A Cut Above
Soldiers could purchase their own edged weapons from private dealers but some units also had specialty blades issued to them such as the V42 Stiletto fighting knife issued to the First Special Service Force. For units like the SOE (Special Operations Executive) and the OSS (Office of Strategic Services) the edged weapons could get very creative.
Fairbairn-Sykes Fighting Knife
This fighting knife is a double edged dagger style knife with a foil grip. The blade is sharply pointed to allow ease of thrusting, but upon sharpening, the knife can also be used for slashing. Designed by William Ewart Fairbairn and Eric Anthony Sykes before the Second World War, it was so well received that many other fighting knives have been based off this style. Both men had served with the Shanghai police and were well versed in hand to hand combat, which made them especially great at designing a knife soldiers would find easy to use.
V42 Stiletto
This was a fighting knife introduced by the Americans and used by the First Special Service Force in the Second World War. This unit, also known as the Devil’s Brigade, was the first collaboration between Canadian and American forces and they earned their title by being very good at their job. The design is based on the Fairbairn-Sykes Commando knife but with a narrower double-sided blade and hollowed out concave blade facets. With a blade of carbon steel between 181-184mm, it is a good handling size, but distinctively it has a skull crushing pointed pommel.
OSS Stiletto Fighting Knife
This knife was commissioned by the US Office of Strategic Services and was again based on the Fairbairn- Sykes design. Unfortunately, the US version had a badly tempered blade that would break during use, so they were replaced in 1944 by the M3. The interesting thing here is the unique scabbard that the knife had. Often referred to as a pancake flipper because of its spatula shape, it could have been worn high or low on the belt.
Robbins of Dudley Push (Punch) Dagger
This type of trench knife used by Soldiers during the First World War is a foolproof knife with a handle that makes holding onto it very easy. Robbins of Dudley of Britain saw a need for soldiers to have a trench knife and made a variety of different edged weapons with this style being the most popular, even though its short horizontal blade was prone to breakage. These daggers were used in both the First and Second World Wars.
Russell Belt Knife
This Russell belt knife was part of the light infantry kit from 1964-2006. Made in Pictou, Nova Scotia by Grohmann Knives, the stainless steel blade was favoured by the paratroopers for excellent performance. The knife began its life in 1957 after Deane H. Russell from Ottawa was looking for a company to produce his new design and travelled to Nova Scotia to begin their partnership. Russell came up with this unique design after travelling to the north and testing with trappers and hunters. Also called a “jump knife” or “boat knife,” these knives remain popular with outdoorspeople today.
Utility Knives
The clasp knife became standard issue for soldiers during the First World War and is still included in their kit today. Issued with a scaled plastic outer handle, originally the knife was quite long with a blade that measured approximately 80 mm, but by the Second World War the blade length had shrunk to 60mm. Soldiers also could have been issued a clasp knife with the sheep’s foot design blade found among the British army. In the 1980’s, soldiers were issued a C5 clasp knife that was even more compact and lighter.
Lapel Dagger
These small knives were made to be stitched into an inconspicuous place on the person’s clothes, usually behind the lapel. A soldier could then grasp the knife between his thumb and index finger to slash at an enemy. With a different grasp between the index and middle fingers, the knife could be thrust toward your enemy.
Sleeve and Sole Daggers
These interesting stealth daggers would have been worn in a scabbard on the inside of the arm, under the sleeve, or inside the leather insoles of shoes. One style is fashioned after stiletto bayonets; they are used for thrusting and have a triangle-like cross section. The others are flat like a lapel dagger, so they could easily be concealed. The scabbard has holes so it could be stitched into the clothing or straps that could be worn around the arm. The sole dagger would slide into a section sewn on the bottom of the insole and a string lanyard would be attached for easy removal as well as be able to wrap it around your fingers for better grip.
Thrusting Daggers
Usually small, these daggers were made to be well-concealed in clothing or even sometimes hidden inside a pencil given to a POW. The bodkin would have been similar, fashioned with a cruciform blade and string wrapped around the handle for better grip. The large thrusting grappling hook could be used to puncture objects like tires, and the hook allowed it to be pulled back.
Penny Dagger
A small wire cutting blade was affixed by a rivet to this 1937 British penny. These little knives could easily be hidden away and passed over as just some change in someone’s pocket. They could be used for puncturing or cutting away wiring.
Trench Art
Trench art was often created as a way for soldiers to pass the time but also help them to work through the difficult times they were dealing with. Civilians also made trench art from found objects left behind on battlefields. As the pieces are made from scrap, it leads to some very creative outcomes, like these two objects featured here: a small blade attached to a spent bullet, one has been turned into a letter opener but the other has a very sharp blade.