Fighting knives used by British commandos and SOE during WW2
 

Fairbairn-Sykes fighting knife - The 2nd Pattern knives
with the logotype of Wilkinson Sword.

 

Text and pictures by
Olof Janson unless otherwise stated.

 Special honour should be given to:

  • Robert Wilkinson-Lath    am,
  • Ron Flook,
  • Roy Shadbolt.

Who have given me much assistance.  

On the picture to the left:

LeeEnfield SMLE NoI MkIII

F-S 2nd Pattern and 1st Pattern

Patches are Combined Operation and No 2 Commando
and Badge of LRDG

 

updated 2013-02-09

 

INDEX
Forming of Commandos
The Shanghai fighting knives
1st Pattern F-S Fighting knife
2nd Pattern F-S Fighting knife
2nd Pattern F-S Fighting Private Purchase knife
2nd Pattern F-S Fighting w/o Wilkinson trademark.like B2, Fat Man, Reverse Knurling
3rd Pattern F-S Fighting knife
Beaded & Ringed - Roped & Ringed

Steel hilt and Different hilts
Wood handles.

US Marine Raider Stiletto OSS - Stiletto w.'Pancake Flapper' and
Odd knives

Three Indian F-S Commando Knives
Sheaths
Marks
UK Commando knives; Postwar production

 

 

1941

1941 the design was simplified and it was called the 'New Pattern' in Wilkinson Sword Contract Book and Pall Mall Works Orders. Today we call this model the 2nd Pattern.

  • The blade was still drop forged and hand grounded but without special ricasso.

  • The hand guard was straightened; otherwise the grip remained the same.

This pattern was made between 12th of August 1941 until the end of 1943.

Still the blade was drop-forged and sharpened by hand.
 

 

 

The ricasso was changed to an all diamond sectioned blade, bright blade

2nd Pattern to the left and 1st Pattern to the right.

 
with same hilt but straight cross guard.

2nd Pattern to the left and 1st Pattern to the right.

 

 

Wilkinson Sword changed from the 2nd model to the later 3rd model at the end of October 1943.

There were also other manufacturers beside Wilson Sword from this 2nd Pattern.

 

Still the blade was drop-forged and sharpened by hand.

 

From top to bottom all knives with F-S logo:
1st Pattern , 2nd Pattern all white , 2nd  Pattern all black and bottom 3rd all black Pattern.

 

Wilkinson Sword made F-S Fighting knives with logo-type.

2nd Pattern:  F-S Fighting knives without Wilkinson Sword logo-type.

 

 
All nickel Second Pattern

(sometimes called Officers model according to collectors, although this is not correct).

All Bright Model - Nickel grip.

Capt. W.E. Fairbairn preferred knives with white blades. He said that there is nothing which scares the enemy as much as when he sees the glimpse of a bright blade in the dark.

 

Here is an early all nickel version 2nd Pattern which is referred to among collectors as Officers model.
Complete with correct sheath. (Courtesy of Roy Shadbolt)
It was made by Wilkinson Sword. 40 923 knives were made by Wilkinson of this type.

 

Here is another early all nickel version 2nd Pattern .(Private collection)

These knives are more seldom found than the First Pattern Wilkinson Knives!

 

Wilkinson Sword never changed the name of this variation in their records.

When the words ’new design’ appears in the contract book they refer to the knife without ricasso and all diamond sectioned blade, bright blade and bright or black grip and cross guard.  

There are some details about Wilkinson Sword Company F-S knives to be considered:

 1) The all nickel plated WSC without this ricasso 2nd Pattern is normally referred to among collectors as Officers Model. However this nomenclature must be considered wrong because this variation was issued to all ranks.

 2) The 2nd Pattern Wilkinson Sword F-S with diamond shaped hand grounded blades without the square ricasso, all of them with Wilkinson logo on one side and F-S logo on the other, existed in three variations

  • Nickel (all bright)

  • Black handle and bright blade

  • All black (gun blue)

 3) Another point is that after 1943 when all black knives were issued the Nickel 2nd Pattern were painted black and the bladed blacked by armourers using gun blacking when the knives returned for refurbishing. This happened 1944/45 when the 3rd pattern all blacks were issued.

 

 

Wilkinson Sword etching on this knife

 

Changes on the scabbard.

 

The press stud was changed for an elastic band.

The scabbard had a black finished chape with flat end.

 

To the left a scabbard for 1st Pattern

 To the right a scabbard for 2nd Pattern and some 3rd Pattern.

Read more about Sheats here....

 

 

Most nickel 2nd Pattern knives became black at the end of WW2.

