Fighting Knives: An Illustrated Guide to Fighting Knives and Military Survival Weapons of the World, by Frederick J. Stephens. Foreword by Robert J. Wilkinson-Latham. There are two types of military knife collectors, those who have this nearly impossible to obtain book and those who don't. Fighting Knives is acknowledged as the definitive reference work on its subject. Extensively researched by the leading expert in military edged weapons, this indispensable book strangely has been out of print for years. 14 Chapters: Introduction; Conversion Daggers of the First World War; Fighting Knives of the First World War; German Trench Daggers; Robbins of Dudley; Knuckle Knives; The British Gravity Knife; American Knives; Knives of the Second World War; The Commandos and the Fairbairn-Sykes Knife; Concealed and Assassination Weapons; Machetes; Post-War Knives; Bright Ideas. With a Select Bibliography and a Glossary. The 1980 hardcover edition with dustjacket, 10" height X 7 1/2" width, was printed in Edinburgh and was published simultaneously by: Arms & Armour Press, London and Melbourne; Arco Publishing, New York; and Fortress Publications, Stoney Creek, Ontario. It contained 125+ pages and 625+ illustrations. The contents of the 1985 softcover edition, 9 1/2" height X 7 1/2" width, are identical to the hardcover edition. The softcover edition was printed in Great Britain and published by Arco Publishing, New York. There also was a 1980 German hardcover edition, published simultaneously with the English editions.
The Urban Skinner was one of the four corners of the original Cold Steel product line. The 2 3/4" T-handle is Kraton; the overall length is slightly under 5". The push dagger -- which is what the Urban Skinner is -- might be thought of as a merger between knuckles and knife. In addition to the pictured tooled leather sheath with belt/boot clip, an optional, tightly form-fitted Kydex sheath was offered with the Urban Skinner, and accompanies this one. (Cold Steel subsequently renamed the Urban Skinner to Defender II, then still later to Safe Keeper III, and stopped using the term push dagger in favour of push knife.)
Cold Steel made a number of sizes and styles of its Voyager folding lockback. Each has a thumb stud for one-hand opening and closing, a Zytel handle, an integral pocket clip and an AUS 8A stainless steel blade. The original Large Clip Point Serrated Voyager was Model 34LCS. It featured a 4" blade, was just over 9" length when open and weighed 3.3 ounces.
The Benchmade AFCK, for Advanced Folding Combat Knife, is a sleek, top-drawer edged weapon across the board. The thumb hole enables one-hand opening and closing. The satin finish blade is ATS-34 stainless steel with a Rockwell hardness of 59-61. The handle comprises G-10 scales with double titanium liners. G-10 is a medium weave, fabric base, high pressure glass epoxy laminate, and is about 40% lighter than aluminium. The larger Model 800S has a 3.9" blade length, a 5.3" closed length, a 9" overall length and weighs 4.1 ounces. The smaller Model 812S has a 3.25" blade length, a 4.625" closed length, a 7" overall length and weighs 3.0 ounces. Both knives feature Benchmade's partially serrated, partially plain ComboEdge and are backed by a limited lifetime warranty.
When Spyderco introduced its lightweight, Zytel handled Endura in 1990, it promptly received the Blade Magazine "Overall Knife of the Year" award. At the time, Spyderco used its superior blade steel, G-2, on its ClipIt models, the Endura included. Spyderco later renamed G-2 to Gingami I, or GIN-1. Subsequently, to meet ever-increasing production volume requirements, Spyderco replaced the blade steel on all its Zytel handled ClipIts with AUS-8. This is a very early, original Endura in perfect condition, literally new in its box. Designated model C10SBK ("C" for ClipIt, "10" for the Endura, "S" for fully serrated blade, "BK" for black handle), the blade bears the G-2 stamp. The Spyderco Endura arguably is the fastest opening non-automatic knife ever made.
Introduced in 1984, the Police Model remains the flagship of the Spyderco fleet. This model C07S ("C" for ClipIt, "07" for the Police Model, "S" for fully serrated blade) bears the original G-2 blade steel stamp. The slim fitted handle is 300 series stainless steel. The cutting edge length is 3.8". As with all Spyderco folding lockback knives, the thumb hole provides for quick and easy one-hand opening and closing.
2 1/8" width by 1 1/8" height, brushed stainless steel finish, the enamelled front reads: INTRODUCING THE NEW ZIPPO pocket knife. The Sales Promotion Way To Sell & Thank Your Customers & Prospects.... The 1 1/2" blade marked ZIPPO BRADFORD PA USA. The Museum Curator/Archivist at Zippo states: "...the #7600 pocket knife with a fingernail file blade was introduced to the Zippo product line in 1964. Your Zippo Pocket knife was one of the first imprinted knives produced to introduce the new product."
Key knife. 2 1/4" closed, 3 7/8" open. Marked on one side of the blade FRANK KRAUS GERMANY, on the other side of the blade SOLINGEN.
2 3/4" closed length with two blades in the bottom and a fingernail file in the top. At the smaller end is a key-ring shackle. At the larger end is a blue enamelled circle. In the centre of the circle is Otis in script. Around the circle, in upper case block letters, is THE WORLDS WORD FOR ELEVATOR SAFETY. Monogrammed with the initials M. L. K. in blue enamel. About the knife, the Otis Elevator Consulting Archivist states, "the logo on it was in official use from 1918 to 1947".
Jack Tanis, 614 Broome Street, Fernandina Beach, FL 32034-3837, USA Telephone: 904.261.4628 e-mail
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