The Lanes Armoury

Select Department

Select Category

310 Items Found

Page: 2 of 31

0 Items in Basket »

A Fabulous Antique Japanese Shikome-zue Sword Stick, Edo Period, Shinto Era, 1596-1781, Traditional Forged Blade in ancient Ken Form

With a long and most elegant blade. This is possibly one of the nicest of it's types we have ever seen. The blade is in the ancient Japanese sword form known as ‘ken’, this is the shape of the earliest samurai swords in use around 1000 years ago, it is very straight with a crow's beak elongated tip. Very nice sugaha hamon with long return down the return edge in very nice polish. The stick is fully and superbly fully black lacquered over a geometric pattern skin type finish and sentoku mounting . This piece absolutely reminds us of the world reknown fictional blind samurai Zatoichi. He does not carry a traditional katana, instead using a very well-made shikomi-zue (cane sword) just as this sword is. Shikomi-zue were often straight-edged, lower-quality blades which could not compare with regular katana, but as revealed in Zatoichi's cane sword, his weapon was forged by a master bladesmith and is of superior quality, just like this rare, fine traditional bladed example.

In the 1870's the Meiji Emperor disbanded the fuedal samurai order and banned the wearing of the sword. This created much unrest and rebellion between the samurai and the government, and subsequently some samurai moved to carrying the ‘hidden sword’ called shikome-zue. Therefore, via a circuitous route, they still remain armed, but with their katana completely hidden from view. By that way they felt, at least in part, their traditional samurai honour remained intact. The blade is superb quality, very traditional, with excellent brightness and clear hamon. The blade is ken, and as typical very straight. Blade approx 20.75 inches long, the stick is 36.25 inches long overall. Special offer item, part one of a personal private collection, sourced from a former Far Eastern specialist fine samurai sword collector

Code: 24242

Price
on
Request

Archived

SOLD A Simply Stunning Quality 18th Century Large Double Side By Side Barrel Pistol, Most Often The Preserve of Generals During The American Revolutionary War in the 1770’s and Into the Napoleonic Period

The ideal way to be armed with the firepower of a pair of pistols, in a single hand, while holding a sword within the other. Thus to be a formidably armed combatant in either hand to hand combat attack, or defence. Very similar to the large double barrel pistol once belonging to General Richard Montgomery, hero of the American Revolution. A large variation of the form of pistol categorised as 'Queen Anne' style. Made by a finest Bavarian maker, who marked his pistols with his monogram alone 'F.S', who worked in Dingolfing, Bavaria [also spelt Dinglfing]. There are several very fine early similar quality guns in the Metropolitan Museum from Dingolfing. Large full sized holster pistol, with a fabulous carved walnut stock and steel mounts with superb engraving in the wonderous Chinoiserie style, made most famous in England by its finest cabinetmaker and designer, Thomas Chipendale. The wonderful Chinoisserie style influenced everything from architectire, to furniture, to paintings, gun fittings, silver, and clocks. Twin individual steel barrels, with rare screw breech plugs. Good tight actions. Fine scroll Chinoiserie engraving to match throughout the steel mounts. Flintlock actions converted to cap lock in or around the 1830's. It was very common in the 1830's to convert highly prized or valuable flintlock pistols to the new and far more efficient percussion cap lock action. Flintlocks, famously, could not operate in the rain, or even in high winds, as the flintlocks pan powder could be wet or blow away, thus stopping the pistol from operating, problems that the new percussion helped to aleviate, The exposed pan of the flintlock action of a pistol was removed from the action entirely and replaced with the new enclosed cap system. This is a stunning double barrelled pistol is of a form that were often chosen by the most senior or high status officers, such as the wealthiest and most influential figures, of distinguished families of the 18th century, in both England and America. Such as, for example, General Sir John Cope who had similar such pistols. He was one of the commanders of British forces fighting Charles Stuart [the so-called Pretender, Bonnie Prince Charlie] in Scotland. General Cope was defeated at the Battle of Prestonpans, with a force of around 2500 men, by the army of Prince Charles. Another was General Richard Montgomery who was a hero of the American Revolutionary War of 1775. He was a gentleman of Anglo Irish descent who first served in the British Army in the Americas, but through his Whig ideals went on to become one of Washington's loyal Generals. He was on the committee that drafted the Declaration of Independence and led the army into the Invasion of Canada. He died at the Battle of Quebec, in December 1775, after capturing Montreal. Another pair of fine Queen Anne style pistols were presented by Captain Hardy to Admiral Nelson and are in the National Maritime Collection [exhibit number E857] They are inscribed on the Silver escutcheon To Adm. Nelson from his Friend Cpt. Hardy June 1801. Fine quality, large size, 18th century twin barrel pistols are highly collectable and very scarce indeed. A picture in the gallery is of the death of General Montgomery at the Battle of Quebec; American general Richard Montgomery's body, that lies in the snow along with a few others, and he is surrounded by his officers, including men in army uniforms and hunting garb. A cannon lies broken in the foreground, and snow and gun smoke swirl around the scene. Chinoiserie, from 'chinois' the French for Chinese, was a style inspired by art and design from China, Japan and other Asian countries in the 18th century. At its height in Britain from 1750 to 1765, this fanciful style relied more on the designer's and craftsman's imagination than on accurately portraying oriental motifs and ornament. Chinoiserie entered European art and decoration in the mid-to-late 17th century; the work of Athanasius Kircher influenced the study of orientalism. The popularity of chinoiserie peaked around the middle of the 18th century when it was associated with the rococo style and with works by Fran?ois Boucher, Thomas Chippendale, and Jean-Baptist Pillement. It was also popularized by the influx of Chinese and Indian goods brought annually to Europe aboard English, Dutch, French, and Swedish East India Companies.Though chinoiserie never fully went out of fashion, it declined in Europe by the 1760s when the neoclassical style gained popularity, though remained popular in the newly formed United States through the early 19th century. As with all our antique guns no license is required as they are all unrestricted antique collectables

