If ever there was a fighting knife that just looks scary, it is the Fairbairn-Sykes Commando Knife. It is a double bladed dagger design, with a foil type grip and a double edged blade that runs a bit over 7 inches in length.

In WWII, it was issued (in several variations) to various Allied special operations units, such as the British Commandos, the American OSS (precursor to the CIA) and the Marine Raiders. It was developed by William Ewart Fairbairn and Eric Anthony Sykes before the War, but it was as a killing knife on the front line that it gained its fame.

Like the USMC Ka-Bar, it is a combat knife, but unlike the Ka-Bar, it has no use as a utility tool. No one will be chopping down trees or skinning deer with this one. No, the Fairbairn-Sykes is a monument to the concept of doing one thing, but doing it well.

From start to finish, every bit of the knives design is focused on its purpose. It has a needle point, for piercing skin and muscle. The handle, which has been described as vase-like in profile, lends itself to a very precise grip. The blade is thin, for easily slipping between ribs and the double edge of the blade is for slicing on the push or the pull.

In his 1942 book titled Get Tough, Fairbairn explains the thought that went into the design:

In choosing a knife there are two important factors to bear in mind: balance and keenness. The hilt should fit easily in your hand, and the blade should not be so heavy that it tends to drag the hilt from your fingers in a loose grip. It is essential that the blade have a sharp stabbing point and good cutting edges, because an artery torn through (as against a clean cut) tends to contract and stop the bleeding. If a main artery is cleanly severed, the wounded man will quickly lose consciousness and die.

As I said earlier, this was a knife for fighting, and not much else. Because of its wide distribution, it was an extremely popular knife and has inspired countless knives in the marketplace today, most famously the Gerber Mark II.

While originals are highly prized collectors items, the Fairbairn-Sykes is still in production by various manufactures and prices range from about $25 and up.