A New First Pattern FS

After only a few weeks wait time I received a package from the Egginton Group in Sheffield, UK.  I had ordered a First Pattern knife from them. This is a fairly new model from their custom shop, part of their “Collectable Knives” series.  First impressions are very favorable. The packaging was robust ensuring that it arrived in undamaged condition. Inside the shipping box was a finely appointed cardboard box which set the expectations that the knife inside would be equally as elegant. Indeed I was not disappointed. Inside the box is a paper wrapped booklet briefly describing the history of the cutlery firms which compose the Egginton Group. The booklet also included a certificate of authenticity. Now, let’s get on to reviewing the piece de’ resistance, the knife.

 

There are some anomalies, but only someone reasonably familiar with the World War Two version would probably notice. The nicely ground and symmetrical blade is one inch wide at the ricasso and seven and one quarter inches long. That is a trifle longer than most originals. It is approximately 3/16 inches thick. World War Two versions are a full ¼ inch thick and usually under seven inches long. Still the knife has a nice balance and heft to it. One thing I found ironic is the blade profile is closer to an X-dagger than a Wilkinson. The original specification calls for a blade with a straight taper from the guard to the tip. The ricasso, which is a little longer than normal, is nearly parallel sided, whose taper then increases to the tip. Unlike many originals this blade is sharp, a decided improvement.  I am especially pleased with the etchings on the ricasso. Both are typical of the World War Two originals with the exception of Joseph Rodgers replacing the Wilkinson name. Nicely done!

Handle and two inch wide “S” guard are both beautifully plated and traditional in form. The serial number of this knife is cleanly stamped on the upper surface of the guard. The sheath, the sheath is a breath of fresh air! After decades of complaining about crappy sheaths this one is superb. It is a very snug fit and has a lovely plated chape identical to the originals. Snap and strap retention is very nice too. Kudos to the sheath makers! WW-II knife top, Rodgers knife bottom.

Is it a perfect rendition? No, but my final assessment is that I am very well pleased with the knife, despite any of the minor anomalies listed.  It is perhaps one of the finest Factory- Made First Pattern knives since those made by the H.G. Long Company a few years back. It is destined to become a collector’s item based on the Joseph Rodgers mark alone. The only fault I would point out is the lack of definition in the region where the ricasso blends into the blade’s bevels. This is typical of a machine ground blade, although these may be hand ground.  It is a knife of excellent quality and the extra efforts taken in the finish and presentation of it make a very favorable impression.  Congratulations to the Egginton Group craftsmen for a job well done.

 

Somewhat as an afterthought I have added a few photos which compare the ricasso areas of an original and also a Paul MacDonald First Pattern and a Peter Parkinson (very early) first Pattern (middle) along with the Rodgers knife. The variations in original WW-II knives are almost as stark as these three modern knives exhibit. The two by MacDonald and Parkinson have thicker blades. With original WW-II First Patterns selling in the $2,000 range, knives by any of these makers; MacDonald, Parkinson or Egginton, are a bargain.

 

Ancient trail of elephant dung helps scientists unlock mystery

This shocking headline caught my attention. I immediately assumed it was about the Republican Party. But alas it was about another disaster of historical proportions. It was about Hannibal's amazing trek across the mountains with elephants to attack Rome. If I remember correctly only one elephant survived the crossing and it was from India instead of Africa.

But speaking of dead elephants, what are we true conservatives to think about a party that starts out with over a dozen contenders "impartially" supporting only one of them and he is eventually eliminated from the running. So now they are going to pick up their marbles (or trail of dung bits), go into their closet and pick a new candidate for us to vote for.


I  have been a registered republican all my life and I believe in conservative principals. It is too bad that the GOP, the conservative right no longer does. It is too bad that they are more concerned about sinking their own candidates than the true opposition on the left. But that is the pattern they set for the last two elections as well. What is going on? To these bozos the Party is more important than the country, more important than your vote or your opinion. They are going to tell us who we are going to vote for, whether we like that person or not, whether we even know who he is until the secret meeting in the closet is over.


