Rock Bottom Knives

Knife collecting is a hobby which some find unusual at first. However, this is a truly fascinating and educational pursuit which wins many people over once they learn a little more about the history and craftsmanship involved with these, among the earliest of tools devised by mankind. Aside from the particulars of the history of any given type of knife, the history and development of knives in general parallels the history of human civilization and technological advancement.

The advancements we have made from stone tools to space age alloys is in and of itself an incredible story; a story which is also the story of knives. This is just one of the many reasons why knife collecting is a hobby which has a lot of appeal to people from all walks of life.

Knife collecting can be a great way to learn more about American history; in fact a lot about the history of any nation can be gleaned from the tools which they use – and this includes knives. You are bound to learn a lot of interesting facts in the course of your knife collecting. This is a hobby which entails some research – don’t worry, it’s interesting!

Like any hobby which involves collecting something, a large part of knife collecting is seeking out particular knives for your collection, including unusual and rare knives. The thrill of finding that obscure piece which you never thought you’d see in real life is impossible to describe, but is a thrill well known to the knife collector.

There are many different areas to specialize in within the larger realm of knife collecting. You could specialize in military knives, pocket knives, hunting knives or any other category. Alternatively, you may have interest in knives from a particular era, a certain region, even knives made by a specific process of machining. Of course, you can also take an interest in any and every kind of knife and have amassing a large collection as your aim.

Knife collecting is a somewhat easier hobby to take up nowadays than it once was. This is largely thanks to the emergence of the internet as a global 24/7 marketplace. Auction sites put rare knives within the reach (or at least awareness) of many who in times past would have nearly no way of knowing about the existence of an upcoming knife auction halfway across the country, even the globe! Of course, the web has also made the dissemination of useful information about knives and knife collecting possible (such as this very site!). The relative ease of locating knives online has taken none of the thrill out of knife collecting, I am pleased to report. What it has done is take some of the frustration out of the process of tracking down rare and exotic pieces – and those of you who have been engaged in this hobby for some time know exactly what I’m talking about.

The sheer number of knife models and styles out there lends itself to exploration and learning, particularly in the case of the new collector. Knife collecting is a hobby which has a vast number of things to be learned and delved into. It’s also a hobby which parents can share with their (older) children; once they’ve learned that knives are tools to be respected rather than toys. This can provide parents with an opportunity to teach their children important and interesting lessons about history while sharing their passion for knife collecting with them.

For instance, take the Bowie knife. In discussing its history, you will touch upon the history of the Mexican-American war, Daniel Boone, Arkansas and of course, The Alamo (don’t forget the Alamo!). All of this history to be learned from just one knife! The possibilities for education with this entertaining and enlightening hobby are nearly endless.

A great part of the hobby of knife collecting is swapping information and stories with your fellow collectors. Long time collectors especially will have a lot of information to impart to you as you begin to develop a taste for knife collecting. You can also learn more about where to look for those rare pieces and even get in touch with knife makers (many knife collectors enjoy collecting custom made knives). If custom knives are of interest to you, you can even commission your own knives from knife makers! These people are well worth knowing to any knife collector as they are valuable sources for information about knives and knife making.

Read on through this site to learn more about knives and knife collecting. You may find some facts which surprise you – the history of knives is truly fascinating and knife collecting is your key to this wealth of information.

The Fairbairn-Sykes is typically called a “fighting knife”, and it is very true that his elegant bladed weapon was invented by warriors who knew what they wanted and needed a knife to do. The Fairbairn-Sykes has proven its warfare effectiveness again and again in combat usage by American special forces, British commandos in WWII, Israel’s Moussad agents, and several government spy agencies.
But the Fairbairn-Sykes Fighting Knife is too well-crafted to be limited to being nothing more than a tool of death, and that is why the Fairbairn-Sykes Fighting Knife has a long list of collectors.
The Fairbairn-Sykes Fighting Knife is a slender, double-edged blade, much like an Italian stiletto blade except that the Fairbairn-Sykes knife is meant to slash and cut rather than just thrust.
The stand-out feature of the Fairbairn-Sykes Fighting Knife, however, is its vase-like, cylindrical hilt, which draws on Italian sword design to enable the knife’s wielder to have virtually unlimited possibilities for the ways to turn, thrust, jab, or slash with the blade.
One of the chief design aims of the Fairbairn-Sykes Fighting Knife that became an effective weapon of terror against Nazi forces in WWII is to allow its user to quickly and cleanly sever his opponent’s artery so that he quickly passes out from blood loss and dies without being able to put up resistance once the lethal cut is made.
The Fairbairn-Sykes Fighting Knife made today is often a replication of the original “Pattern 2” design line of the model conceived in 1940 by British Army Captains William Ewart Fairbairn and Eric Anthony Sykes This pattern is identified by the two-inch straight cross guard, diamond knurled pattern grip, and rounded ball end.
The Fairbairn-Sykes Fighting Knife was originally modeled on the Shanghai street knife of the early 20th century. Shanghai at that time was considered to be the most dangerous city in the world. Fairbairn himself was nearly stabbed to death by gang members in the streets of Shanghai, and after this near loss of his life he took up JuJitsu and began applying his formidible bayonnette-fighting skills to his martial arts. This experience led him to co-conceive the famous fighting knife that bears his knife in 1940. It was at first specifically designed to allow newly commissioned units of British commandos to use guerilla war tactics against better-armed, better-trained Nazi soldiers.
The Fairbairn-Sykes Fighting Knife was designed to be strong and long enough to penetrate layered Winter cloathing while also being light, fast, balanced, and easy to conceal.
While the knife is really an amalgamation of several ancient dirk, knife, and dagger designs, its originality and collectors’ fascination with it is found in the way it brings these ancient elements together into a new age.