Code: 22542

3850.00 GBP

Archived

WW1 Regimental Marked SMLE MkIII Rifle Sword Bayonet, of the Notts and Derby Regt 9th Batt. Formed To Fight in Gallipoli in 1915, and Later On in the Somme Campaign in 1916

In superb condition, a real beauty!. Regimentally marked for the Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire regiment, DY, The Sherwood Foresters, who served at Gallipoli in the 9th (Service) Battalion. Scabbard stamped EFD for Enfield

In 24.08.1914 They formed at Derby as part of the First New Army (K1) and then moved to Grantham to join the 33rd Brigade of the 11th Division.The 11th (Northern) Division, was an infantry division of the British Army during the First World War, raised from men who had volunteered for Lord Kitchener's New Armies. The division fought in the Gallipoli Campaign and on the Western Front. The division's insignia was an ankh or ankhus.

April 1915 Moved to the Frensham area.
July 1915 Embarked for Mudros from Liverpool.
20-31.07.1915 At Helles and engaged in various actions against the Turkish Army including;
07.08.1915 Landed at Suvla Bay;
The Battle of Sari Bair in the Gallipoli campaign
Dec 1915 Deployed to Imbros.
Feb 1916 Deployed to Egypt and took over a section of the Suez Canal defences.
July 1916 Deployed to France and engaged in various action on the Western Front including;
The capture of the Wundt-Werk, The Battle of Flers-Courcelette, The Battle of Thiepval, the Battle of Delville wood on the 7th August 1916 as machinegunners alongside the Staffs
1917
Operations on the Ancre, The Battle of Messines, The Battle of the Langemarck, The Battle of Polygon Wood, The Battle of Broodseinde, The Battle of Poelcapelle.
1918
The Battle of the Scarpe, The Battle of the Drocourt-Quant Line, The Battle of the Canal du Nord, The Battle of Cambrai 1918, The pursuit to the Selle, The Battle of the Sambre.
11.11.1918 Ended the war south of Mons, Belgium.

