The Fairbairn-Sykes Knife Reimagined
Exploring Contemporary Alternatives To The Original F-S Design
Introduction
Since its inception in November 1940, the Fairbairn-Sykes Fighting Knife (aka Commando Dagger) has been much more than just another military knife. The formation of Britain’s ‘Special Service Brigade’ would soon be rebranded as the Commandos; the first modern iteration of what we now call Special Forces. By association, the F-S Fighting Knife was one of the earliest (if not the first) example of a weapon that was designed and manufactured for a very specific purpose and intended only for small, irregular, specialized units; the very definition of Special Forces. It is no surprise then that the F-S Knife has achieved not only mythical status but its form has - from the very start - been adopted as insignia for represent Special Forces units the world over. To this day, it continues to have an influence on knives designed for this specific role.
For some years now I’ve been pondering a question, What would be a suitable contemporary F-S-inspired fighting knife for today’s Special Forces soldier? As much as we all love the original Fairbairn-Sykes design, time has moved on - over eight decades of time. So although this iconic fighting knife is still admirably suitable for its intended purpose, the original concept has evolved and been reimagined. In the current day, there are simply better options out there for those brave folks heading into dangerous territory and in need of such a weapon.
In trying to answer this question I thought it would be interesting to seek out and acquire a few contemporary examples that personally appeal to me and then share my thoughts in a modest review.
I thought it would be a fun project to keep this article ‘live’ or ongoing. To that end and as time and funds allow, I will continue to share other examples and when appropriate update this project as needed.
I will not be subjecting any knife to hard use tests, it’s just not going to be that kind of review but rather I will reflect on the F-S inspiration, the contrast and evolution of the concept and as it pertains to the particular knife under review and of course comment on design details that I feel are relevant for todays soldier.
Full disclosure; in order to fund other purchases to keep this project going, once a writeup is complete, I may offer the featured knife for sale, so keep an eye on my ‘For Sales’ section.
I’ve never taken on a project like this before and intend to have some fun with it, so I look forward to any feedback and hope you will enjoy it as much as I hope to.
In that vein, I would also throw out the same question to You, the reader - do you have any favorite modern F-S inspired knife that would be your first choice if you were going into harm’s way? If so, write me and let me know your thoughts, perhaps I may pick an example up and included it here in this project.
Winker Knives CXC Dagger
Let me start by saying, I’ve always been a huge fan of Daniel Winkler’s work, in fact my every day carry knife for almost two decades has been one of his original frontier style belt knives (more on that knife in a future article). Mr Winkler’s notoriety as a knife maker really took off after the 1992 movie release of ‘The Last Of The Mohicans’, staring Daniel Day-Lewis, as he was commissioned to supply all the the knives and tomahawks used by the main characters. However, these days this Master Bladesmith has concentrated more on his ‘Winker II’ knives, supplying semi-custom knives for military personnel.
Our featured knife is the limited edition CXC Dagger. As I recall only 200 serialized knives were made, this one being serial number 052. These are now almost impossible to find, so I was thrilled to acquire this example especially as it was unused and still new and complete in the box. From the official write up the design of this dagger was developed from the input of a US Army Special Operations Operator, however and to those of us familiar with the iconic F-S design, to our eye one can clearly see the ‘shadow’ of the F-S concept in this modern, updated and reimagined design.
The overall length is 10 1/8” with a blade just shy of 5”. Of full tang construction with integral crossguard, so it is an incredibly strong and robust design. The whole design and finish is clearly aimed at serious military use. The blade’s profile is very reminiscent of the F-S and has a matt greyed ‘black oxide no-glare’ finish with sharpened cutting edge. Although sharp out of the box, I feel it could be sharper. The ‘Sculpted Red & Black G10’ grip scales work really well and I found that whatever my hand position they provide a purposeful and secure grip, something I’m sure would be appreciated during adverse conditions. The forward ‘triangular’ form integral guard worked much better than it looked and felt really comfortable with my fingers resting against it. The sheath is superb and has four tensioning screws, a welcome addition.
Conclusion
By any standards, this is an exceptionally well designed and well made ‘fighting knife’. For someone wanting a serious ‘bit of kit’, this would be an excellent choice. One can clearly see the shadow of the F-S in it’s design, especially in the blade profile and as an F-S historian, that certainly brings a smile to my face. But would this be my first choice? probably not but I say that from a very personal perspective, you see my hands are rather small (think 12 year old girl!), so for me personally the grip was just a hair on the large size. However and for the average soldier who is almost certainly going to have bigger hands than me, I would think the grip size and profile would be near perfect. By any standards, this is a fabulous knife and I’m sure would be worthwhile piece of kit for any soldier and definitely get’s my seal of approval as a modern alternative to the icons Fairbairn-Sykes Fighting Knife.
Hinderer/Ek Commando Dagger
The original John Ek knife has always been a firm favorite of mine. Originally produced during WWII for private purchase in the US, the story goes that John Ek wrote to the British authorities to request permission to use the word ‘Commando’ for his knives. Ek knives have always demonstrated a simple but rugged design which is very appealing but if I’m honest, they always felt a little ‘clunky’ in my hand, quite a departure from the classic, elegant design of the original F-S. However this new interpretation by Rick Hinderer is really quite something special. He has remained true to the original concept but has made some really significant advances in the design, most importantly in the blade geometry.
With an overall length of 12 1/2”, this Commando Dagger is certainly a handful. With a full tang construction and integrated crossguard, it’s very robust. The scalloped grip scales are nicely shaped and I like the way they continue fully onto the crossguard. The blade is where things really get interesting. At 6 1/2” long by 1 1/8” width, it’s a serious blade but the grind details are something really special. Hinderer has machined in a central fuller and also created a ‘hollow’ grind, something not normally seen on double edged knives but is preferable for a sharp edge. Perhaps the most impressive detail is in the ‘Armor Piecing Tip’..! The tip of any dagger (the F-S included) is always a weak point and susceptible to breakage, what Rick Hinderer has achieved is in my opinion a real game changer. Within the machining of the blade he has been able to retain a thicker more robust point for the first inch. This is easily over-looked but I feel is a significant improvement and development in this type of Fighting Knife.
Conclusion
This is without doubt a superb contemporary Fighting Knife and one I have no hesitate in recommending. Rick Hinderer has done a excellent job in bringing the original concept up to date. The overall fit and finish is flawless and the design improvements, especially in the blade really made this one stand out. For a modern Special Forces soldier, this would be a top choice. My only ‘personal’ critique (as mentioned in my earlier comments on the Winkler) is that for me, the grip is too large for my small hands but should be amply suitable for those with larger hands and/or when one is wearing gloves. An exceptional contemporary re-imagining of the wartime Fighting Knife.