Smatchet
A smatchet is a short, heavy fighting knife 16.5 inches (42 cm) in overall length (including grip). It was designed by William E. Fairbairn during World War II.
Design
Though described in the Office of Strategic Services catalogue as a cross between a machete and a bolo, it was actually based on the Royal Welch Fusiliers Trench Knife of World War I, and was designed as a pure combat knife. It has a broad, leaf-shaped blade sharpened the full length on one side, and from the tip to half of the other side. The entire blade is coated with a dull matte finish to prevent detection at night from stray reflections.[1][2][3]
Use
According to Fairbairn, the smatchet was an ideal close-combat weapon for those not armed with a rifle and bayonet:[4]
The psychological reaction of any man, when he first takes the smatchet in his hand, is full justification for its recommendation as a fighting weapon. He will immediately register all the essential qualities of a good soldier – confidence, determination, and aggressiveness. Its balance, weight and killing power, with the point, edge or pommel, combined with the extremely simple training necessary to become efficient in its use, make it the ideal personal weapon for all those not armed with a rifle and bayonet.
The smatchet was used by British and American special forces (Special Air Service and Office of Strategic Services, respectively) during World War II.
In the late 1980s, Col. Rex Applegate licensed a modified version of the smatchet he and Fairbairn designed late in World War II. He called it the "Applegate-Fairbairn Combat Smatchet".
Manufacturers
- Applegate-Fairbairn
- Böker
- Cold Steel
- Sniper Bladeworks
- United Cutlery
- Wells Creek Knife & Gun Works
- Windlass Steelcraft
- W. R. Case & Sons Cutlery Co.
See also
- Applegate–Fairbairn fighting knife
- BC-41
- Eric A. Sykes
- Fairbairn–Sykes fighting knife
- Kukri
- Pattern 1907 bayonet
- Barong (sword)
References
- ^ Walker, Greg (1993). Battle Blades: A Professional's Guide to Combat/Fighting Knives. Paladin Press. p. 210. ISBN 978-0-87364-732-8.
- ^ Buerlein, Robert A (2002). Allied Military Fighting Knives: And The Men Who Made Them Famous (Second ed.). Paladin Press. p. 200. ISBN 978-1-58160-290-6.
- ^ Applegate, Rex; Melson, Charles A (1998). The Close-Combat Files of Colonel Rex Applegate. Paladin Press. p. 208. ISBN 978-0-87364-998-8.
- ^ Fairbairn, William E. (1942). Get Tough!.
Further reading
- Fairbairn, W.E. (Lt. Col.), Get Tough!, 1942 ISBN 0-87364-002-0 (1999 reprint)
- v
- t
- e
table knives
- Aircrew Survival Egress Knife
- Athame
- Balisong/Butterfly
- Ballistic
- Ballpoint pen knife
- Bayonet
- Boline
- Bolo
- Boot knife
- Bowie
- Cane knife
- Ceramic knife
- Clip point
- Combat knife
- Commander
- Corvo
- CQC-6
- Deba bōchō
- Diving knife
- Drop point
- Fairbairn–Sykes fighting knife
- Gerber Mark II
- Ginsu
- Golok
- Gravity knife
- Guna
- Hacking knife
- Higonokami
- Hunting knife
- Husa knife
- Ivan's Knife
- Jacob's ladder
- Karambit
- Kard
- Kirpan
- Kitchen knife
- Kukri
- Laguiole knife
- Machete
- Mandau
- Marking knife
- Misericorde
- Mora knife
- Multi-tool
- Navaja
- Neck knife
- Nontron knife
- Opinel knife
- Palette knife
- Pantographic knife
- Parang
- Penknife
- Penny knife
- Pesh-kabz
- Pirah
- Pocketknife
- Phurba
- Putty knife
- Puukko
- Rampuri
- Resolza
- Sabatier
- Sami knife
- SARK
- Scalpel
- Seax
- Sgian dubh
- Sharpfinger
- Sheath knife
- Shiv
- Sliding knife
- Smatchet
- SOG Knife
- Straight razor
- Strider SMF
- Survival knife
- Swiss Army knife
- Switchblade
- Taping knife
- Throwing knife
- Trench knife
- Tumi
- Ulu
- Utility knife
- Warrior knife
- Wedung
- X-Acto
- Yarara Parachute Knife
- Yatagan
- Anelace
- Applegate–Fairbairn fighting knife
- Arkansas toothpick
- BC-41
- Bagh nakh
- Balarao
- Baselard
- Bichuwa
- Bollock dagger
- Cinquedea
- Dha
- Dirk
- Ear dagger
- Emeici
- Facón
- French Nail
- Gunong
- Hunting dagger
- Janbiya
- Jile
- Kabutowari
- Kaiken
- Kalis
- Katar
- Khanjali
- Khanjar
- Kris
- Kunai
- Liaoning dagger
- Mark I trench knife
- Microtech Jagdkommando
- Parrying dagger
- Poignard
- Pugio
- Push dagger
- Rondel dagger
- Seme
- Shobo
- Sica
- Stiletto
- Tantō
- U.S. Marine Raider stiletto
- V-42
- Yoroi-dōshi
- Aitor Knife Company
- Al Mar Knives
- American Tomahawk Company
- Aritsugu
- Benchmade
- Böker
- Buck Knives
- Camillus Cutlery Company
- Cattaraugus Cutlery Company
- Chris Reeve Knives
- Chroma Cnife
- Clauss Cutlery Company
- Cobray Company
- Cold Steel
- Columbia River Knife & Tool
- Cuisinart
- Cutco
- Dalian Hanwei Metal
- Dexter-Russell
- Ek Commando Knife Co.
- EKA
- Emerson Knives
- F. Dick
- Fällkniven
- FAMAE
- Fiskars
- Füritechnics
- Glock Ges.m.b.H.
- Imperial Schrade
- Ivan's
- Ka-Bar
- Kershaw Knives
- KitchenAid
- Korin Japanese Trading Company
- Kyocera
- Leatherman
- Mad Dog Knives
- Marble Arms
- Medford Knife and Tool
- Microtech Knives
- Morseth
- Muela
- Murphy Knives
- OLFA
- Ontario Knife Company
- Opinel
- Randall Made Knives
- Ranz Cuchillos
- Rösle
- Sabatier
- Shun Cutlery
- Slice, Inc.
- SOG Specialty Knives
- Spyderco
- STI Knives
- Strider Knives
- Thiers Issard
- TOPS Knives
- Tramontina
- Victorinox
- W. R. Case & Sons Cutlery Co.
- Carl Walther GmbH
- Wenger
- Western Knife Company
- Wilkinson Sword
- Wüsthof
- Yoshida Metal Industry
- Global
- Zero Tolerance Knives
- Zwilling J. A. Henckels
- Rex Applegate
- James Black
- Blackie Collins
- John Nelson Cooper
- Ernest Emerson
- Jerry Fisk
- Bill Harsey Jr.
- Phill Hartsfield
- Gil Hibben
- Jimmy Lile
- Bob Loveless
- William F. Moran
- Ken Onion
- Ralph Osterhout
- Bo Randall
- Chris Reeve
- A. G. Russell
- Jody Samson
- William Scagel
- Mike Snody
- Robert Terzuola
- Michael Walker
- Buster Warenski
- Daniel Winkler
- Category:Knives / Daggers