Code: 24240

275.00 GBP

Archived

A Fabulous Miniature SMLE Enfield MkIII,.303 British Enfield Rifle

Made by renown miniaturist arms engineer Ron Platt. this was his last work and probably the best.
In the photographs, if one was not aware it was a miniature, it would simply appear to be a regular full size example from, say, WW2, and it is naturally hand coloured to appear to be a vintage, combat used WW2 British service rifle of WW1 and WW2. The detailing is wonderful and the engineering is simply incredible. The bolt actions as does the site, but the two sling swivels were not yet attached, and half of the small rear band under the cocking arm is not present.
Designed by American James Lee and built at the Royal Small Arms Factory in Enfield, the SMLE was first produced in 1903. With a ten-bullet magazine and high rate of fire, it had an enviable reputation. At Mons, advancing Germans believed that they were under fire from British machine guns. But it was the well drilled infantry of the BEF using their standard issue Lee Enfields. A good infantryman would expect to shoot off about twelve well-aimed bullets in a minute. The report below from the Lee Enfield Rifle Association* elaborates:

Britain declared war on the 4th Aug 1914. By mid August the Belgians were no more than an irritating hitch to the German advance. Only one intact force stood in the way of the Germans – the BEF. The first shots that the British fired were at Malpaquet, the Germans were pulled up short near Mons as the withering rifle fire of the British caused them heavy casualties.
2 days later on the 25 August 1914 at Le Cateau the storey of Mons was repeated only on a bloodier scale. Once again the Germans attacked in tightly bunched waves and again they were met with rifle fire so intense that they thought the British were equipped with machine guns. At the end of the day 3 British Divisions fell back with the loss 7,812 men and 38 field guns. Some 2000 of which became POW’s.
By September 1st 1914 the forward elements of the German Army were a mere 30 miles from Paris. The BEF had earned the title ‘Contemptible Little Army’ from the Kaiser, and the reputation of the SMLE rifle was born.

An account from Lt R A Macleod 80th Bty XV Bde RFA stated: “Our Infantry were splendid they had only scratchings in the ground made with their entrenching tools, which didn’t give much cover, but they stuck it out and returned a good rate of fire. The German Infantry fired from the hip as they advanced but their fire was very inaccurate.”
What was conclusively proved in 1914 was the awful power of the SMLE in skilled hands. From the Boer War the Army had worked unceasingly to achieve a standard of speed and accuracy of rifle fire never before considered possible in any Army. The battles of Mons, The Marne and First Ypres showed how successful the training had been.
In a sense the first few months of the Great War represented the high¬water mark for the SMLE as an infantry weapon, since time and skilled instructors necessary to achieve such standards were just not available thereafter.

Trench warfare saw the return of many weapons thought to be obsolete; mortars, grenades being amongst them but above all was the rise in importance of the machine gun which was soon to rule the battlefield.

This said, what is not stated is that the main reason for the Army placing such an emphasis on rapid rifle fire between the Boer War and the start of the First World War was that the Treasury would not unduly fund machine guns so the army had to place ever more stress on rapid musketry as a substitute for machine gun fire. Also a lot of the armies hierarchy still believed that cavalry and bayonet charges were still the way wars should be fought.

Whilst it has been often claimed by some that the Short Magazine Lee Enfield is inferior to the Mauser System, particularly as regards the strength of the action and accuracy, it is most likely one of the most “soldier proof” rifles ever designed. It was also preferred for it’s reliability under the most adverse conditions, as well as it’s speed of operation. In 1912, trials conducted at Hythe against the German Service rifle, it was found that about 14 – 15 rounds a minute could be fired from the Mauser, compared with 28 for the SMLE. The .303 inch SMLE 110 years ago was sighted to 2800 yards, accurate for over a mile. The current British rifle SA80 is sighted to 400 meters and the 5.56 bullet narrower that a .22 air rifle pellet.
26cm long

Code: 24238

395.00 GBP

Archived

A Simply Fabulous Historical, WW2 SMLE Rifle Sword Bayonet, Sanderson, From One of The Best & Notable Regiments of WW2, The Ox and Bucks, of Pegasus Bridge Fame

This is one of the finest condition SMLE .303 Enfield rifle sword bayonets we have ever seen, obviously used, but in simply fantastic condition, with full issue and inspection, maker markings etc. and regimental issue stamps for the Ox and Bucks Light Infantry.

