Closer look: Applegate Fairbairn handle internals

[MuayKiDo]

Hi forumites,
I hereby present some pictures of both dismantled Al Mar and Böker Applegate Fairbairn daggers, along with the mods that warranted their disassembly. Enjoy and learn!

It all started with an Al Mar production prototype that arrived from overseas with hairline fractures in it's cheap, black plastic scales. In order to prevent further handling damage, I asked a friend at Böker Germany to send me some desert colored scales. Although of a different era and manufacturer, I had roughly measured both productions up and they seemed to be to almost identical specs.

When the scales arrived, I could even confirm that no handwork was needed, except for some minor filing on the internal scale pins. I used the accompanying unmarked black guard + screws to mod a Böker ltd. edition that had been a bit to shiny to my taste.

Couldn't have been happier with the final results!

Al Mar production prototype with exposed tang and soldered crossguard. Note the heat discoloring on the tang. Alongside are it's new Böker handle scales with removable weights. I left the weights out for a better fit. Without weights, the balance shifted to just below the guard, instead of being butt-heavy.

Al Mar prod.prot. rehandled with it's original handles exposed. Note the glued leaden rods that add minor weight to the featherweight plastic. These weights could be removed, but I wouldn't risk tearing the plastic, which is thinnest at the grip-enhancing grooves (= most prone to cracking, as happened with these)

Böker Anniv. Ed. with tang exposed and orginal fittings displayed. Neither the Al Mar nor the Böker AFs extend fully up to the pommel: their tang ends just above it, leaving the lanyard hole unsupported.

Current collection with modded models added. L2R = Al Mar, Al Mar (MOD), Blackjack, Böker (MOD), Böker

 

[SteelScout]

Great read, really like the photos.

Who would you say makes the best AF today? Best vintage make as well?
Is it possible to find these newly made without the signatures? (Sterile blades)

 

[MuayKiDo]

Hi Scout,
Thanks, it was a real gamble as to whether a lot of sanding would be needed to make the new scales fit. Luckily for me this was not the case!

Today, Böker, no doubt. If you read the very informative Blackjack AF timeline, you'll find that the Colonel himself was dissapointed time and time again by different manufacturers. Sources in linked article say that eventually, it was the Böker series that satisfied him.

Böker does take an active stand in keeping the legacy alive by introducing new variants and limited editions. Recently they've taken a step back from the (good) 440C blades and introduced 154CM runs. This is as close to the USA made original customs, authenticity concerned, as you can get with a modern factory model.

Vintage wise, you could look at a Harsey made custom, but be willing to spend 2000usd. I tried to contact him through facebook, but no answer.

The Al Mar Titanwood variant (first from left on group shot) was an excellent if not the best vintage factory model considering strength of construction and overall finish. It did however, look flashy for combat knife.

The only unsigned one I can think of would be Bökers all black blade. You'd still have "440C" and Böker logo engraved in the ricasso, but coated. I polished a small boot variant once but do not remember whether the signature dissapeared. I'll reply with a photo when find it's box

 

[Ebbtide]

That's a great link.
Thanks

 

[mqqn]

Nice! I like the tan scales on your modded version too -

Thanks for the information and pictures!

best

mqqn

 

[MuayKiDo]

Thanks guys,
The tan scales were, in fact, a tongue-in-cheek reference to the white-handled presentation models of old. If you ever find one, hold in to it, they are extremely rare! More on these can be read in this general history article by esteemed collector Sheldon Wickersham = http://blackjack.0catch.com/pages/wickershamafarticle.htm

 

[average gimp]

I used to know a guy who sold knives at gun shows and flea markets, who for part of the time carried the Blackjack version. The lesson he taught me was to keep those out of the sun, as he had several of the Blackjacks' handles explode after hours in direct sunlight.

 

[MuayKiDo]

Great read, really like the photos.

Who would you say makes the best AF today? Best vintage make as well?
Is it possible to find these newly made without the signatures? (Sterile blades)

I checked, polishing the bead blasted Böker version did not fully remove the laser engraved autograph!

I used to know a guy who sold knives at gun shows and flea markets, who for part of the time carried the Blackjack version. The lesson he taught me was to keep those out of the sun, as he had several of the Blackjacks' handles explode after hours in direct sunlight.

Holy cow! It goes to show how much stress the ill fitted handles were under... Not really fit for duty-carry

 

[adam4cg]

Great read, really like the photos.

