On July 11, 1941, President Franklin D. Roosevelt appointed General William “Wild Bill” Donovan to lead a new organization called the Coordinator of Information (COI). Charged with collecting and analyzing information relevant to national security, the COI was later renamed the Office of Strategic Services (OSS) and became the first independent U.S. intelligence agency. The predecessor of the CIA, it played a critical role in the U.S. war effort during WWII.

One of Donovan’s first actions as director of the COI was to establish a training center for the elite operatives that would staff his organization. The man he chose to lead that effort was a confident young U.S. Army lieutenant named Rex Applegate.

Born in Oregon on June 21, 1914, Applegate’s family lineage extended all the way back to the American Revolution and the earliest pioneers of the Oregon Trail. He learned to shoot and hunt from his uncle, Gus Peret, a renowned professional hunter and exhibition shooter for Remington-Peters. After graduating from the University of Oregon in 1940 as a Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC) cadet, Applegate entered the Army as a reserve officer in the Military Police. He later competed with 10,000 other reserve officers for one of the 100 regular Army commissions. He finished eleventh and earned a transfer to the Counterintelligence Corps before being hand-picked by Donovan. Donovan handed Applegate a briefcase with $50,000 in it and told him to “learn all there was to know about close combat with and without weapons” and build a facility to train our spies.

Applegate personally coordinated the establishment of the OSS’ Area B training center at what is now the presidential retreat at Camp David. He also cross trained with the British Special Operations Executive (SOE—the British counterpart of the OSS) in Europe and worked closely with W.E. Fairbairn and E.A. Sykes, veterans of the Shanghai Municipal Police and designers of the Fairbairn-Sykes Commando Dagger.

Later in the war, Applegate was transferred to the Military Intelligence Training Center (MITC) at Camp Ritchie, Maryland to train other American intelligence operatives in close-combat skills. He also wrote the book “Kill or Get Killed,” one of the definitive works on all aspects of armed and unarmed combat.

Colonel Rex Applegate was a legendary figure who laid the groundwork for modern close-combat training. In addition to his skill at wielding a combat knife, he also had a keen insight into fighting knife design. During his work with W.E. Fairbairn, they realized the Fairbairn-Sykes dagger suffered from some serious shortcomings, and in 1943 collaborated to create an improved design. They also brainstormed an enhanced version of the OSS Smatchet. Although prototypes of both designs were made in the OSS machine shop, the war ended before they could be brought into production. The colonel, however, knew they had merit and decades later used them as the basis for some of the most iconic tactical knives ever produced.

Applegate Connection

In 1994, I was hired to establish the video production department for Paladin Press, “the world’s most dangerous publisher.” My first task was to work with Col. Applegate on several video projects documenting his approach to handgun point shooting. The colonel was impressed with my genuine interest in close combat and took me under his wing, mentoring me for several years before his passing in 1998. During this time, he was in the process of finalizing several of his knife designs for commercial production. Some were already being manufactured and still others were in the prototype stage. Knowing I was an avid knife enthusiast, Col. Applegate generously shared his insights on his designs and the development process with me.

The colonel worked closely with custom knifemakers Bill Harsey and the late Butch Vallotton in the development of his designs. Every original prototype he received was serial numbered 001. When Paladin Press founder Peder Lund learned of this, he commissioned Harsey—with the Colonel’s permission—to make him a second prototype sample of every design he made for Colonel Applegate. These identical prototypes were serial numbered 002.

When Col. Applegate passed away, Lund helped his widow auction off his incredible gun and knife collection. He also had “first dibs” on anything he wanted to buy and was kind enough to extend that opportunity to me and a few other Paladin staffers. I was fortunate enough to purchase several guns from the colonel’s collection—including one of his personal carry guns—and one rare prototype knife.

Lund took the pick of the litter—the “Fitz Special” revolver that Col. Applegate carried as a sidearm in WWII, and the .38 Smith & Wesson “Lemon Squeezer” he carried in Mexico after the war. Both guns had “notches in their pedigree,” and the latter ultimately inspired S&W’s Centennial model. Years later, Lund gave me the opportunity to purchase both guns. I told him that I was very interested, but I wasn’t sure I could afford them. One day, he walked into my office and handed me a plastic bag containing both guns. When I tried to hand it back, he told me, “I can’t think of anyone else on Earth the colonel would rather have these guns go to. You did more than anyone to secure his legacy. If you keep them, they’re yours.” They remain two of my most prized possessions today.

About a year later, Lund told me he was planning to sell his collection of custom-made 002 prototypes of the Colonel’s designs. Again, he asked me if I was interested. Grateful and humbled by his gift of the guns, I was not only interested, but saw it is an opportunity to balance my karma by paying whatever he wanted for them. I paid Lund’s asking price without hesitation and added six incredibly rare prototypes of Applegate-designed knives to my collection. All these knives were painstakingly hand crafted by Bill Harsey and/or Butch Vallotton and displayed the same no-nonsense construction theme and finish. The blades were expertly ground from 154CM stainless steel and bead blasted to eliminate reflection. Their handles were crafted from Micarta or G-10 and the fixed blades featured brass guards and custom-molded pancake-style Kydex sheaths with belt slots.

Collectively, these knives laid the groundwork for most of the commercially produced versions of the colonel’s knife designs. In addition to these pieces, I was fortunate to add several other knives to my collection to achieve a full representation of his remarkable family of Applegate-Fairbairn designs.

