Welcome to my website, dedicated to collectors of Military and Antique Knives.



MILITARYANDANTIQUEKNIVES.CO.UK


  Site last updated on: 9th March 2024


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NOTE: If you send me an email via my Contact page I always respond, but some responses have been going into peoples SPAM box.  If you have not received a reply please check your SPAM box.


Further to the note above it is bit irritating they even though I always respond I have had a couple of instances recently where people just do not bother to acknowledge my reply.   It maybe that my reply has gone to SPAM so please check your SPAM box.   I am alway happy to answer questions etc but a simple thank you goes a long way. 


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Note on the Robbins Dudley book.  Not many of copies now remain, so do not delay in getting your copy.  Once they are gone, they are gone, and there are no plans for another printing.    A further 5* review we have had on the books page so go and see what people are saying about the book.

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IMPORTANT NOTE

As mentioned in the previous update Royal Mail will as from the end of April no longer allow bladed products to be posted even with age verification.   I am thus removing all knives for sale from the website until  it can be established how we can safely and legally send knives.   Some may just take the chance but if intercepted items can and will be destroyed with no recourse and even if insured no payout would be made.   This is a total over reaction by Royal Mail and I have complained to it and to the Minister responsible for oversight of Royal Mail, though as they are a private company it seems they can do what they like with little thought as to the impact this will have on all sorts of businesses etc.


When I do list knives again it will be once a safe system of sending has been found or arrangements can be made for delivery at an Arms fair or other form of face to face meet-up.


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Update on the books fo sale page.  I have three rare books listed.


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Update on the discussion page.


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WANTS REQUEST


I AM SEEKING A SPARE 1ST PATTERN F-S SHEATH IN GOOD CONDITION IF YOU HAVE ONE OR KNOW WHERE THERE IS ONE PLEASE CONTACT ME.

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​​​​About me. 

 

​​​​​​​​​I started to collect edged weapons back in the early 1970's when I bought a french brass hilted bayonet as a wall hanger.   A few further purchases got me into buying a book on the subject which led me to the late Gordon Hughes's Primers.   Noting that Gordon had also done a small booklet on Military Knives I also bought that.  But the one thing I noticed from this book was the lack of real information on Military Knives, thus I sold my bayonets and started collecting  military knives.   One of my first purchases being a 1st Pattern F-S knife from Gordon for the sum of £55, a good investment looking at what they are fetching now.

 

My interest was particularly aimed at research and finding out more about the knives as much as it was in the objects themselves.    This research has over the years resulted in me writing to various museums, companies and individuals and finally many hours spent in the UK National Archives seeking out the World War 2 contracts for the F-S knives.  A slight deviation from the military side but one which partially stemmed from a military style knife was my research into the London cutlery trade and this developed into an interest in antique knives especially bowie style knives.

 

My various researches have culminated in a number of articles and published works.    I am a member of the Antique Bowie Knife Association and was a member of the now defunct Wilkinson Collectors Society.

 

My website will provide occasional sales, articles and other information related to my areas of interest.  Click on the  link buttons that to be directed to the appropriate page.  I welcome questions from other serious collectors, though I do not give valuations as there can be many variables that can impact of the value of a knife.   I am also interested in purchasing F-S knives, SOE items and knives (non-surgical) made by WEISS of London.   See my Wanted section for more specific details of my wants.

 

Ron Flook

 

Books by Ron Flook:

 

A Photographic Primer of Military Knives.

     Privately Published by the author in 1990,

                   now out of print

 

 

  

 

 

 

 

      British and Commonwealth Military

                             Knives.

        Published by Airlife in 1999, now out of print. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

                  The London Knife Book.

               Published by Antique Knives Ltd 2008

                              Out of Print

 

 

 

 

 

 

   

     The Fairbairn Sykes Fighting Knife 

         and other Commando Knives.