Issued and used by the Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry regiment in 1915/6, both the sword and the scabbard are bearing the issue dates etc. plus the regimental markings.

However, it is during in its service in WW2 that its use becomes really interesting. It was issued to a member of 2nd battalion Ox and Bucks, William Osborne [we know not his rank] and apparently used by him in Africa in the Sicily landings, and then as part of 6th Airlanding Bgd, part of the capture and defence of Pegasus bridge during the morning of D.Day. One of the outstanding airborne actions during WW2. Then they took part at action in the Ardennes and Rhine crossing. Mr osborne took part in several veteran reunions in Normandy up until, around, 2000.

At the time of the start of WW2 they were stationed in India (as 52nd Ox and Bucks LI)
They were recalled to UK & attached to 31st Infantry Brigade on defence roles in various parts of UK.
In Sept 1941 the powers that be decided they needed to expand the plan for the growth of parachute airborne from small scale commando force to a large scale strategic front line spearhead attack force. The plan was to develop heavier equipped troops using gliders able to carry these additional infantry to reinforce the para with heavy equipment including field & Anti-Tank guns.
2nd Ox & Bucks & 3 other battalion strength units were added; 1st Bn Border, 1st Bn Ulster Rifles & 2nd Bn South Staffs. Together they were renamed 1st Airlanding Brigade.
As part of 1st Airlanding Bgd, 2nd Ox & Bucks was in North Africa 1943 supporting the planned invasion of Sicily. Before the Sicily operation they were detached to begin training for the invasion of Europe & became part of the 6th Airlanding Bgd.
D-Coy & part of B-Coy were tasked with the attack & seizure of the River Orne and Canal bridges Subsequently known as the Pegasus Bridge operation it was one of the outstanding airborne actions during WW2.

They saw further action in 1944/45 in the Ardennes & Rhine Crossing in 1945.

On the night of 5 June 1944, a force of 181 men, led by Major John Howard, took off from RAF Tarrant Rushton in Dorset, southern England in six Horsa gliders to capture Pegasus Bridge, and also "Horsa Bridge", a few hundred yards to the east, over the Orne River. The force was composed of D Company (reinforced with two platoons of B Company), 2nd Battalion, Oxford and Bucks Light Infantry; 20 sappers of the Royal Engineers of 249 Field Company (Airborne); and men of the Glider Pilot Regiment. The object of this action was to prevent German armour from crossing the bridges and attacking the eastern flank of the landings at Sword Beach.

Five of the Ox and Bucks's gliders landed as close as 47 yards from their objectives from 16 minutes past midnight. The attackers poured out of their battered gliders, completely surprising the German defenders, and took the bridges within 10 minutes. They lost two men in the process, Lieutenant Den Brotheridge and Lance corporal Fred Greenhalgh.

Greenhalgh drowned in a nearby pond when his glider landed. Lieutenant Brotheridge was mortally wounded crossing the bridge in the first minutes of the assault and became the first member of the invading Allied armies to die as a result of enemy fire on D-Day.

One glider, assigned to the capture of the Orne river bridge, landed at the bridge over the River Dives, some 7 miles off. Most of the soldiers in this glider moved through German lines towards the village of Ranville where they eventually re-joined the British forces. The Ox and Bucks were reinforced at 03.00hrs by Lieutenant Colonel Pine-Coffin's 7th Parachute Battalion, and linked up with the beach landing forces with the arrival of Lord Lovat's Commandos.

Among the first of the 7th Battalion reinforcements was Lieutenant Richard Todd, a young actor, who, nearly two decades later, would play Major Howard in the film The Longest Day.

Code: 24237

475.00 GBP

Archived

Original Greek Socket Mount Arrowhead From the Time of Alexander The Great 334BC Acquired on A Grand Tour in 1820

Greek arrow head in delightful condition showing good and beautiful natural aged ancient patina. Acquired in the 1820's while on a Grand Tour of Northern France and the Ottoman Empire. From part four of our ancient arrow heads, spears, lead sling bullets, antiquities and rings from an 1820 Grand Tour Collection. Discovered around 200 years ago in the region of The Battle of the Granicus River during what was known at the time as 'The Grand Tour'. Fought in May 334 BC it was the first of three major battles fought between Alexander the Great and the Persian Empire. Fought in Northwestern Asia Minor, near the site of Troy, it was here that Alexander defeated the forces of the Persian satraps of Asia Minor, including a large force of Greek mercenaries led by Memnon of Rhodes.

