Fairbairn-Sykes?

[browningautorifle]

the John Ek Commando.

I saw that one too, not many of those hereabouts at all.

[jonnyc]

Had a real nice USMC stiletto a few years ago, had been mt FIL's, a WWII Marine. Never had the chance to ask where he got it, but knowing his Marine service record, he must have traded for it. As the handle was still in perfect shape (no visible etching) I decided to sell it before any deterioration took place. It funded my first few handguns. I ended up getting a Nowill's to replace the type in my stash.

[dcollector]

Curse this thread, I'll have to go without food for a few days, lol.

Sifting through Ebay auctions to see if there was any original 3rd's for less than $200 - I found this one, not only in beautiful condition, but inexplicably the brown elastic hasn't broken.

Any collector will tell you that's the first thing that breaks/rots/stretches out, even on really nice examples of FS daggers.
$131 not including shipping.

It's a nice original WW2 3rd pattern for less pennies than most replica, fake, post war (stamped guard) junk knives.
(Yes, the blade looks carefully re-tipped, but I can live with that.)

Moral of the story - don't go on Ebay unless you can afford to spend, lol.

Good luck out there

WWII British Commando and Paratrooper dagger and sheath | eBay

[bigduke6]

dcollector, a fine collection, couldn't agree more on buying a book etc, I recently enquired about a 2nd pattern example all good original but there was a discrepancy with the guard, it was marked correct but it had either had a repair on the blade between the ricasso and the hilt or it was put together out of parts, just seemed a bad fit to me.......... price was was just under £1000 way over priced but there you go.

To the OP (Florey55 ) Just save and buy the real deal, or early post war, as pointed out plenty of 3rd Pattern ones about.

Regarding 2nd Pattern Knives, I'm just trying to get a contour jig sorted to knurl the handle, friend of mine has made some outstanding blades and needs some handles.........

[browningautorifle]

I'm just trying to get a contour jig sorted to knurl the handle

Why won't a knurling bar work in your lather? They aren't so wide and they run on a machine feed...should leave a continuous knurl.

[bigduke6]

Why won't a knurling bar work in your lather? They aren't so wide and they run on a machine feed...should leave a continuous knurl.

The handle being contoured Jim, the knurling tools available are for straight cut work (parallel bar etc) its the reason the 2nd patterns look so rough as they used a standard tool and done it by hand, in sections.

If you think of a key cutting machine or similar, the Knurling tool also requires a radius on it, to stop it digging in on the contour of the handle.

You can do it by hand using a very slow feed and manually operate the cross feed to follow the contour, but from experience a simple jig can make a world of difference.

[browningautorifle]

its the reason the 2nd patterns look so rough as they used a standard tool and done it by hand, in sections.

Yes, that's clear...to run it by that method would also have you changing angle of the knurling tool to do some spots. Still, if the originals are a bit rough...it was wartime after all. You aren't going to make hundreds I should think, only a few?

[bigduke6]

I should think, only a few?

For now Jim, But remember the Saying, Out of small acorns do grow big trees......

[browningautorifle]

Out of small acorns do grow big trees

Next thing you're doing it for business...