       ​Privately published by the author in 2013

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

        ROBBINS & COMPANY LTD

 ​    Privately published by the author in 2019

                               Out of Print

 

 

 

 

 

 

         Knives and Daggers of the SOE

Privately published by the author in 2022

                       Out of Print










      History and Knives of

Robbins & Company Dudley


Privately published by Ron Flook and John

Pidgeon in 2023.  - Copies available see

books for sale page






Articles by Ron Flook:

 

 Argentinian Knives of the Falklands Campaign.  Guns, Weapons and Militaria, April 1984

The Fair Sword.  BLADE  November 1992

Origins of Double Edged Smatchet. Knife World August 1997

FR693 Commando Knife. Knife World December 1999

The Baldock Knife Spear. Knife World July 2002

Military and Other Knife Jottings. Knife World November 2002

Military and Other Knife Jottings II. Knife World January 2004

The Mystery of Bruce Hand and John Paisley.   www.usmiltaryknives.com/flook. Febraury 2004

Presentation Bowie by Weiss of London.  Antique Bowie Journal Fall 2005

Dirk Knives of Gilles and Uxbridge.  Antique Bowie Journal No.1 2006

The British Military Gravity Knife. Knife World July 2008

John Weiss and Son and the 1851 Great Exhibition Knife. Knife World November 2008

London's Finest Edge- Historic Cutlers of the Capital.  Classic Arms and Militaria Vol XI Issue 6 2008.

A Sheriff's Folding Bowie.  Antique Bowie Journal Winter 2008 No.6

Dr. Lawder's Push Dagger.  Antique Bowie Journal No.7 2009

Is it or Isn't it SOE.  Knife World April 2009

English Knives with a touch of San Francisco and Scandinavia.  Knife World June 2009

Knives of Robbins of Dudley.  Knife World February 2010 (in conjunction with John Pidgeon)

Some Foreign F-S Knives.  Knife World July 2010

Two Knives of Interest. Antique Bowie Journal Winter 2010 No.10

Some of my Favorite Knives. Knife World January 2011

Falyon of Edinburgh.  Antique Bowie Journal Spring 2011 No. 13

Walter Thornhill and Co. Cutler to Royalty.  Knife World September 2011.

John Weiss. Antique Bowie Journal Spring 2012 No.16

James Rodgers Folding Dirk. Antique Bowie Journal Summer 2012 No.17.

Makers of the SOE Knives Revealed.  Knife World September 2012.

F-S Fighting Knife Myths Explored.  Knfe World October 2014.

The Mystery of Bruce Hand and John Paisley Re-visited.  Knife World February 2015.

On the Hunt ( A Weiss Bowie) Antique Bowie Journal 2015 No.1.

A Robbins Dudley at the Battle of the Somme.  Knife World July 2015

Another Weiss Bowie. Antique Bowie Journal 2015 No, 4.

A Late Thornhill Gem (Just About an Antique) Antique Bowie Journal 2016 No.2

Researching Named F-S Knives.  Knife Magazine July 2016 Vol 2. Number 7

William John Waterer London Sword Maker & Cutler.  KNIFE Magazine August 2017

 A George Butler Pre-Civil War Bowie.   Antique Bowie Journal 2017 No. 3

Wilkinson Sword F-S Knives -The Post War Specials.   KNIFE Magazine November 2017

 Wilkinson Sword's Post WWII F-S Trademarks.  KNIFE Magazine May 2018

The Canadian Engineering Training Centre Commando Knife.  KNIFE Magazine June 2018

J. W. Petrie and his Knives.  KNIFE Magazine August 2018

The Current State of UK Knife Laws.  KNIFE Magazine November 2018 

Early Weiss Dagger & The Bankrupt Merchant.    Antique Bowie Journal 2019 No.2

Myths, Legends and Falsehoods.   KNIFE magazine November 2019

Robbins Dudley style push daggers at war .(with John Pidgeon)  Armourer January 2020

The McLaglen, Cogswell and Harrison Push Dagger.  KNIFE magazine   Feb 2020

Cases of Mistaken Identity.  KNIFE Magazine January 2021 

Britain's Reststance Army Knife.  KNIFE Magzine March 2021

RAF Servicing Commando Knife.  KNIFE Magazine May 2021

A Mysterious Wilkinson Fighting Knife.  KNIFE Magazine November 2021

Middle East Commando Knife of Anders Lassen VC, MC** KNIFE Magazine December 2021

Smatchet and the SOE.  Armourer Feb 2022

A Presentation Ciphered Bowie.  Antique Bowie Knife Journal 2021 No.3.

Two F-S Knife Stories True or Not?.  KNIFE Magazine March 2022

Some Fairbairn -Sykes Oddities.  KNIFE Magazine September 2022

The Advance Fist Bayonet.  KNIFE Magazine February 2023

The Special Air Service 1903 Bayonet Conversion Knife.  KNIFE Magazine July 2023

Origins of the First Pattern Fairbairn-Sykes Knife.  KNIFE Magazine January 2024