Who would you say makes the best AF today? Best vintage make as well?
Is it possible to find these newly made without the signatures? (Sterile blades)

I'd have to go with the original Yancey as the best out of all of them, the only problem was they couldn't make enough. The handle is easily the nicest and the blade has a satin finish so isn't shiny, though it's not really matt either and it has the signatures.

 

[adam4cg]

I'm curious about the later Al Mar's with the "titanwood" handle, was that better than the plastic ones? I have an early Al Mar AF with the green plastic handle (as well as the Yancey, #26) and it had to be filed down on the inside to make it fit properly (there is still a slight gap), partly due to excess glue from those weights but not entirely. There's also a bit of excess glue on the outside of the handle. That's on a knife that was originally sent out for review.

Interesting that the Boker handle fits, do they do a green one?

 

[Rey HRH]

Good that it worked out for you. I especially like the wood handle.

 

[MuayKiDo]

I'm curious about the later Al Mar's with the "titanwood" handle, was that better than the plastic ones? I have an early Al Mar AF with the green plastic handle (as well as the Yancey, #26) and it had to be filed down on the inside to make it fit properly (there is still a slight gap), partly due to excess glue from those weights but not entirely. There's also a bit of excess glue on the outside of the handle. That's on a knife that was originally sent out for review.

Interesting that the Boker handle fits, do they do a green one?

Yes, the titanwood laminate handles were much stronger. Interesting to hear that the green handle needed adjustment. I guess the weights came loose at times, prompting this excess of glue in later models. Please take good care of it, a fall would easily break it.
Btw: if you are willing to part of the AL mar or Yancy, feel free to PM me

To answer your 2nd question: yes, Böker made limited runs in green, as part of their "Special Forces" editions. Each had a polished, flat ground blade with a military theme engraved and was dedicated to a different unit/battle, with a differently colored handle for each edition. I couldn't remember which one had green handle, but here's an example of one such variants, with a greyish grip:

 

[adam4cg]

To answer your 2nd question: yes, Böker made limited runs in green, as part of their "Special Forces" editions. Each had a polished, flat ground blade with a military theme engraved and was dedicated to a different unit/battle, with a differently colored handle for each edition. I couldn't remember which one had green handle, but here's an example of one such variants, with a greyish grip:

That sounds like the scales would be hard to get hold of, and the Al Mar should probably keep it's originals, they are in original condition anyway.

 

[MuayKiDo]

With the arrival of a neglected A2 Blackjack variant, I took the risk of removing its handles to exchange for the dessert Böker ones. I needed to pull a string through the Blackjack's thonghole and push with both feet against the guard, but I managed. Note that the scales could not be fully separated, but hinge at the brass thong hole tube.

 

[MuayKiDo]

Took the dessert scales off of the Al Mar prototype again. Here you can see the similarities in handle scales between Al Mar and Blackjack. Al Mar = plastic, Blackjack = Delrin, both prone to cracking, with glued-in leaden weights.

 

[MuayKiDo]

Tang stock & contours proved similar enough for the grip echange! The A2 toolsteel had some rust from years of neglect, but I could easily remove most of it. The rubber sealing between crossguard and hilt makes no sense as far as moisture is concerned, as the screw holes in the handle are not sealed. The rubber served merely to fill in the gap between nonmatching tang-grip combo's. A handy short cut that Böker still uses to this day.

 

[MuayKiDo]

Tang thicknesses. Left = Blackjack, right = Al Mar.
The Al Mar has a bit more thickness, which does not work in combination with Böker's steel handle weights. The Blackjack does fit a Böker handle with weights included. Note that the Blackjack came with a rubber spacer seal in between guard and hilt (with the white smudge), the Al Mar did not.

 

[MuayKiDo]

The result! Note the crudely cut rubber hilt seal on the far left. Blackjack really seems to have "cut corners", compared to Bökers rubber hilt seals.

 

[elasmonut]

I get the collectable aspect of these models. But I cant help but think if the handles were made from solid micarta or G10 then you could do away with the added fancy weights ,maybe even increase the size of the tang and have simpler stronger handle

 

[MuayKiDo]

Yeah, I see where you are going. Would have made more sense to me if the tang actually had went all the way through the butt, as Bill Harsey's 5.5 rendition does. Would make for a much stronger construction. Add G10 or micarta scales, no weights, plenty of room for improvement still.