Fairbairn-Sykes fighting knife

influence in USA.

Text and pictures by
 Olof Janson unless otherwise stated

updated 2008-11-30

 

The O.S.S. Stiletto

O.S.S. Stiletto

 

The blade was made from 1095 tool steel and hardened to a Rockwell C scale of 55-57.
Each knife was tested on a Brinell Hardness tester.

You can see the mark after the test here.

 

On 16th of June 1942 an order was issued for 10 000 Stilettos from Landers, Frary & Clark for the price of $2.03 each. The knives looked very nice but the steel quality was inferior. After following tougher specifications a new knife was adopted in October 1942 for the price of $2.23 each. Wilkinson Sword had made an offer $30 each. With this great difference there was not much to argue about. But the US government got what they paid for. The knives bends and break easily!

The hilt is made in three sections of steel, the flat crossguard, handle and the threaded knob. The unique part of handle is the checkering - all the way to the cross-guard. This is not seen on any other F-S style of knife.

The shape of the blade differs from the typical F-S knife type because it is much narrower to the tip. Such a blade is more vulnerable and easy to break.

The knife is very beautiful and well made but weak. However the best thing with this knife is its scabbard. The scabbard got the nickname Pancake flapper. Landers, Frary & Clark was for a time the largest cutlery producer in USA. They also made a number of kitchen tools. One of the utensils was the kitchen spatula or pancake flapper. The same dies was used to produce the scabbard as the spatula! The knife was kept in place by a simple rubber O-ring.

 

 

The "Pancake flapper" from Landers, Frary & Clark

 

 

Left
Wilkinson Sword Pattern 2

 

 

Right
O.S.S. Stiletto

 

CIA used some of these knives for the failed operation Bay of Pigs on Cuba. It is not possible to see the difference of these knives and the war produced knives. It is believed that CIA still have some in stock. (Picture courtesy of Mike Silvey)

 

Specifications for O.S.S. Stiletto
Length over all 11.20" - 11.25" 284 - 286 mm
Length of blade 6.19" - 6.45" 157 - 164 mm
Wheight 7 - 7.05 ounces 200 - 210 gram
Scabbard LOA 12.38" 314 mm
Scabbard weight 3.5 ounces 100 gram

 

 

The US Marine Raider Stiletto

The US Marines designed a variant of the F-S knife in February 1942 by Cpt. Clifford H. Shuey. (1956 he became Brigadier General.)
The knife was called US Marine Raider Stiletto.

It was the first knife designed by a Marine Corps officer and officially issued to a Marine Corps unit.

 

U.S. Marine Raider Stiletto

These  knives were produced by Camillus Cutlery Company of Camillus, New York.

 

 
The Company name was etched on the blade close to the cross-guard.

The hilt of the stiletto was die cast using a new Zinc-aluminium alloy.

The blade was decorated with
U.S.M.C.

 

This alloy has a tendency to be self disintegrating over the years.

 

These knives were produced by prisoners who maybe were not very motivated for the task.
The quality was quite poor and the zinc-aluminium alloy started very soon to come apart.

These knives were also used by the Canadian Parachute Battalion.

 

 

All together 14 370 Raider Stiletto were made by Camillus. There is a rare version with black parkerizing made for the Canadian Airborne. The official designation for the more common bright version was #5677 L99 while the parkerized black version was called #5677 L19.

Both had 177.8 mm (7 inches) bright blades.

There is a constant leaking of zinc ions from these handles which most likely will destroy all handles of this type of Commando knife. There are more and more of these knives found nowadays with replacement handles.

 

Alloy-hilted commando knife,

A very similar type of the USMC Stiletto

 

The alloy-hilted commando knife is believed to be made for commercial sale. It is believed the knives came from Sheffield and they were made similar in style like the USMC Stiletto.

 

An unusual alloy hilted variant of the commando knives similar to the Marine Raider Stiletto.

Read more about it here…

 

 

 

 

 
Forming of Commandos
The Shanghai fighting knives
 

There are three basic modells of the F-S fighting knife.
1st Pattern F-S Fighting knife
2nd Pattern F-S Fighting knife
2nd Pattern F-S Fighting Private Purchase knife
2nd Pattern F-S Fighting w/o Wilkinson trademark.
 like B2, Fat Man, Reverse Knurling
3rd Pattern F-S Fighting knife
Beaded & Ringed - Roped & Ringed

Steel hilt and Different hilts
Wood handles.

OSS - Stiletto w.'Pancake Flapper' and
US Marine Raider Stiletto

Three Indian F-S Commando Knives
Sheaths
Marks
UK Commando knives; Postwar production

 

The Stalingrad Sword made by Wilkinson Sword.

 

 

I want to give special acknowledgement to these gentlemen,
who helped me in writing this article:

  • Robert Wilkinson Latham,

  • Mike Silvey in USA,

  • Tom Parker in Canada,

  • Roy Shadbolt in USA.

 

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References:
Robert Wilkinson Latham Wilkinsons and the F.S. Fighting Knife ISBN 978-1-84336-156-5
Alan W. Locken Commando 1940 - 1945
Robert A. Burlein Allied Military Fightingknives
Ron Flook British and Commonwealth military knives.
Fredrick J. Stephens Fighting Knives
Frank Trzaska The O.S.S. Stiletto - Knife World February 1998.
Frank Trzaska The Raider Stiletto - Knife World July 1997
Kelly Yeaton The First Commando Knives.
John Nowhill & son Sheffield
Michigan knives  
Dr. William Windrum  The earliest commando knivesAllan W. Locken – Commando 1940 - 1945.

 

 

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