Recommendation? Who makes the best V-42 Replica Devils Brigade Knife?

flatface77 said:
I have the Hill Knives dagger. I can't remember the lead time or other details, but the purchase went without incident. It's a nice, solidly built knife. The perfectly round handle makes edge orientation less intuitive, but it's light, feels nice in hand, & is well worth the cost. Fox was recently licensed to make this design. I haven't handled their version yet, but I'm sure it's well done.
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Thanks for the reply flatface! I think I am sold. The only question remaining is.....satin or coated?!?
I am not even going to ask how you got your hands on that Peter Parkinson dagger...I can't find a website for that guy anywhere!
Have a happy New Year's!
 
flatface77 said:
If you want a V-42 replica, The Case version from a year or two back is the one to get. They run around $400, but are better made than the CAS Hanwei version. The Boker version is well made enough but the dimensions aren't true to the original (handle is shorter, for starters). I haven't handled the Windlass version but based on the quality of their Fairbairn Sykes repro, I'd pick it over the cheap Colt/ United Cutlery versions. If you just want a combat dagger, that's a different question.

The Fox Bellum & Extrema Ratio Suppressor have obvious V-42 DNA in their designs & are much better made. You'll have a hard time getting an edge on either due to the thick edge geometry, if that matters. The original V-42s have thick edges & don't cut well, either, & are much more delicate. The out of production Ontario SP3 has the V-42 handle shape, complete with witch's hat pommel, with a kraton grip instead of leather & an M3 trench knife blade.

And that Spartan V-14 is tougher than any V-42, even if you were to whip one up in 3V or whatever. The geometry trumps the hypothetical property of the steel involved by a long shot here. The V-14 is thick, full tang, & the blade has a stronger geometry than the thin, delicate V-42 blades.
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I concur with everything flatface77 said here (and he said it quite well!). Johnny Canuck, this answers your original question entirely.

But as to your new question...

Johnny Canuck said:
Since I have several of you here, may I broaden my question as follows:

Which dagger would you acquire for purposes of self-defence?
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You've certainly broadened the topic! But you've broadened it to the point of meaninglessness. I'm not trying to be critical; some follow-up questions that I have for you will hopefully make my point:

Self-defense where? On the street? In a car? In my house? In a restaurant? At a formal gathering?

What are the restricting factors? Size? Weight? Cost? Durability? Accessibility? Concealability? Carry comfort? Legality? Lethality? Puncture versus slashing capability? Defense-only versus some utility function?

The answer to every one of these questions yields a different answer as to which knife I'd recommend. Plus, as others have said, we're rapidly entering Practical Tactical territory. So, are you looking to buy, or just posting a hypothetical thread?

The V-42 was developed in wartime as a fairly easily, and relatively inexpensively, mass-produced weapon to fulfill a very specific need for a very specialized group of soldiers. It was also created to be a symbol. It's not a be-all/end-all knife, even as daggers go.

Any of the knives mentioned thus far in this thread would make for some personal-combat-worthy blades. If I were taking a dagger to war today, I'd take a Boker Applegate-Fairbairn or a Cold Steel Tai Pan in 3V.

-Steve
 
engineerciv said:
Thanks for the reply flatface! I think I am sold. The only question remaining is.....satin or coated?!?
I am not even going to ask how you got your hands on that Peter Parkinson dagger...I can't find a website for that guy anywhere!
Have a happy New Year's!
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If beauty truly is only skin deep, why cover it up?

The majority of your use will be as eye candy (hopefully). I am firmly in the belief that clean grind lines, especially when doubled, should be shown off.
 
Nice to see the Tai-pan brought up, someone posted one stripped down, and it's impressive. Decent width to the blade, nice ovaloid handle, beefy tang. You could even rehandle it later if you wanted to -
Tai_Pan_Disassembled_1.jpg
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High-durometer Kraton is hardly "cheap rubber." It does exactly what it's meant to do--keep that knife in your hand. As tltt mentioned, you can always have it re-handled.


I got to thinking about Case's recent V-42s. Can we even refer to them as "replicas?" If the original manufacturer is making the same knives seventy-some years later from the original materials to the original specifications, I'd just call that a really sporadic production run!

-Steve
 
Here's one with a nice reinforced tip and it's made by a maker here on the forum. He makes some very fine knives but it'll probably cost more than a production knife. I borrowed the pic from a custom knife dealer online but it is not in stock.

 
And another dagger by the same maker with the same tip profile. I believe these were a series made for a dealer buy the maker. Pretty nice dagger type knives that show's how the tip can be reinforced.

 
d762nato said:
Here's one with a nice reinforced tip and it's made by a maker here on the forum. He makes some very fine knives but it'll probably cost more than a production knife. I borrowed the pic from a custom knife dealer online but it is not in stock.

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I actually own that exact knife with an 8" mirror-finished blade and black g10. It is incredible and I can't recommend TK Steingass enough...he is fairly active over in the Custom forum.
 
Johnny Canuck said:
I am surprised none of you mentioned the John Ek Commando Knife Co. :)
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I did, in my first post. Ek knives itself is closed down though and the brand name was purchased by Kabar. (Ironic as Ek apparently designed the Ek knives as a response to the Kabar Mk.2 which he considered a terrible knife.)

The only “production Ek” daggers currently being made ar the Kabar versions. I believe the Spartan Ek is out of production.

I have long lusted after genuine Ek knives but never managed to get one.
 
Hello,

I am curently in search for a new dagger and I hesitate between three different models:

_Spartan Blades, Spartan-George V-14 Dagger
_Extrema Ratio, Suppressor Operativo
_Cold Steel, Taïpan 3V

The two first have some V-42genes in their DNA.
I am in serach of a true combat dagger.
The dagger must have sharp edges.
It won't be use for utility it will be a military use only dagger.
I hope not but the fact I can use it in a real fight is probable (third deployment).

Can you geve me some advises on these knives (Or on similar knives)?

Best regards.
 
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