02-23-2004, 07:01
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#1
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Guerrilla Chief
Join Date: Feb 2004
Location: NC
Posts: 995
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Dartmoor Commando Knife
I was wondering if anyone has ever used the Wilkinson Sword Dartmoor "Commando" Survival Knife?
Wilkinson produced the Fairbyrne Sykes Knife, which was (apparently) world acclaimed. Out of curiousity, I'm wondering if the Dartmoor is up to the same standard in terms of features, applications, and durability?
Thanks,
Solid
Dartmoor Link
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Solid is offline
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02-23-2004, 19:38
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#2
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Area Commander
Join Date: Feb 2004
Location: Phoenix, AZ
Posts: 1,691
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Does that have a hollow handle?
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Smokin Joe is offline
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02-23-2004, 19:58
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#3
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Quiet Professional
Join Date: Jan 2004
Location: LA
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Looks like it.
Solid, I've never used one of these, but I will never buy another 440C stainless blade on a big knife. I'm not good enough at sharpening a knife to get an edge on one and I usually end up breaking them for some reason.
I would be wary of hollow handles as well. There are not many that are strong enough to be good tools IMO. There are exceptions of course.
How much does it cost in dollars?
__________________
Somewhere a True Believer is training to kill you. He is training with minimal food or water, in austere conditions, training day and night. The only thing clean on him is his weapon and he made his web gear. He doesn't worry about what workout to do - his ruck weighs what it weighs, his runs end when the enemy stops chasing him. This True Believer is not concerned about 'how hard it is;' he knows either he wins or dies. He doesn't go home at 17:00, he is home.
He knows only The Cause.
Still want to quit?
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NousDefionsDoc is offline
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02-23-2004, 20:00
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#4
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Quiet Professional
Join Date: Jan 2004
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Quote:
Originally posted by Smokin Joe
Does that have a hollow handle?
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Web site says so.
Did you check it out?
TR
__________________
"It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat." - President Theodore Roosevelt, 1910
De Oppresso Liber 01/20/2025
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The Reaper is offline
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02-23-2004, 20:03
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#5
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Area Commander
Join Date: Feb 2004
Location: Phoenix, AZ
Posts: 1,691
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Quote:
Originally posted by The Reaper
Web site says so.
Did you check it out?
TR
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Yes, I was just double checking.
Solid I agree with NDD I wouldn't trust my survival to a hollow handled knife.
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Smokin Joe is offline
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02-23-2004, 20:21
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#6
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Quiet Professional
Join Date: Jan 2004
Location: LA
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Oh Joe, there are a couple I would, but not a massed produced one from Wilkinson Sword. The old Randall's (Model18?) I think its Chris Reeve that makes some that are bomb proof. There are some out there.
__________________
Somewhere a True Believer is training to kill you. He is training with minimal food or water, in austere conditions, training day and night. The only thing clean on him is his weapon and he made his web gear. He doesn't worry about what workout to do - his ruck weighs what it weighs, his runs end when the enemy stops chasing him. This True Believer is not concerned about 'how hard it is;' he knows either he wins or dies. He doesn't go home at 17:00, he is home.
He knows only The Cause.
Still want to quit?
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NousDefionsDoc is offline
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02-23-2004, 20:25
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#7
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Area Commander
Join Date: Feb 2004
Location: Phoenix, AZ
Posts: 1,691
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I would have to see one. I have yet to see a hollow handled knife that could handle vigorious chopping. I don't doubt you NDD I just haven't seen one yet. Then again I haven't held a Chris Reeves or Bill Harsey knife either.
edit: b/c I can't spell or proof read
Last edited by Smokin Joe; 02-23-2004 at 21:14.
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Smokin Joe is offline
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02-23-2004, 20:35
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#8
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Quiet Professional
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Chris Reeve's hollow handled knives are from one piece of steel. There is no "joint" or weak area.
