Fairbairn Sykes fighting knife..wartime knife and postwar export?

[Patrick Dempsey]

Hello all,

please excuse another "is this wartime?" thread on FS knives, but this knife has been offered to a US friend of mine and he is seeking opinions on vintage.

It is my understanding that knives marked "England" are postwar export models that were sold to the US,and that the number "3" should denote a wartime production vintage. The knife seems to mimic the third pattern model, and the scabbard also seems to have wartime features to my FS knowledge limited eyes?

Is this a wartime produced knife exported post war is the short question (and the scabbard too)?

I have looked around some existing threads, but as this is out of my collecting field and i have confused myself a tad, hence i come here for clarity Gents

all thoughts welcome!

Patrick.

[Patrick Dempsey]

The number 3...

[Patrick Dempsey]

Export stamp...

[Patrick Dempsey]

Crude broadarrow..

[Patrick Dempsey]

Now moving onto the scabbard.

[Patrick Dempsey]

The reverse of the above..

[Patrick Dempsey]

Rivets...late war or early postwar feature?

[Patrick Dempsey]

Another scabbard detail...

[Patrick Dempsey]

And finally...

Patrick.

[lnijherald]

Is this a wartime produced knife exported post war is the short question (and the scabbard too)?.

Both knife and scabbard are very nice wartime examples. The rivets on the scabbard are an improvement of the totally rubbish stitching.

The markings above the crossguard are new to me though.

Cheers, Luc

[1stcanpara]

Hello Patrick,

It looks like a nice wartime example to me, both the knife and the scabbard. The post war 3rd pattern knives often have a complete company name (ie Cooper Sheffield). The post war scabbards are also of inferior quality. The retaining elastic also looks right to me.

Regards,

Gary

Hello all,

please excuse another "is this wartime?" thread on FS knives, but this knife has been offered to a US friend of mine and he is seeking opinions on vintage.

It is my understanding that knives marked "England" are postwar export models that were sold to the US,and that the number "3" should denote a wartime production vintage. The knife seems to mimic the third pattern model, and the scabbard also seems to have wartime features to my FS knowledge limited eyes?

Is this a wartime produced knife exported post war is the short question (and the scabbard too)?

I have looked around some existing threads, but as this is out of my collecting field and i have confused myself a tad, hence i come here for clarity Gents

all thoughts welcome!

Patrick.

[G.F.C.]

Hi Guys....

Can anybody help me without photos

Back in the 80s I picked up one from a dealer - he shopped yard sales, and he was not one to tell fairy tales said the knife came with a few objects relating to US 3rd Armored Div.....

On one top of the crossguard there appears “/I\” “42" and “ENGLAND”

There is no number on the potmetal grip

The scabbard was WW II

I use it as a letter opener and would appreciate any info - Thank Q,

GFC

[Gary Jucha]

I

GFC, ....
the /I\ might be the Indian Government ownership acceptance mark
... So possibly the knife might be from a batch comissioned and exported to India ?

Gary J.

Hi Guys....

Can anybody help me without photos

Back in the 80s I picked up one from a dealer - he shopped yard sales, and he was not one to tell fairy tales said the knife came with a few objects relating to US 3rd Armored Div.....

On one top of the crossguard there appears “/I\” “42" and “ENGLAND”

There is no number on the potmetal grip

The scabbard was WW II

I use it as a letter opener and would appreciate any info - Thank Q,

GFC

[G.F.C.]

Sorry Gary....

It is not an I - just the chicken foot - used the 'cause the "1" would have looked "funny" - - - but I guess that wasn't a solution!

[Patrick Dempsey]

Hello Gary and Luc,

many thanks for the confirmation on the knife and scabbard, it is very much appreciated indeed!

All the best,


Patrick.