Here is just a taste of what I am working on for Volume 3. Yes it is primarily a photo heavy book like Volume 1. There are some wonderful knives in large full color print. In addition I have inserted the details of markings and background as available. There are a dozen "Named Knives" with some biographical sketches.

I have just ordered a reprinting of my popular book on Clandestine Knives of WW-II.  It will be a couple weeks before they are ready to pick up. The bad news is my costs for printing them has gone up. BUT if you wanted a copy and missed the first printing this maybe your only chance to get a copy. I have added about 4 pages including photos of some of the best of modern makers covert knives. It is the same full size format in full color with tons of photos and 172 pages long. I just got confirmation that the price increase is real,I didn't make a mistake in the order form. Thank you Joe Biden and Bidenflation! So as they say, it is what it is. I cannot control inflation and I refuse to lower the quality of my work. I do this as a "Labor of Love" not to get rich. I am happy to share my collection with those of you who appreciate the blades carried in the war. 

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Volume !!! is coming right along. Volume II is still with my daughter being edited. That volume has a larger percentage of text and fewer photos since it offers a new perspective on the evolution of the F-S knife from the 1930s Shanghai daggers. BUT the knives illustrated are exceptionally rare and important links in the history of the F-S knife. What do you think of this cute little Khukri? 

In my next volume there are listed and illustrated many "named Knives". These are Wilkinson Sword etched blades. If you would like to be a part of the publishing process I need help researching these names. I cannot pay you for your time but I will give you credits in the book. I know whoopeee! But if you are good at this sort of thing, have some spare time and are internet savvy it would be a big help and make the book much more interesting.

Here is the list and what little info I have:

• Col S.A. Decker (no known relation to the author)
  • Commander of a US Army Transport Depot
• Marion Del Buono, modified Second Pattern
  • No data found
• H.B. Tumin
  • Lt. Col. with Engineer Div. ETOUSA (European Theater of Operations USA)
• Col G.P. Grabfield
  • Seems to have been a medical expert pre-war and medical researcher afterwards
• Harley B. Britton
  • Ser. Number 35680341
  • b. 1912 Franklin County Ohio
  • Enlisted Dec 30 1942, served for the duration of the war plus 6 months
  • Private US Army
  • Bookkeeper and cashier, except bank cashiers pre-enlistment
• -- Sargent (no first name or initial given)
  • No data found

• Harold Anthony Brown (X-Dagger)
  • Born in 1917, in or near Providence, Rhode Island.
  • He was working in the textile trade when he enlisted in the U.S. Army National Guard in 1941 for a period of one year.
  • He was inducted, became a Private First Class (PFC) and was assigned to a Field Artillery Battery.
  • He mustered out as a Corporal and died in 2002, in Providence Rhode Island.
• Harry Harding
  • No data found
• Charles Barrett
  • No data found
• R.S. Davey
  • No data found
• Billy Watson
  • ​no data
• Capt. G. Withnell
  • ​no data
• Thelma Friedman WAC
  • ​no data
• Capt. J.D. Lemay
  • ​​no data
    
• Hibby from Thelma
  • ​no data

Email me if you are interested and maybe we can work together on finding info. Thanks
​[email protected] 

Don't Panic, you didn't miss Volume 2 it is still being edited by my daughter. She's an extremely busy girl, new mother, working on our new house, and working full time so it is taking her a while.  In the mean time, I am plugging away on the third volume on Second Patterns, Third Patterns, Fatman and Beaded and Ribbed to name a few types. I thought I'd share a few page views just so you know I'm not telling stories. Its already up to about 120 pages. Like the others in our series it will be 8.5 x 11 inches, soft cover, glossy paper and lots of full color photos. Yes our nemesis has written more pages and has more details because he lives in England and has the contacts. His books are filled with small B&W photos. He says mine are filled with fakes. What a guy!

I am including photos of rare knives like the J. Clarke & Sons, J&I Marshall, McLeod Metallurgy, an aluminum P-2 possibly made by Wilkinson, Fatman knives, smooth gripped knives, and much more. Like I said all in full color. They are not cheap to print but what would be the sense in doing this with lousy photos? Ever see a 7/8ths size Fatman? You will in this book. 

There are several true stories of men, and women, who carried the knives and photos of them, like this one. 

There are even a few post-war knives which you will not find in any other book on F-S knives. A small section on relic or damaged knives and modified ones. And I will include close-ups of many of the inspection stamps and etches so you can tell real ones from fake one.

All of this takes a lot of time and any photos that I don't feel are good enough means I have to dig out the knives again and re-shoot them. Here in NY finding a sunny day for photos is harder than finding a cheap First Pattern. Things like these detailed photos are very hard to get clear images of. Many of the etchings are nearly worn away or damaged by rust. So anyway, you see I am making progress, and I would like to get two volumes in print before the end of 2024.Save up your pennies. What would be awesome is to find a wealthy patron to fund the printing of the series in hardbound format. Can you imagine? That would be about 600 + pages of full color F-S knives! I can only dream.