FS-style dagger

[ZDP-189]

Well, this is my first dagger made for sale. It was a special commission by a BB member. I was asked to make a dagger like the spiral dagger I did for twisty, but in a fairbairn-sykes MKI style. Furthermore, it was to be for a small hand with a short, 2" guard and balance point 1/2" behind the guard.

Dagger, facing side
http://uberlevel.com/link2image/fs3094c654.jpg

Reverse side
http://uberlevel.com/link2image/fsf349u69c.jpg

Shortie guard
http://uberlevel.com/link2image/fshf34m6c9.jpg

Thumb position
http://uberlevel.com/link2image/fsx2734ync.jpg

Detail
http://uberlevel.com/link2image/fs54v67m9.jpg

Turned and chequered
http://uberlevel.com/link2image/fs3409jtc0.jpg

The knife has been at once a nightmare and a dream to make. First, I hadn't worked in aluminium since my school days. My hobby lathe was not up to it and I had to sub-contract the turning of the blank to a machine shop. That required full ANSI-spec technical drafting. Aside from the blade and the SS grub screw all the rest was done by yours truly.

The knife was a challenge and has definately pushed me forward in my knifemaking. It handles a like dream and is strippable into component parts so that the balance point can be manually tuned by the user by adding a weight in the shaft.

This one is spoken for, and to be honest I'd need my arm twisting to attempt another. Price for a similar piece would be somewhere around £100. If you like what you see, please contact me for any commissions. I have a sheath to make for richardw and a second Summer KITH to do, but aside from that, my order list is wide open.

[Basemetal]

Terrific Workmanship there....looks like you could turn pro (if you increased your prices!)
Well Done.
Danny

[Roger Gregory]

Oooh shiny :)

I've been thinking about a nice FS Mk I recently, Now I know who makes one .....

Roger

[narsil]

Very nice indeed, any more info on the blade?

I've actualy found that FS knives are surprisingly useful as everyday utility blades, not so much outdoors but generally about the house, general poking, proding, prying and opening (even beer bottles) not that anyone would want to do that with such a pristine example.

[twisty]

Dan,
as always, another nice knife. I really like the aluminum handle. How heav is the knife?

Keep it up,

Trenton

[ZDP-189]

Trenton, the knife weighs 120g or just under 5oz. It feels just a tad heavier than yours. IMO, the spiral handled dagger flips better between a sabre and reverse grip, so it's a bit more fun to play with. The trade off is that the aluminium handle is very sturdy and grippy as heck. Remember this is checked, not knurled. Knurling gives a rounded edge, but checking/cutting leaves a sharp edge like a coarse file.

Chris, like yours, this knife was designed as a user. Actually, the beauty is that is you ding up the tip or scratch the blade, you can replace it with a new one from Brisa at only EUR21. This knife actually has the hole set back a little too far, so I would have to drill the tang to re-fit the new blade, but I'd do that for free.

Roger, I'm not the only one. Heinnie (http://www.heinnie.com/cgi-bin/heinnie_store/web_store.cgi?page=Wilkinson/fr-Wilkinson.htm&cart_id=) sell the original (http://www.wilkinson-swords.co.uk/knives/fairbairn.html#1) for £207.95. But the blades aren't replaceable, you can't tune the balance and basically you don't get a custom that is made to fit your hand. At £99, I reckon I'm competitive.

Sorry, Danny, I'm not going to raise my price on this model. I charge labour at £75 per day, plus parts. The low cost is due to outsourcing; the machine shop can produce handle blanks at only £18 each to my original drawings and all I have to do is make and fit the guard, washer, polyurethane spacers, grubscrew, apply the chequering and polish.

Secondly, although I made 3 polyurethane casts of the handle to practice the technique, the chequering's not perfect and never will be. Fundamentally, I'm competing against the original WS knife and the original should be worth more than a knock-off. Hopefully the appeal of a very low manufacture custom will be more than having an original.

Thanks all, for the kind words.

[ANDYLASER]

Top work Zed. How did you do the checkering?

[ZDP-189]

Couldn't do knurling because the cylinder narrows. Luckily Sheffieldsupply.com sell a chequering file. v.v. grippy.

[ANDYLASER]

Thanks :biggthump

[dtalbot]

Another brill bit of work!
Cheers
David

[ZDP-189]

Sorry, to blow my own trumpet(*), but may I draw your attention to my customer's review of the knife (link (http://www.toratoratora.co.uk/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=169)) and a second knife that I made (link (http://www.toratoratora.co.uk/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=222)). Before I get modded or banned for linking to a martial site, I must stress that the knives are intended for practicing katas with a live blade, rather than for poking real people.


(*) For non-English readers, this is a slang term meaning to praise one's own accomplishments; it is not a reference to contorted self-gratification. Just so we got that straight.

[Trond]

Beautifull as allways Daniel :)
But............... made as a user......................? :yikes:
I just hope that i never get in contact with the one that has it as a user...........!

[Kohei]

Sorry, to blow my own trumpet(*), but may I draw your attention to my customer's review of the knife (link (http://www.toratoratora.co.uk/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=169)) and a second knife that I made (link (http://www.toratoratora.co.uk/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=222)). Before I get modded or banned for linking to a martial site, I must stress that the knives are intended for practicing katas with a live blade, rather than for poking real people.


(*) For non-English readers, this is a slang term meaning to praise one's own accomplishments; it is not a reference to contorted self-gratification. Just so we got that straight.

Hi guys,

I was going to copy the link myself for you all to see my new F/S that ZDP made me, but I see he beat me to it already!!!

As you can all probably tell..... i'm just a little pleased with it!!! :D :D

Thanks again Dan. :biggthump :biggthump

Kohei :wink:

[cammoman]

Nice dagger,it's sort of like a woman.
Long,slim,classy,and you know every body want's to handle it and some but people won't like it.

But i love it !

The history of f/s guy's would make great movie,didn't they start as Singapore cop's :biggthump

[ZDP-189]

Beautifull as allways Daniel :)
But............... made as a user......................? :yikes:

Well, it could stand up to use, but my understanding was that it was for practice in the dojo.


I just hope that i never get in contact with the one that has it as a user...........!

I've seen Kohei's photo... but knowing her and her husband's abilities, I wouldn't recommend messing with her either.


Nice dagger,it's sort of like a woman.
Long,slim,classy,and you know every body want's to handle it and some but people won't like it.

But i love it !

The history of f/s guy's would make great movie,didn't they start as Singapore cop's :biggthump

I think they were from Shanghai. This is definately not an authentic copy; it's a fair bit enhanced and IMO, much more versatile than the original. This one, for example, is quite capable of opening boxes and slicing tomatos. In fact I sold it (and shipped it) as a letter opener. It'd be a damn good letter opener, I might add. :D

[Danzo]

That is just beautiful.

:approve:

Danzo

[Jodan]

Nice work, love it.

Chequering files are also available from Peter Dyson & Son in Yorkshire,
along with some other useful stuff.