[pyreaux]

A little more information, many here may already be aware.
There are Two different grind styles on the production AF smatchets.

Style #1 is shown above on #001 (January 9, 1980) where the grinds meet at the center of the blade. This style is used on the production smatchets made by Boker currently.
Style #2 is shown on #002 (trying to find date) which was sold as part of Rex Applegate's estate and is shown in the "Devine" catalog of his estate sale. This style has a more consistent width grind meeting at the point leaving flats at the center of either side of the blade. This grind style has been used on the Wells Creek run made by Buck, Al Mar production smatchets, and Boker Mini Smatchets.


Per public posts by Bill this knife would have predated his personally built grinder by 4 years. His grind was built in 1984. I'm not sure what he was grinding with prior to building his own.

I also was able to contact the owner of #002 who has owned it from 2002. He purchased it from the man who purchased it from Col. Applegate's estate. He says there is no date that he's aware of engraved on #002.

#013 appears to be also undated has a tapered tang and #1 grind. This one recently popped up on eBay.

#027 was made in 1995 and has a smaller edge bevel with a #001 type grind. It also added the indicator hole that was requested by Applegate to allow the user to more readily reference which edge they were using.

Info gathered from fightingkmive.Info and Fairbairnsykesfightingknives.com.