Dodgy Daggers?

Well I know these knives are supposed to be fakes too. In fact I probably have the finest collection of “fakes” in the USA. Many of the experts have decided they were all made by a man in Canada. Then when I say this they get all testy and email me about how I am misquoting them. It is comical in some ways, very annoying in others. I’ll probably get an email (again) just for posting this. This Metford-Fairbairn knife (aka X-Dagger) was purchased from a man in Australia who purchased it from a very reputable arms dealer over thirty years ago. No the arms dealer was not from Canada, LOL. As you can see, it is a magnificent fighting knife with a full eight inch blade. This dagger makes a First Pattern Wilkinson knife pale by comparison. What I noticed second was that the knife had perfect balance. It balances one finger’s width behind the guard. This how W.E. Fairbairn said they should balance. If you make the blade an inch longer, then to achieve that balance you also have to extend the handle, and this one is longer. What makes the blade look so long is the small guard. Most of the X-daggers I own have larger guards whereas this one is petite. Nicely nickel plated it has small thumb grooves on each side. These are so the user can orient the knife in his hand even in the dark of night. The ricasso is marked with the usual bayonet stampings indicating the blade was originally made in May 1903 during the reign of Edward the King. It was made by Wilkinson London and is deeply stamped as such. It also has the bending test mark “X”, and the broad-arrow or crow’s foot for India stores. There is no question. This is one absolutely correct “fake” from the land below the equator. Cheers.