A historic meeting took place on 4 November 1940 when Wilkinson Sword designed the Commando Knife acting on the advice of William Ewart Fairbairn and Eric Anthony Sykes. Fairbairn and Sykes had become knife specialists working for the Shanghai Riot Police and they had returned to Britain earlier that year to train Commandos.
On 14 November 1940, The War Office placed contract 294/c/8512 with Wilkinsons for a total of 1500 Hunting Knives; a deliberately vague description to mask the true purpose of the knife. These knives are what came to be known as the First Pattern design. A further 2 patterns were to be designed and used before the end of the war. WIth the 3rd Pattern FS Commando Knife being the same design that is produced by Sheffield Steel Cutlery companies today, and still to MOD specification.
The FS Commando Daggers that we source and sell are from none other than J Nowill & Sons, one of the last remaining wartime manufacturers. They trace their heritage all the way back to 1700 AD
FIRST PATTERN FAIRBAIRN-SYKES COMMANDO KNIFE (NOVEMBER 1940 – AUGUST 1941)
SECOND PATTERN FAIRBAIRN-SYKES COMMANDO KNIFE (AUGUST 1941 – OCTOBER 1943)
THIRD PATTERN FAIRBAIRN-SYKES COMMANDO KNIFE (OCTOBER 1943 – PRESENT DAY)