The battle took place on the road from Abydos to Dascylium (near modern-day Ergili, Turkey), at the crossing of the Granicus River. Where the ancient Greeks best perceived the need for archers was
when an expeditionary force came to them: if an ancient city knew a siege was facing them, what preparations would they make As Mitylene prepares to secede from the Athenian Empire (428) we see the city taking three preparations to undergo a siege: one was to buy
grain, second was to raise the height of the walls, and the third was to bring in archers from Thrace.
In a siege, the defenders always have the height advantage. They are throwing or shooting from the city walls, the offense is shooting from the ground. Mathematically, the height advantage goes with the square root of two. If, for instance, you are shooting from twice as high, your arrow goes 1.414 times as far. If you are on a battlement
50 feet high, and your opponent is shooting from five feet high, your arrow goes seven times farther than his. (This is purely mechanical, ignoring aerodynamics.)
The bow, among the Greeks, was the principal weapon for the city besieged. The bow being so effective in this situation explains why the first advance in ancient siege machinery was the movable tower. This
is the invention of Dionysius of Syracuse. You build it out of range, as high as the city walls, or even higher, armour the front with hides, move it up and give your archers a fair chance to clear the city walls.
Here, for once, is a situation where archers are fi ghting archers as the main event in ancient Greece. Though siege-towers were constructed out of range, their could always be over-achievers: Philip II, king of Macedon (359-336) and father of Alexander the Great, was inspecting
siege-works when he got his most famous wound an arrow from the city walls knocked his eye out.
Archers on city walls turned many a tide, as victorious besiegers routed a city’s land forces, and, in the excitement of pursuit, got too close to the city walls!

Code: 24225

70.00 GBP

Archived

The 1912 Ulster Covenant (fully titled the Ulster Solemn League and Covenant)

A rarely seen surviving named and signed original example of 1912. The Ulster Covenant (fully titled the Ulster Solemn League and Covenant) and Ulster Declaration were two separate oaths signed by 471,414 Ulster Loyalists in September 1912. They were drafted in opposition to the British parliament’s third Home Rule Bill, legislation would establish a self governing parliament in Ireland. The Ulster Covenant was signed by more than 237,000 men:
“Being convinced in our consciences that Home Rule would be disastrous to the material well being of Ulster as well as of the whole of Ireland, subversive of our civil and religious freedom, destructive of our citizenship, and perilous to the unity of the Empire, we, whose names are underwritten, men of Ulster, loyal subjects of His Gracious Majesty King George V, humbly relying on the God whom our fathers in days of stress and trial confidently trusted, do hereby pledge ourselves in solemn Covenant, throughout this our time of threatened calamity, to stand by one another in defending, for ourselves and our children, our cherished position of equal citizenship in the United Kingdom, and in using all means which may be found necessary to defeat the present conspiracy to set up a Home Rule Parliament in Ireland. And in the event of such a Parliament being forced upon us, we further solemnly and mutually pledge ourselves to refuse to recognise its authority.

In sure confidence that God will defend the right, we hereto subscribe our names.”

Women were not permitted to sign the Ulster Covenant but a separate Ulster Declaration was available. This was signed by over 234,000 Protestant women:

Disillusioned by the defeats of the 1886 and 1893 Home Rule bills, the Liberals ignored the demand for Home Rule when they won an overall majority in the 1906 election. But Ireland came to the top of the political agenda when two elections in 1910, caused by a constitutional crisis regarding the powers of the House of Lords, made the Liberal government of H.H. Asquith dependent on the Home Rule Party for its parliamentary majority. The reduction of the power of the Lords by the Parliament Act of 1911 seemed to promise that the third Home Rule bill, introduced in 1912, would come into force by the summer of 1914. But, in the meantime, the Irish unionists, under their charismatic leader, Edward Carson, had mounted an effective extraparliamentary campaign backed by Bonar Law, the leader of the Conservative Party. Thousands of Ulstermen signed the Solemn League and Covenant to resist Home Rule (1912), and in January 1913 the Ulster unionists established a paramilitary army, the Ulster Volunteer Force (UVF), to coordinate armed resistance. In September 1913 Carson announced that a provisional government of Ulster would be established in the event of Home Rule’s coming into effect. After at first seeking to reject Home Rule for all of Ireland, the unionists gradually fell back on a demand for Ulster (where unionists were predominant) to be excluded from its scope.
This certificate was owned by the UVF member who used the UVF bayonet we have stock number 24046