After the introduction of the 3rd Pattern all black Commando knives, all nickel plated knives, which returned 1944 – 1945 to military armourers for refurbishing, had the hilts painted black and the blades treated with gun blue or gun black chemicals.

Here is a Wilkinson nickel 2nd Pattern which has been painted black on the hilt (some still clearly visible) and the blade treated with gun black. The ghost image of the Wilkinson logotype can still be seen. The knife comes from a Commonwealth military depot. There are several reports of 2nd Pattern knives which have been blackened.

 

Wilkinson Sword made 2nd Pattern knife with F-S logo

Black handle and white blade.

2nd Pattern F-S fighting knife with F-S logo on one side and Wilkinson Sword's logo on the other
with its scabbard. Note the black finished chape and flat end.

Mid 1942 the 2nd pattern  had a change in blade shape and these of course had the black grip and crosspiece.

It is unknown exactly how many Wilkinson made of this type with black hilt and blank blade.

 

 

Wilkinson Sword had monopole on etching the F-S mark on the knives throughout the war.

 

 

2nd Pattern F-S fighting knife with Wilkinson logotype on one side and F-S logo on the other
It is likely to be a private purchase by C Hart Miller because his name is etched to the blade.

Mid 1942 the 2nd pattern  had a change in blade shape and these of course had the black grip and crosspiece.

It is unknown exactly how many Wilkinson made of this type with black hilt and blank blade.

 

Wilkinson had a War time production of about 1 500 2nd Pattern knives per week. According to the Order books these 2nd Pattern knives were produced by Wilkinson between 1942-02-06 and 1943-10-20. An estimation based on this gives that about 53 000 knives were produced by them with black hilt.

 

For some reason, the F-S knife was not considered a Small Arm and therefore did not come under the jurisdiction of the CISA (Chief Inspector of Small Arms), Ordnance House, Enfield.

This is confirmed by Jack Wilkinson Latham in a letter as an answer to a circular from CISA dated 9th January 1943.

courtesy of Robert Wilkinson Latham

 

Wilkinson Sword All Black Finish.

After 6th of February 1943 all Wilkinson knives had Black Finnish.
(Courtesy of Roy Shadbolt)

 

Wilkinson Sword etching on these all black knives. This type of etching is rare to find.

 

A very beautiful and rare 2nd Pattern F-S fighting knife with F-S logo on one side and Wilkinson Sword's logo on the other.

Note the all black finish with a name scroll.

 

 One of the most beautiful F-S knives Wilkinson Sword Co. ever made was the all black 2nd Pattern F-S Commando knives.

You can read more about these beautiful knives here>>>

 

 

Specifications for Second Pattern 
Length over all 11.6" - 11.9 " 285 - 302 mm
Length of blade 6.5" - 7" 160 - 177 mm
Wheight 220 - 240 gram 220 - 240 gram

 

Wilkinson Sword F-S Knife – Production figures 2nd  and 3rd Pattern 1940-1945

Production Figures
2nd and 3rd Pattern

(Courtesey of Robert Wilkinson Latham)

 

Continue...

2nd Pattern F-S Fighting Private Purchase knife

2nd Pattern:  F-S Fighting knives without Wilkinson Sword logo-type.

B2 knives
Marshall - Glasgow
FatMan
Reverse knurling

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[Top of the page]

 
Forming of Commandos
The Shanghai fighting knives
 

There are three basic modells of the F-S fighting knife.
1st Pattern F-S Fighting knife
2nd Pattern F-S Fighting knife
2nd Pattern F-S Fighting Private Purchase knife
2nd Pattern F-S Fighting w/o Wilkinson trademark.
like B2, Fat Man, Reverse Knurling
3rd Pattern F-S Fighting knife
Beaded & Ringed - Roped & Ringed

Steel hilt and Different hilts
Wood handles.

OSS - Stiletto w.'Pancake Flapper' and
US Marine Raider Stiletto

Three Indian F-S Commando Knives

Odd knives
Sheaths
Marks
Sheaths
UK Commando knives; Postwar production

 

The Stalingrad Sword made by Wilkinson Sword.

 

[Top of the page]

 

 

References:
Robert Wilkinson Latham His own web site
Alan W. Locken Commando 1940 - 1945
Robert A. Burlein Allied Military Fightingknives
Ron Flook British and Commonwealth military knives.
Fredrick J. Stephens Fighting Knives
Frank Trzaska The O.S.S. Stiletto - Knife World February 1998.
Frank Trzaska The Raider Stiletto - Knife World July 1997
Kelly Yeaton The First Commando Knives.
John Nowhill & son Sheffield
Michigan knives  
Dr. William Windrum  The earliest commando knivesAllan W. Locken – Commando 1940 - 1945.