Handmade Fairbaim Sykes WW2 Style Dagger

A HANDMADE FAIRBAIM SYKES WW2 STYLE DAGGER WITH STEEL GUARD AND WIRE WRAPPED HANDLE.

HAS AN AREA OF SERRATED BLADE EDGE WHICH APPEARS TO HAVE BEEN PART OF THE BLADE USED IN MAKING THE DAGGER POSSIBLY A BAYONET WITH SERRATED EDGE.
 
MARKINGS:
NO MARKINGS
 
SIZE: BLADE LENGTH 11.0CM OVERALL LENGTH 18.5CM
 
CONDITION: SOME BLADE STAINS. SMALL EDGE OF BLADE TIP BROKEN OFF. HAS AN AREA OF SERRATED BLADE EDGE WHICH APPEARS TO HAVE BEEN PART OF THE BLADE USED IN MAKING THE DAGGER POSSIBLY A BAYONET.
 
FAIRBAIM SYKES KNIVES:
The Royal Marine Commando Knife, officially known as the Fairbairn-Sykes Fighting Knife was invented in Shanghai in the 1930s by William Ewart Fairbairn and Eric Anthony Sykes, both of whom were members of the Shanghai Military Police. During their time in that police force both men, but in particular Fairbairn, found themselves involved in street fights with local gangs. As a result of this they developed a style of self-defence based on a variety of martial arts, as well as other skills such as pistol and knife fighting.
It is this last that led to the development of what has been described as one of the most perfect, silent, killing weapons ever devised. Specifically designed for surprise attacks, the blade is narrow, almost like a stiletto, so that it can slip between the ribs, and the handle is deliberately roughened so that it can still be held when wet with blood.
Having discussed these requirements with the Wilkinson Sword Company in November 1940, the first batch of fighting knives were delivered in January 1941 to the British Army.
The creation of this knife greatly interested the various services that sprang up during the Second World War and after, dealing with covert activities and raiding. In 1940 Fairburn and Sykes were recruited by the British Secret Service and began training members of the OSS (Office for Strategic Services, the forerunner of the CIA, who specialised in covert activities and espionage behind enemy lines).
The term gutter fighting was coined by Fairburn to describe his and his friends style of fighting, and is best summed up by the man himself. Get tough, get down in the gutter, win at all costs Theres no fair play, no rules except one: kill or be killed.
By 1942 stresses began to appear in the friendship between Fairbairn and Sykes and the two parted company, never to meet again. Fairbairn went off to Canada to train Special Forces operatives over there, and finished the war as a Lieutenant Colonel. Sykes on the other hand continued teaching in Britain, mainly to members of the SOE (Special Operations Executive, the British equivalent of the OSS) until he was forced to relinquish his commission due to disability. He died on the 12th May 1945 at Bexhill-on-Sea.
The weapon that they jointly designed though proved to be both very popular and enduring. Over two million were produced in Britain alone, the pattern was copied the world over and reproduced in various customized styles.

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