Code: 24224

65.00 GBP

Archived

An Amazing Piece of WW2 D-Day History, A Personal Letter from the Allied Navy Commander-in-Chief, Admiral Ramsey

Addressed to all the captains and masters of the merchant vessels about to receive embarkation orders, for the carrying our boys on D-Day over to Normandy, the super Top Secret, Operation Overlord.

An operation that for many thousands of allied soldiers, naval personnel and ships was a one way trip from whence they never returned. By no means an operation with any guarantee of success, just incredible calculations, using their expertise of naval and military logistics, and accompanied with supreme heroism, with the added best hopes and prayers of all involved.
Plus, probably involving the most important secret operation during the whole of WW2.

Code: 24223

125.00 GBP

Archived

A Great Original WW2 US Paratroopers M3 in Original M6 Scabbard

M3 knife Made by Imperial, with the M6 scabbard made by Moose Co.. Named to original owner underneath the scabbard maker stamp, but difficult to read , we think its a Private... Richard?. Now ranked by many alongside the rare Ist Pattern British FS Close Combat Knife for both desirability and value. Totally untouched since WW2. Certainly one of the most desirable fighting knives of WW2 for collectors of Allied combat knives and USA militaria, as the M3 was only made for around 1 year during the war, but this particular early type was manufactured for only two months, at the beginning of the 1943 production, and issued in the M6 all leather scabbard, by Moose, one of the rarer scabbard makers, with steel protection plate and coffin shaped seam rivets. The bottom scabbard protection plate was to ensure the blade tip didn't protrude from the scabbard on high impact landing by parachute . If one is very lucky to fine one of these rare and desirable US fighting knives, it will more usually be in the original WW2 late 1943 M8 scabbard, this little beauty is in the much rarer M6 scabbard made by Moose dated 1943, in all leather and steel. It certainly shows this combatant certainly saw considerable combat in his service in the Airborne division. The M3 fighting knife or M3 trench knife was an American military combat knife first issued in March 1943. Initially issued to US paratroopers in early 1943, these M3's are very collectible fighting knives. Especially if they are equipped with the initial production M6 leather scabbards. These sheaths alone by themselves, command a pretty hefty price when sold outright. Out of the years production they are only seen stamped with the 1943 date, for 60 days apparently. That in itself makes these early examples quite desirable.
This example is in good overall condition, showing quite a measure of wear and age as expected for a military knife, which doubled as a survival weapon in hand to hand combat under extreme conditions. The leather washers are nice and tight on the handle, The end of the pommel has been stamped with the flaming bomb proof mark, as proper for these knives. As for the blade, it is tight within the hilt of this knife, and exhibits normal wear, use, and age with hand sharpening. It is stamped U.S. M3 Imperial. This edged weapon is accompanied with the proper M6 leather scabbard marked; U.S. M6 Moose 1943. The scabbard is complete, good and intact. All of the metal reinforced sheath lip ribs, lateral coffin side rivets, and protector plate, are secure and in place. A very desirable early U.S. M3 fighting knife, with M6 leather scabbard.
The M3 was originally designated for issue to soldiers not otherwise equipped with a bayonet. However, it was particularly designed for use by elite or 'shock' forces in need of a close-combat knife such as airborne troops and Army Rangers, and these units received priority for the M3 at the start of production. As more M3 knives became available in 1943 and 1944, the knife was issued to other soldiers such as Army Air Corps crewmen and soldiers not otherwise equipped with a bayonet, including soldiers issued the M1 Carbine or submachine gun.
The M3 trench knife was discontinued in August 1944. After the M1 Carbine was modified to accept a knife-type bayonet, the M3's blade and handle design was incorporated on the new bayonet, officially designated the Bayonet, U.S. M4. The M6 Moose scabbard alone can these days command prices from 500 to 600 pounds. Sheath Contracted numbers