From his web site:
"Each knife is made from a solid billet of A2 tool steel. The stock removal method results in two distinct advantages--the strength/weight ratio is exceptional and there is no handle/blade join. This means that there is no area where the blade and handle could come apart--a weakness in the design of other hollow handle knives. "
http://www.chrisreeve.com/onepiece.htm
__________________
"It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat." - President Theodore Roosevelt, 1910
De Oppresso Liber 01/20/2025
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The Reaper is offline
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02-24-2004, 02:06
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#9
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Guerrilla Chief
Join Date: Feb 2004
Location: NC
Posts: 995
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Gentlemen, thank you for the replies. I wondered about the hollow handle, because I used a micro axe once for wood chopping and managed to break it within four or five strokes. The blade interested me because, as I said before, Wilkinson Sword has a special history, as do the British Commando regiments.
Solid
PS: The Chris Reeves website requests that knifes returned for maintenance are 'returned in sheath'... 
Last edited by Solid; 02-24-2004 at 02:09.
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Solid is offline
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02-24-2004, 15:45
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#10
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Guerrilla Chief
Join Date: Feb 2004
Location: NC
Posts: 995
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Purely out of curiousity, is the Fairbyrne-Sykes knife as great as it's chalked up to being?
Thanks,
Solid
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Solid is offline
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02-24-2004, 15:53
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#11
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Quiet Professional
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Quote:
Originally posted by Solid
Purely out of curiousity, is the Fairbyrne-Sykes knife as great as it's chalked up to being?
Thanks,
Solid
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It is a light dagger made for stabbing, sort of a silent sentry elimination weapon, and has some serious weaknesses, even when used for its intended purpose.
TR
__________________
"It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat." - President Theodore Roosevelt, 1910
De Oppresso Liber 01/20/2025
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The Reaper is offline
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02-24-2004, 15:55
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#12
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Guerrilla Chief
Join Date: Feb 2004
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Thanks for the information.
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Solid is offline
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02-26-2004, 19:10
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#13
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Bladesmith to the Quiet Professionals
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Location: Oregon, Land of the Silver Grey Sunsets
Posts: 3,880
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The Fairbairn Sykes did an important job in it's day. This knife was designed to be carried taking up as little space as possible and was often carried carefully concealed. It's job was simply to kill. After much honorable combat use in WWII a few problems became noticable (and documented). First problem was the handle, made on a lathe. The user could not rely on the perfectly round handle shape to orient the edge after dark and many sentrys had the flat of the blade rubbed across their throat. This did not have the result desired by the knife user. Another problem that came up was when the user held the knife in a fencing grip (thumb behind guard instead of wrapped around handle like hammer grip) and pushed it into something real hard, thumbnils got broken over backwards. This was because the guard was straight. Again, please let me state, lot's of these knives got made in a hurry in the war effort and turning handles on a lathe was a fast way to get lot's of work done. Britian was in a desperate situation back then and didn't have time to refine the design until the end of the war. Because of the above stated problems, documented from combat action reports, with the very honorable Fairbairn Sykes knife was redesigned by Fairbairn and Applegate towards the end of the war. The war ended before production began on the new design.
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Bill Harsey is offline
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02-26-2004, 19:14
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#14
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Bladesmith to the Quiet Professionals
Join Date: Feb 2004
Location: Oregon, Land of the Silver Grey Sunsets
Posts: 3,880
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again, sorry about mispelling and incorrect use of a word or two. That submit button doesn't let me preview the text for very long. Bill
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Bill Harsey is offline
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02-26-2004, 19:22
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#15
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Quiet Professional
Join Date: Jan 2004
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Quote:
Originally posted by Bill Harsey
again, sorry about mispelling and incorrect use of a word or two. That submit button doesn't let me preview the text for very long. Bill
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Bill:
We will brook no grammar Nazis picking on you here.
You are a knife designer and maker with a rare talent, not an English teacher.
That also makes you more interesting to talk to, BTW.
Yee-Haw, now let's go shoot at something!
Your Redneck Bubba-
TR
P.S.-You catch a mistake or want to make a change, that is what the edit button on the left is for. You do it quickly enough, the post doesn't even show that it was edited.
__________________
"It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat." - President Theodore Roosevelt, 1910
De Oppresso Liber 01/20/2025
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The Reaper is offline
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