Development of Fairbairn Sykes Dagger

**Bill Harsey** · 04-24-2004, 10:55

In May of 1996 I was at Col. Rex Applegates making a delivery of some Applegate/Fairbairn custom knives made by me. Col. Applegate handed me a book called "The First Commando Knives" by a Prof. Kelly Yeaton, Lt. Col. Samuel Yeaton (USMC) and Rex Applegate.

This is the most detailed reference I've seen regarding the development of the Fairbairn Sykes Commando Knives and is the source of information I will quote. In the 1930's Fairbairn and Sykes worked for the Shanghai Police Dept. Short version here, Shanghai was kinda wide open then. Gunfights occurred about every 5 hours. Street crime at any level you wanted was available.

This is how these guys got good at CQB (Close Quarters Combat). I've seen the pictures and would have to agree that the prototype for what was to become the Fairbairn/Sykes Commando Knife was William Ewart Fairbairn's personal Shanghai Fighting Knife. The amazing fact here is that it was designed by two United States Marine Officers and built with Fairbairns supervision in the Shanghai Police Armory.
The two Marines names are Sam Moore and Sam Yeaton. I would like to note that Fairbairn's personal fighting knives had handles that were oval in cross section, that is they were flattened somewhat in the plane of the blade. Fairbairn is quoted as saying that he was not happy with the actual production of the mass produced wartime made F/S knives. About the only difference I can see is the change made to a fully round handle made on a lathe. This caused some problems in combat because it was well documented that the user could not orient the blade at night because the round handle didn't give any reference to where the edge was.
The history of the modern dagger that ended up as the symbol of United States Army Special Forces can trace its roots to 1933, Shanghai China.

NousDefionsDoc · 04-24-2004, 15:38

In addition to what Mr. Harsey has so graciously posted, not only the dagger, but a lot of the combatives used can be traced back to Shanghai and the same time frame, as well as point shooting (although Col. Applegate greatly refined the point shooting).

The foundations of the combatives are in street jujitsu, modified for Anglos by Fairbairn et al and modified further for use with military gear by the Marines, Col. Applegate and others.

My combatives mentor maintains his ties with formal jujitsu as well as the combatives lineage. A lot of the old books show techniques very much like what the Gracies for example teach.

That the combatives are still viable even today says much for the skill of these men. We owe them a debt of gratitude.
Here's a good article by Dennis Martin on what Mr. Harsey is talking about.

The Source

Great story Mr. Harsey, thanks for sharing.

**Bill Harsey** · 04-24-2004, 22:09

NDD, Thanks, easy to do. Fairbairn is said to have had the great interest in hand to hand combat, thus his desire to make a knife for fighting. Sykes was also noted for his skills in both empty handed and knife combat but perhaps as interesting is that Sykes was said by his peers to have been the best rifle shot they'd known. Sykes was also skilled in the use of the model 1911 Colt .45 pistol. Fairbairn didn't seem to have quite as much interest in firearms. Fairbairn and Sykes had unexpectedly been ordered to come up with a production design for a knife to be issued to British troops. They went to London to tour the museums for combat knife designs but found that due to the bombing all the museum displays had been taken down and put into storage. They then settled upon Fairbairns Shanghai Fighting knife design. Again I reference the book "The First Commando Knives by Yeaton, Yeaton and Applegate for the above information. I also remember Col. Rex Applegate telling me about his days training with Fairbairn. Col. Applegate noted that Fairbairn got his attention hard and fast when they first met. Col. Applegate played football for USC before the Army and was a big, strong tough Oregon country boy. On a stage in front of many trainees Fairbairn told Applegate to charge and tackle him. Applegate told me he thought something along the lines of "yeah right sucker, take this...". Next thing Applegate remembers is picking himself up from the third row of seats in the audience. They got along fine from then on.

