A Better Modern FS Fighting Knife?

I want to add an apology for erroneously stating earlier that Egginton Group was the sole supplier of MOD FS knives. That was my mistake and Mr. Goodwin asked me to point out there are other designated providers. Mea Culpa!

A few weeks ago I received an email via our website from James Goodwin, of the Egginton Group, Sheffield England. Mr. Goodwin asked if I would be willing to add a link to their website. He continued on to explain that they had acquired the names and business of several famous Sheffield Cutlery firms. These included Geo. Wostenholm & Son, Geo. Ibberson. Joseph Rodgers, and J. Clarke & Sons.

I responded that I was willing to add a link even though I had not been terribly impressed with the quality of any of those firms’ post-war knives. I am not sure how long after the war some of them even survived. Mr. Goodwin explained that as a Ministry of Defense supplier many of their knives were issued to troops currently serving in Iraq and Afghanistan. http://www.eggintongroup.co.uk/brands/william-rodgers/military-knives/all-black-commando-knife.html

Since I did not have a current model of their knife it was not possible for me to do a proper review. When I asked him what it would take to get a copy of their MOD knife he said “We can do that.” It arrived June 15^th. That the knife arrived from England so quickly is, in its self, impressive. First impressions are important and we were off to a good start.

The nicely blued blade is 6 7/8 inches long. I was surprised to find that the blade is about .010" thicker than this WW-II knife (bottom). The machine ground finish is much finer than many post-war knives. (In case you wonder why I keep referring to “post-war” it is because near the end, and after the war, the quality of Fairbairn knives went terribly bad.) The grinds are completely symmetrical and centered. While that should seem to be a given it is not always the case. The edge is sharp by fits. Sharp in some places, not so sharp in others. This is not a big deal with a stabbing knife, and a few minutes with a whet stone would be all it takes to put an edge on the dull places. Mr. Goodwin contacted me and said they were concerned with this finding and would look into it. But seriously their knife is as sharp as any other modern FS I have found. Still to be fair I reassured him I would register his concern here.

The stamped-out guard is well shaped of the gauge common today. (Again this is specified by the MOD) This one is completely sterile with no markings at all. The opening for the guard is a tighter fit than on many contemporary knives and the guard is tight without any wiggle.

One of the minor negatives I felt is the handle. The handle is a well formed, clean casting. Typical of most modern FS it is a little shorter than WW-II knives and the ribs are blurred. This may be due partially to the coating on the handle, filling the grooves, but it is also because the ribs are not as crisp to begin with. I am not sure of the process used but the knife has the look and feel of having been dipped in a coating, giving it a nice smooth surface. I think it bears re-emphasizing that the makers of MOD knives are, by requirement, forced to make their knives meet the govt. standards. Differences or changes in handles, sheaths, etc are not permitted whether for better or worse. This is no different than Govt contracts here in the USA.

The sheath is typical of most F~S knives produced since the 1950s. Better than many, made of high quality leather, it is still oversized and the knife fits loosely. I think it is past time for the MOD to explore better designs and materials. The top sheath is the new one, bottom one is WW-II.

My overall impression is of a well built and sturdy fighting knife. There is a heft to it that Fairbairn said would inspire confidence in the trooper carrying it. I would like to see a return to the full thickness guard of WW-II knives, a longer and more defined handle, and a new style sheath like used on Randall knives. These are not findings against Egginton Group but the modern Fairbairn-Sykes in general. While I am making wishes, why not wish for a quality Second Pattern knife which would sell like the proverbial hotcakes?
http://www.eggintongroup.co.uk/history/the-formation-of-the-egginton-group-of-companies.html