Rothco British Commando.

The British Empire at one time had plenty of territory to defend, and having a good knife at one’s side was an imperative. This particular commando knife comes with a very long and thick blade to it. This knife is quite similar to the Fairbairn Sykes knife that was an icon during WWII. Back then the knife was issued to Airborne units, Commando units, and was used heavily during the d day invasion. This is a true combat weapon. Dagger sharp point, with plenty of puncture power, extremely sharp edges, made to slash and cut through whatever is being challenged, and of course a knife this sharp, can cut through anything in a utility situation.

The blade is a heavy 7 inches in length, and is made from high carbon steel. The blade is tapered, very sharply pointed, and built for thrusting and stabbing. The handle is designed to take a beating. The handle is very ergonomic, and is zinc coated. Seems to be of perfect design for commando raids, and close quarter knife fighting. The double edged blade offers two sided slicing power, and would be perfect in battle, releasing a parachute cord, or cutting through objects standing in one’s way.

This knife is iconic because the two men that created the original design were Ewart Fairbairn, and Eric Anthony Sykes. These two men are legendary because of their service to the Crown during duty in the Shanghai China Police. At that time, Shanghai was part of the British Empire, and plenty of soldiers served there. The second reason for the knife having iconic status was it served soldiers well during world war two. The then British Commando Units, as well as the SAS special air service, and the airborne units were issued this knife. The d day event, also known as the Normandy invasion gave much lore to this knife. The intensity of the battles wages by the foot soldiers after the initial landing, is the thing of legend.

I believe that this knife is a collectors item, in that the design is quite old school, and knife design has come a long way since the 1940s. I own a real marine combat knife from the 1940s, and these old knives are things treasured by those of us who care so much about the history of human combat and warfare. Read some other reviews also, and make an informed decision.