**Bill Harsey** · 04-25-2004, 09:41

One last comment here on the men Fairbairn and Sykes. W.E. Fairbairn spent a long career with the Shanghai China police. He began as a constable in 1907 and retired as Assistant Commisioner in 1940. Eric Anthony Sykes began as a civilian reserve sergeant in charge of the sniper unit for the Shanhai Municipal Police under Fairbairn around 1926. Both men returned home to England in 1940. These men with skills in armed and unarmed combat honed on the streets of Shanghai China, were recognized for their special talents but not in a good way. Remember this was in a time when police in Britian did not as a rule carry a firearm. According to what Col. Rex Applegate told me, in his own words " Fairbairn and Sykes were considered pariahs by the old guard British military, their way of doing things was too brutal for proper British society to accept." This would hold true until the British Army disaster at Dunkirk. Both men then were immediately tasked with training the Home Guard and the British Commando units. They were commisioned as Captains in the Army for this purpose. In 1942 Fairbairn and Sykes were assigned to the Special Operations Executive while the brand new OSS was being formed in the United States. This same year Fairbairn was ordered to temporary duty in the United States to work with his American counterpart, Rex Applegate in the OSS. Sykes remained in England to supervise SOE personal engaged in clandestine operations in German occupied Europe. Sykes was promoted to Major in 1943 but sadly passed away from a heart problem just two years later. I bring this up because very little is known or written about Eric Anthony Sykes but his name did appear in print in the book co-authored with Fairbairn called "Shooting To LIve". I think Paladin Press has or had done a reprint of this book.

bikervoodoo · 07-06-2008, 17:59

Check out this Carl Schleiper FS-style commando dagger. Built for Malaysian "Gerak Khas" special forces.

**The Reaper** · 07-06-2008, 18:55

Quote:

Originally Posted by bikervoodoo

Check out this Carl Schleiper FS-style commando dagger. Built for Malaysian "Gerak Khas" special forces.

You might want to go back and read that registration message you were sent, or at least the rules and stickies.

Please comply before posting again.

TR

**Jack Moroney (RIP)** · 07-06-2008, 19:19

Quote:

Originally Posted by The Reaper

You might want to go back and read that registration message you were sent, or at least the rules and stickies.

Please comply before posting again.

TR

While you are at it fill out your profile.

Buffalobob · 07-23-2012, 18:03

A very interesting thread being as I still like this style of knife.

MVP · 07-26-2012, 14:44

This is a Wilkinson/Sword 2nd pattern FS made as a favor for me in 2002/3

MVP

Papa Zero Three · 07-26-2012, 15:32

Bill, that is a lot of invaluable history and personal knowledge you have in your head. You should give thought to writing a book about this subject or at the very least a video of you telling the story and your first hand experiences.

I had a chance once when I was a SWC instructor to sit in the historical archives section as I scanned slides to JPEG images, it took about 5 mins per slide back then. They had a stack of VCR tapes just sitting there that I took interest in. They had video interviews from people like Nick Rowe and Earnie Tabata and other well known figures in the community. Needless to say, I watched them and even though I know Earnie and could of gotten up and walked over to his office and talked to him in person, to hear him tell his story and to hear Nick Rowe tell several of his, was priceless in my opinion. They were semi formal being that an off screen voice might ask a question or two or direct the conversation here and there but the speakers just spoke as they remembered it and a lot of the type of information that you just posted here was given in those videos. That is stuff you can't find in books anywhere and is worth capturing so the story and knowledge isn't lost. I for one would like to hear you tell this whole story as you know it and experienced it.

Flagg · 07-26-2012, 16:01

I own one F/S knife and am a fan of the story of the knife as well as the men behind it.

Very interesting to hear Fairbairn's personal knives had a flatter handle in plane with the blade.....really makes sense.

Thanks for sharing.

mojaveman · 07-26-2012, 20:53

They're definately cool and look very lethal. Have had a few Sheffields but they don't really fit me well. I have large hands and found the handles to be a little too small. I also thought that the blades were just a little too long. I really miss the old Gerber Mark I.

Barbarian · 07-27-2012, 07:30

Quote:

This is a Wilkinson/Sword 2nd pattern FS made as a favor for me in 2002/3

Very nice!

G Wheeler II · 12-17-2014, 09:49

I have a catalog/Auction house book with pictures of 2 original knives, made when Fairbain was with the Shanghi Police force some time in the 30s I think. I will find it and post the pictures if anyone is interested??? You can see where the shape took place in these older knives of his.

"Turn Left Damit"

**Team Sergeant** · 12-17-2014, 09:59

Quote:

Originally Posted by G Wheeler II

I have a catalog/Auction house book with pictures of 2 original knives, made when Fairbain was with the Shanghi Police force some time in the 30s I think. I will find it and post the pictures if anyone is interested??? You can see where the shape took place in these older knives of his.

Silly question.......

We're waiting!!!!!!!!!!!!!!