falklands. He had purchased it as a souvenir upon completing his commando course with the Royal Marines and he said they were popular with those who had completed the course and a box full was available to those who had passed.

[dcollector]

I collect WW2 Fairbairn Sykes variations.
I love them as antiquities for what they represent as a historical statement and for whom they were associated.

I started with 3rd patterns, then second, then first.
A couple of wood handled variations.
Have to be careful collecting these there are lots of variables, and pitfalls, and fakes, and oddities and "aged" modern reproductions.

I carry a penknife as my EDC, but, if I were in an occupation that required a killing knife, (I am not,) I would buy a modern fighting knives with non-metallic handle and a blade made from modern steel.
Fairbairn himself didn't like the 3rd pattern, and was explicit in his criticism of the cheapness of it.


The US made Fairbairn Smatchet is in the middle.

Machine ground 3rd pattern blades (all wartime)
Notice the thickness of the guards on the wartime 3rd patterns.
The post war 3rd patterns usually have a distinctively wafer edged and thin stamped guard.


Hand ground (drawn) blades 2nd + 3rd pattern (all wartime)


A really nice "all black" 2nd pattern on Fairbairn's book "Get tough" - the drawing is of a 1st pattern.


A selection of 2nd and 3rd pattern wartime blades.


A wood handled RAF dagger (not 3rd pattern) (wartime)


A nice salty first pattern blade showing the distinctive ricasso and S shaped guard.

[browningautorifle]

I collect WW2 Fairbairn Sykes variations.

Very nice display of FS knives. Now when we need an example of one we know where to find them.

[Aragorn243]

So are the ones currently being made considered repros or simply modern variations of an issue knife that wasn't issued, simply sold to the general public. In other words are they REAL knives?

How about the NATO marked ones?

I would like to have one simply as a representative but can't afford a legitimate WWII one and wouldn't take the chance on one being real or fake anyway. But I don't want a "fake", Chinese made piece of crap, etc.

If they are real, made in Sheffield, what should I look for? Are the ones being sold by the companies legit, should I spend the extra on a NATO marked one?

[Flying10uk]

should I spend the extra on a NATO marked one?

No, because they are relatively common.

---------- Post added at 11:21 PM ---------- Previous post was at 11:15 PM ----------

I would like to have one simply as a representative but can't afford a legitimate WWII one

I don't think you would be disappointed with an Indian 2nd Pattern F/S knife which currently sell in the UK for just under £100 from WWA.

[dcollector]

I would say save your cash and buy a book on FS instead.

It really is not (*usually) difficult to spot copies or fakes, if in doubt, simply post pictures of the one you have found on the myriad of FB collecting groups, commando knifes, FPM, Fairbairn Sykes etc., before you spend a penny.

*When you get into the Nail Spike handle, or very rare FS variations, some costing $4000-$5000, the fakery is museum quality, but you're talking 3rd patterns and other than idiots stamping 1942, cross of Lorraine signs, and other stupid obviously spurious stampings you're fairly safe.
I also collect trench knives and US fighting knives and these are starting to become a minefield of fakery.

The Indian one on WWA is a horrible copy of something that never existed, a fat-boy grip with wonky etch - its not military issue anywhere, it's a recently made fake to deceive novice collectors.

The 1975 NATO marked is Ok, but it's a govt. contract version of the cheapest and worst variation of the post war style of FS.
Stamped guard, machine ground blade, unnumbered hilt.
Fairbairn didn't like the WW2 3rd pattern variation, he would have hated the post war 3rd pattern.

Buy a book, read-up, the way that the FS knife was developed is an interesting and historical story. Then go to Ebay US, or any of the collectors sources (first pattern militaria, Ivan Gamsby) and just wait and watch patiently.

I don't think I have spent over $200 on an original WW2 3rd ever, I keep meaning to stop buying them, as I have enough, but they keep coming up in auction.
Usually seller spells the name wrong, mis-titles it, doesn't know what it is.
They make good trades when making deals on rarer knives.
I once traded 10 X 3rd pattern knives for a 1st pattern.
We were both very happy.

Anyway - the above is my opinion, I do not know you, or what your collection is like and can only project myself into the situation you describe, so I sincerely apologize if I have offended or talked out of turn.
My grammar sometimes rubs people the wrong way until they know I mean it all for the best.

When I stopped buying anything that caught my eye and invested in reference books my collection changed profoundly.

Two First Pattern Fairbairn Sykes flank an original 1918 LF&C Trench Knife.
The 1918 still shows it's original blackening on the blade and brass.