Description
Original and super-popular WW2 era “Smatchet” fighting knife designed by the British and later OSS officer Eric Sykes – one of the authors of the famous WW2 era Fairbane-Sykes dagger. This huge fighting knife looks very much like the original British-designed Smatchet; the difference is in the handle design and materials. This specimen is completely unmarked; large rivets’ type indicates manufacture by Case Cutlery. This exact type is illustrated on page 148 of the KNIVES OF THE UNITED STATES MILITARY WORLD WAR II book by Michael W Silvey – a well-established expert and author of many books on the subject of US military edged weapons (see page’s scan attached). According to M.H Cole – an expert on American fighting knives the and author of the famous American edged weapons books series published in the 1970th – in a letter dated 9/13/1960, Case Cutlery stated that during WW2 Case made Smatchet knives for the Office of Strategic Service Command (OSS). After the war the US Government had quietly morphed the battle-hardened OSS operatives into what is today known as CIA .
This huge WW2 model 2 Smatchet fighting knife is about 16-3/8″ / 41.5 cm overall; a large parkerized “leaf-shape” blade is about 11″ /28 cm long. Walnut grips handle with 2 large iron rivets; the pommel is cast aluminum secured with 2 pins. Numerous small contact marks on aluminum pommel and wood grips are noted for accuracy – these are likely user-added for a better grip as these large and heavy knives were not easy to handle when wet. A large oval iron guard is about 3-1/2″ / 8.9 cm wide; all parts are tight with no play. The blade is has been lightly re-sharpened; the edge is very sharp still, the tip is intact a few minor edge bumps are noted for accuracy. Original Model 2 leather-over-plywood scabbard; original stitching is mostly intact; a leather “hand strap” lanyard is present but it’s barely hanging on. The keeper and belt loop suspension are long-gone – typical condition for the type. Original narrow leather straps were surprisingly flimsy for such a large knife; most did not last long in the field. The leather is a bit dry but overall the scabbard is in very good condition, considering the age.
This original WW2 model 2 Smatchet fighting knife and scabbard have not been cleaned or tampered with in any way, this specimen is in 100% original “as is” condition. These are the actual photos. I have a few more American WW2 era combat knives and bayonets, as well as several scarce WW1 and WW2 fighting daggers and trench knives from other countries available for sale – please take a look in our Militaria section.
For collectible knives and edged weapons Argo C&C accepts payments via credit cards, personal checks drawn from US-based accounts, certified US-based bank checks, and money orders. Take a look at the Payments section within our Terms and Conditions for mailing instructions and additional details. Please email me at info@argocoins.com if you would like to make a credit card purchase over the phone. Follow me on Facebook @argoman400BC to keep an eye on the latest additions and promotions.
Domestic US shipping for this item is $16 via USPS Priority Mail.
International shipping for this item will be $99.8 and up for most countries on our “ship-to” list.
