Recreation and Leisure Article | The Fighting KnifeMore Than Articles

The Fighting Knife

The fighting knife has been around as long as men have armed themselves to protect life and country. Whether you search for specific hunting, survival, or tactical weapons- here is a sample of what every serious collector should hold in his coveted knife collection.

Let’s begin with the most influential design of perfection in the twentieth century- the Fairbairn-Sykes Fighting Knife. The original Fairbairn-Sykes was taken out of commission but is now once again on the market. A good testament to a great weapon is the men who designed the knife actually use it. Warriors have charged their enemy with the Fairbairn-Sykes knife for almost half a century. Combat soldiers carried this knife during countless battles fought by American and British Special Forces. CIA and FBI undercover agents consider this knife a no- brainer addition to any homeland security operation. Thousands of lives have been lost under this blade but thousands more were saved in the process. The Fairbairn-Sykes is a masterfully constructed, straight-bladed, double-edged weapon, much like a dagger.

A look back into the past of the United States wild frontier shows Arkansas was a rough place during the 1830s. Tough Americans whittled out a place for heroic tales and brave deeds in the hard fight for honor and prosperity. James Black, an Arkansas blacksmith, is by many accounts, the maker of the Bowie Knife. Black’s knives were copied in England and sold in America as the ‘Arkansas Toothpick’. Jim Bowie became legend after the famous “Sandbar Duel” in 1827 with reportedly a knife made for him by Black. After Jim Bowie was killed at the Alamo in 1836, the Bowie knife became firmly established in his name as a lasting tribute. The Bowie Knife saw more action in the American Civil War as arms for the Confederacy. A Bowie knife requires minimum maintenance and is practically immune to the after effects of water, salt, air, or humidity.

The Trench Knife is one sharp looking classic piece of manpower known as a knuckle knife. The US Army’s first attempt at a trench weapon was the M1917/18 trench knife. The knife has a wicked triangle blade and the knuckle bow varies according to the manufacturer. The M1918 Mark I is the knife most people think of when the word- trench knife- is thrown around. Major McNary was the designer using the identical blade design as the French M1916 trench dagger. No American home should be without one of these witnesses to our military’s history. The McNary trench knife’s cutting edge was widely used in World War II, up to the Vietnam War conflicts.

Last but not least for every survivalist is the popular Ka-Bar Knife sometimes called K-Bar Knives. They are extremely sturdy, dependable, and rugged knives, much like their official sponsors, the USMC and the United States Army. These quality knives were the prized possession on the side of every fighting Marine during WWII. Owning one of these knives is part of preserving our national heritage- standing for the trials our ancestors faced and won for the right of freedom.

“It is the privilege of human beings to live under the laws of justice and mercy."-
Wendell Berry

About the Author

Tupper Wheatley, Collector, Amateur Historian, Collectible Knife Store

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