Well screw them. I give the GOP the fickle finger of fate award. I raise my digit proudly in their direction and I will vote for Bernie or maybe write in a vote for Fidel Castro or Vladimir Putin, men who will do as they say in the bright light of day, not sequestered away in a dark closet. I have known for many years my vote means nothing, otherwise the great "hope and change" con artist would have never been in office. But I have always voted anyways since it is my right and it annoys them for you to do so. After all, they know better than you do who belongs in office. They play musical chairs with the nominees and remove all of the chairs but one. and when the music stops someone else is already sitting in the chair.


We have been fooled but we are not fools. We can see their filthy charades being played out right in front of our eyes. They are too brazen now to even hide their perfidy. As the old song goes:
"I thought that you'd want what I want
Sorry, my dear
But where are the clowns?
There ought to be clowns
Quick, send in the clowns
Don't bother they're here"

Bunches of Knives!

Two weeks ago I bought a nice Beaded and Ribbed knife from John Gibson at Military Fighting Knives. Only a short while ago I also bought my first and only Smatchet from John. Great guy to deal with and he and his partner Gary Ruleford always have reasonable prices. I don’t know why I am telling you this because now I have more people to compete against when they list new knives. I guess I am telling you because people like them deserve my support and your business.

Well right after buying the Beaded and Ribbed I got an email asking if I was interested in a small collection of F-S knives. That’s like asking whether my cat Lucy is hungry, she is always hungry! So John sent me photos of the knives and a price. I bought the five of them without dickering. You ought to be warned that “Commemorative” knives are not always the best investment. Sometimes they go up in price and sometimes they remain flat in value. So when it comes to buying them I recommend you decide whether they are something you want to keep, not whether they are something you are trying to make money on. I liked both of the commemoratives by Crown Sword Co. and John’s price was very fair.  So I added the five knives plus the sixth Beaded and Ribbed to my collection in one fell swoop. John ships fast and I had them in hand within about 3 days.

The five knives in this photo are, from left to right:  

• A Vietnam era chrome-plated F-S possibly made in Taiwan and usually engraved for Special Forces troops. This one is sterile with no sheath, markings, or engraving. There is another SF style knife that was made by Japan Sword which I have illustrated on my website.
• Crown Sword cased Commemorative for the Parachute regiments. Nicely etched with some wear to the gold infil, but a nicely made knife. Note the Crown Sword style handle which uniquely incorporates a third pattern ribbed section with a second pattern pommel knob.
• PPCLI Knife. This is a copy of the knife issued to Princess Patricia Canadian Light Infantry unit which was formed during the 1950s. It does not have the PPCLI engraved on the blade as some models I have seen. Those were marked with an electric pencil engraver. This standard third pattern knife is marked only with a tiny ↑ inside the letter C on the guard. The knives were sourced separate from the sheaths. By the way, the green paint is correct. Also the sheath is the rare leg or arm style and is very well made. It too has a ↑C marking on the back of the frog.
• Made by Crown Sword, this third pattern commemorates the 22^nd SAS regiment. The quality is excellent and the knife is in very good condition.
• The final knife of the set is this Wilkinson Sword Co. Second pattern. I was very surprised with this knife. I was not aware that Wilkinson had made second pattern knives this late that were not special commemoratives. It came with the std high quality sheath. What is unusual is the blade is a bright heat blue, not the usual black nickle, commonly found on their blackened knives. It has the long “Masonic” crest acid-etched into the blade. On the opposite side is a small serial number #006, stamped into the blade. This is an extremely nice knife and typical of the high quality knives Wilkinson Sword once made in the 1970-80s.

All in all it was one heck of a week for my collection, although a little rough on the bank account. Thanks to John and Gary for operating a nice website and selling good quality knives at affordable prices. Check them out at:  http://www.militaryfightingknives.com/