Old 02-13-2017, 18:37   #1
tonyz
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Smatchet

When I was just a kid my father gave me a copy of the book: Get Tough by Col. W.E. Fairbairn - in it I remember some discussion of an interesting weapon called the Smatchet.

It seems that knife-maker Böker has reintroduced the Smatchet 2.1.described at link below. The street price is reportedly much less.

https://www.boker.de/us/fixed-blade-...fe/122578.html

“Its balance, weight, and killing power, with point, edge, or pommel, combined with the extremely simple training necessary to become efficient in its use, make it the ideal personal weapon for all those not armed with a rifle and bayonet.”

– William Ewart Fairbairn, Get tough!: How to win in hand-to-hand fighting as taught to the British commandos and the U.S. Armed Forces

In his 1942 manual about unarmed and knife fighting, Get Tough, Fairbairn devotes a section to the smatchet, complete with drawings depicting its use. He went on to write, “The smatchet is now in wide use throughout the British armed forces. It is hoped that it will soon be adopted by the United States Army.” When Fairbairn went to the United States and began training OSS personnel, he successfully advocated the use of the smatchet, as well as the F-S Fighting Knife, by the OSS. Though the F-S Fighting Knife became a standard part of OSS weaponry, apparently the smatchet only saw limited use. A possible reason for that is suggested by Michael W. Silvey in his article, “The Smatchet,” originally published in Knife World magazine, where he wrote, “It has long been rumored that a shipment of 10,000 smatchets were lost at sea,” probably the result of a submarine sinking the vessel carrying the shipment.

http://www.defensemedianetwork.com/s...ighting-knife/
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Last edited by tonyz; 02-13-2017 at 18:56.
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Old 02-13-2017, 18:56   #2
Roguish Lawyer
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Old news, use the search button.
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Old 02-13-2017, 18:59   #3
tonyz
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Roguish Lawyer View Post
Old news, use the search button.
Shit. My apologies.
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Old 02-13-2017, 21:13   #4
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Where is NDD now?

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Old 02-21-2017, 13:58   #5
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A bunch of different manufacturers and custom makers have produced those since WWII. Al Mar even did a version, and those fetch a pretty penny these days. They pop up on Ebay from time to time. Had one of the Al Mars myself for a while. They are imposing knives.
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