One of the most famous and enduring edged weapons of the 20th century, the Fairbairn-Sykes knife was designed by veterans of the Shanghai Municipal Police, who applied their hard-earned street fighting experience to the task of training the elite fighters of the Allied forces in World War II. 11 inches overall, with a bright steel 6 1/8 inch blade etched with the Wilkinson Sword logo on one side and "THE/F-S/FIGHTING/KNIFE" on the reverse. An unmarked blued steel oval guard is installed, with a knurled and blackened brass "coke bottle" grip. The sheath is leather, with nylon retention strap, blackened brass tip, and tabs for stitching, marked "S/SGT. F.W. BORN" on the rear of the hanger. No information on Sergeant Born was supplied by the consignor.

Very fine. The hilt shows areas of bright wear, with some light polishing marks and spotting on the otherwise very fine blade and minor handling marks overall. The sheath is also very fine, with some mild scuffs.