Genuine Authentic Second Pattern J Nowill & Sons Fairbairn-sykes Black Commando Knife Sheffield England

This dagger is a genuine, modern (not an antique but created in precisely the same way) creation of the Fairbairn-Sykes blade. It's a dagger, not a knife - so don't expect to use it as a regular knife.Well crafted & looks and feels great. Strongly recommend for anyone who is considering owning a piece of history but is looking for a new one, instead of hunting down an old one.I've had multiple versions of this dagger before, but you can tell this one is by far the most accurate and easily worth the price. This version is the most accurate, balanced, and possesses the highest quality.If you're in the United States, customs can prove to be interesting, but the seller is incredibly great at working with you to ensure the item arrives.

The F-S knife is a fascinating piece of WWII history. It evokes the actions of the brave warriors of the SOE, OSS, and other Allied commandos. In later years it served the CIA. While an imperfect design, (the later Applegate Fairbairn perfected the concept) it was and is a highly lethal, specialized tool.The Nowill & Sons version is the real deal. Not a cheap Pakistani junk copy, this is honest, machined steel, crafted to high standards. It is still issued to UK Special Operations forces. It has recently been used in combat in Afghanistan, to predictable effect.Lee is committed to excellent customer service. My order was delayed, first by the British postal service, and subsequently by Federal Express, which unfortunately these days is no longer either Federal nor Express. Lee went to considerable expense and trouble to make things right. He communicated most effectively along the way. A+This knife is an exceptional product and an honest value. You get what you pay for and then some. If you want a genuine F-S fighting knife, this is the one. Accept no lesser incarnation.

Excellent. Heavy, with a point that feels like one could probably pound it through a sheet of steel. To all of those moaning about the edges…TheF-S isn’t some new “EDC” blade to have lying around. It’s not designed for slashing, or cutting your Philly cheesesteak sandwich. It’s an assassins stabbing weapon, a murder tool, for ambushing the unsuspecting. It’s shaped to stab. Straight up under the chin. Straight down to attack the subclavian. Straight through heavy clothing to the heart from the front, and the kidney or the base of the skull from the rear. Some OSS and SAS folks ground down one side of the handle to prevent it turning when covered with blood. Sharpen the edges if you want. They’re pretty steeply beveled, and it’s really a waste of time.

Needs sharpening out of the box, which is my only gripe. I feel like it should come sharpened for what I paid.Aside that, this is a beautiful knife. Extremely stabby, this would easily pierce thru several layers of clothing & go deep into a watermelon or whatever non-animal object someone would intend to stab. I would never poke a person with this thing because it would be an instant trip to the hospital. Great authentic modern production of a historic knife

If you know what a Fairbairn-sykes Commando Knife is then you pretty much already know what you are getting. If you don't know what one is and you are interested in learning I suggest you do some research, you are in for a real treat. This review will barely scratch the surface of an interesting topic.First off this isn't a WW2 vintage knife, it is how ever a WW2 design which can be good or bad depending on what you want. Bad if you want a knife from WW2 with all that history. Bad if you want a more modern fighting knife because your life might actually depend upon it and your skill. There are arguably much better choices out there especially at this price range. That being said it hasn't become any less effective since WW2 either. Good if you just want an example of a classic and iconic (only the Ka-Bar is probably more iconic) WW2 knife but don't want to pay an arm and a leg for a WW2 vintage one.As for the knife itself it is made in Sheffield England. I am not an expert but it is my understanding that this company was one of the original contractors and still makes them for the M.O.D. Whether or not these are field issue items still or more cermonial like say the Australian slouch hat I have no idea. A lot of copies of this classic design are being made some of dubious quality and or resmblence. It seems to me by buying this one you aren't getting some dubious copy you are getting a brand new knife of the orginal design. Since they are still being made for the MOD I assume that they are of decent quality as well. I will be honest though I have not put either of mine to any real use though so I couldn't say from personal experience. This seems like the best way to get a WW2 dagger of good quality without going to the trouble of getting a real WW2 one.There are quite a few variations of this design that were made in WW2 and a few more after. Most of the variations differ in the grip of the handle or the finish colour of the knife. This is just one of the variations, so if it isn't exactly what you are looking for check out some of the other options either here on amazon or on their company Web site that has the whole range of what they offer.This isn't the first of these knives I have purchased, I purchased a similar type 3 many many years ago. I like the type 2 better with its knurled handle. I think it provides a better grip than the ribbed type 3. Interestingly enough it is my understanding that many if not most of the WW2 blades were of a silver type finish to fix the enemies eye on the blade though they were also made with a blackened blade like this one for more stealth. The sheath is nothing to write home about. Again though it is my understanding that, that was the case originally to so these are true to that.On this one that I bought it appears to my eye that the guard has a slight curve to it that it shouldn't have. Nothing crazy but it is noticeable. On my older one there was a tiny gap between the guard and the bottom of one edge of the blade. Things worth mentioning. Another thing worth mentioning is this is a dagger, as such it does much better at thrusting than it does at slashing. It has a very sharp point, the edges of the blade however are not as sharp as most people would think. So don't expect to be shaving with it. If that is what you want I suggest that you should be prepared to do some work on it or look for a different knife.Overall I am quite happy with it. I don't think they are worth the money that they are going for now days however. When I purchased my first one long ago it wasn't a whole lot of money (my what inflation does!) I about died of sticker shock when I saw how much they go for now. At this price point I think you could buy something better from a technical stand point. For coolness and a historical interest though these knives are hard to beat. While I am sure there are better designs this will still work just as well as it would have in WW2 if you really need it to.

This is a genuine replica of the actual knife used in combat by British forces, made by craftsmen by hand in Sheffield UK. The owner of the company Lee was happy to sharpen it upon my request, and with a few passes of a leather strop plus some LP to protect against rust it is now razor sharp on both edges. There was an issue during shipping from the UK to the US where they wouldn’t let the knife onto the FedEx plane (thank you Her Majesty’s government for keeping us all safe) but Lee quickly re-shipped it with no problems at all. I have no doubts that this blade will last a lifetime even with daily hard combat use, but for me it has already earned a coveted place in my collection. I also love the grip, it is patterned with an aggressive grippy stippling which feels very solid.