Milsco (Milwaukee Saddlery Co.) 140,494
Viner Bros Shoe Co. 66,457
L&C (Lyon & Coulson) 40,000
L.J. Barwood Co. 29,000
Moose River Shoe Co. 28,000
SBL (Service Boot & Leggins Inc.) 7,000
Total = 310,951

M6 Sheaths Shipped to M3 Knife Facilities

Aerial Cutlery Co., Marinette, Wisc. 20,000
H. Boker & Co. New York, NY Not Listed*
Camillus Cutlery Co., Camillus, NY 35,900
W.R. Case & Sons Cutlery Co. Bradford, PA 38,300
Imperial Knife Co. provenance, RI 38,300
Kinfolks Inc., Little Valley, NY 29,000
PAL Blade & Tool Co., Plattsburg, NY 20,000
Robeson Cutlery Co., Perry, NY 35,000
Utica Cutlery Co., Utica, NY 49,000
However, despite the appearance of so many being made, the amount of service arms and kit manufactured for the US military for WW2 means these figures are relatively small in the scheme of things, plus, the huge casualty rate and vagaries of combat meant likely 90% of these knives and scabbards, were lost in combat or destroyed by the end of 1945

Code: 23322

1295.00 GBP

Archived

SOLD An FS Type Fighting Knife With Knurled Brass Hilt and Stilletto Blade

Originally from a deceased WW2 veteran's estate., thence by descent. Possibly what is often known as the so-called American type FS knife, with a knurled brass grip, painted black, crossguard and narrower than usual stiletto type blade. This knife was also used in service by the grandson of the World War II veteran, who used it during his time in the Commandos. He served in the early 80s in the Falklands, and later in the desert.

The British Commando knife was first designed in 1940 by close combat legends William Fairbairn and Eric Sykes, who established and taught the combative training methods for wartime special forces such as the independent companies, SOE, Commandos, U.S Rangers and OSS.
Though known as the FS Fighting knife, this was not designed to be a utility fighting knife, but primarily designed to be used in silent killing actions such as sentry take-outs. The techniques of effective use were taught to various special forces at Highland training centres such as Lochailort Special Training Centre (STC) and Achnacarry, which was the Commando Basic Training Centre (CBTC) from 1942-1945.

The 1st pattern knife was originally manufactured exclusively by Wilkinson Sword Company, and was in great demand from first production. Original 1st pattern knives are highly collectable and sought after today with top quality examples selling for thousands.
The 2nd pattern was manufactured by many companies throughout the UK, and has often been regarded as the most effective pattern of Commando knife ever made. The diamond knurled brass grip provides excellent purchase in wet or dry climates. No scabbard.

Originally from a deceased WW2 veteran's estate, thence by descent.

The British Commando knife was first designed in 1940 by close combat legends William Fairbairn and Eric Sykes, who established and taught the combative training methods for wartime special forces such as the independent companies, SOE, Commandos, U.S Rangers and OSS.
Though known as the FS Fighting knife, this was not designed to be a regular knife, but primarily designed to be used in silent killing actions such as sentry take-outs. The techniques of effective use were taught to various special forces at Highland training centres such as Lochailort Special Training Centre (STC) and Achnacarry, which was the Commando Basic Training Centre (CBTC) from 1942-1945.

The 1st pattern knife was originally manufactured exclusively by Wilkinson Sword Company, and was in great demand from first production. Original 1st pattern knives are highly collectable and sought after today with top quality examples selling for thousands.
The 2nd pattern was manufactured by many companies throughout the UK, and has often been regarded as the most effective pattern of Commando knife ever made. The diamond knurled brass grip provides excellent purchase in wet or dry climates.

Outside of the regular official patterns many alternative types, based on the official patterns, but made subsequently have been made, this is most likely one of those examples and priced accordingly. No scabbard.

Code: 24216

300.00 GBP

Archived