The Applegate-Fairbairn Fighting Knife

When the Fairbairn-Sykes fighting knife was fielded early in WWII, its design shortcomings became immediately apparent. Its fragile tip and squared shoulders at the guard made the blade prone to breakage and its steep edge geometry made for poor cutting performance. Additionally, its round handle was difficult to grip securely and made it difficult to orient the blade by tactile sense.

Applegate and Fairbairn’s improved dagger design, dubbed the Applegate-Fairbairn (A-F) Fighting Knife, was dormant from the end of World War II until the 1980’s, when Col. Applegate commissioned knifemaker T. J. Yancey to make it on a custom basis. When Yancey retired, Bill Harsey took over the task, crafting custom A-F knives and working with Applegate to refine the design. The Colonel subsequently licensed that design to Al Mar, Blackjack, and Boker, all of whom produced them commercially.

My personal Applegate-Fairbairn is a Blackjack-made version given to me by the colonel during my first visit to his home. It boasts all the features of the improved design, including a broader blade for enhanced strength and cutting performance, a forward-angled brass double guard, and a two-piece injection-molded Lexan handle. The refined handle design not only provided a more secure, hand-filling grip, it was actually filled with lead weights to fine-tune the knife’s balance.

The Applegate-Fairbairn Folder

Although the A-F dagger was ideal for military close-combat, the colonel knew it was too large for personal-defense carry. As such, in the mid-1990’s, he began adapting it to a folding knife format. He approached custom knifemakers and fellow Oregonians Bill Harsey and Butch Vallotton to help develop the design, and they co-authored the first prototype in 1994. That was the one knife I purchased from the Colonel’s collection after his death.

From that prototype, the Colonel refined the design to add more handle texturing and lengthen the thumb ramp. Harsey and Vallotton prototyped that version, as well—of which I have a 002 sample—and it served as the basis for the production version made by Gerber Legendary Blades. Still in production today, this formidable folding knife design features a broad spearpoint expression of the A-F dagger blade that is contained completely in the handle when folded—allowing the back edge to be sharpened if desired. The handle shape is consistent with the A-F dagger and contains a sturdy liner lock mechanism to lock the blade open in use.

When Gerber’s production version of the A-F Combat Folder was released, I purchased one from the colonel. It was laser-engraved “First Production Run” and came in a nylon belt pouch that was different than Gerber’s thumb-break version. Years later, I added a second example of this knife to my collection through a trade with Bob Taylor, founder of Round Eye Knife and Tool (REKAT). The blade of Taylor’s A-F was autographed by the Colonel in Sharpie marker.

The Covert

Although the A-F folder was an immediate success, it was a large knife and had to be carried in a belt pouch. To make the design suitable for in-pocket carry, the colonel scaled it down by 14 percent and added a pocket clip, creating the Covert. My 002 prototypes of this model include a manual version crafted by Harsey and Vallotton and a double-action automatic version made by Vallotton. The latter opens both manually and as a true switchblade. This knife was, and still is, manufactured by Gerber.

The A-F Boot Knife

For applications that don’t require a full-sized combat knife, Col. Applegate scaled down the A-F design to “boot knife” size. Approximately 16 percent smaller, he designed two versions of it: one with a conventional diamond-cross-sectioned dagger blade and one with a single, deep, hollow grind on one side and two flats on the other. The latter created an undercut edge geometry that cuts amazingly well. Both of these designs were included in the 002 prototype family and were commercially produced by Boker.

The A-F Combat Smatchet

During the war, Applegate and Fairbairn also co-designed an improved version of the Smatchet—a large fixed blade originally based on the Royal Welch Fusiliers Trench Knife of World War I. While Fairbairn’s WWII Smatchet design was single edged, the A-F collaboration had two full sharpened edges and a small index hole in the ricasso in case you wanted to use one edge for utilitarian purposes and preserve the other for combat.

Sometime between 1989 and 1990, Col. Applegate commissioned Buck Knives to produce the A-F Smatchet for sale through his business—Wells Creek Knife and Gun Works. Only 750 of this version were produced before Buck Knives decided that making such a purpose-designed weapon was inconsistent with their ethical beliefs. The colonel also licensed the design to Al Mar Knives and Boker, but, to me, the Wells Creek version was the ultimate. It took a long time, but I finally acquired one of these in 2020.

The A-F Mini Smatchet

The A-F Smatchet’s leaf-shaped blade gives it extreme cutting power and creates a wide wound channel when used to thrust. To capitalize on these features in a smaller format, Col. Applegate designed a boot-knife-sized Mini Smatchet, which Bill Harsey prototyped. Sized like his other boot knife patterns, it was subsequently manufactured by Boker for the commercial market. Like its larger progenitor, it includes a small index hole in the ricasso.

Col. Applegate was an extraordinary man whose achievements and contributions have had a profound influence on the science of close combat. And when it comes to tactical knife design, few men have left as enduring a legacy.

by Timothy Kast

When Waynesville, North Carolina native Jim Ray started Masters of Defense (MOD) Knives in 1997, Chief Jim “Patches” Watson was the first person he signed to his fledgling company. Jim Watson’s credentials are impressive to be sure: SEAL Team Two “plank holder,” Dick Marcinko’s point man in the Mekong Delta, awarded 16 combat decorations including 4 Bronze Stars with the combat ‘V’ for valor, and author of Point Man and Walking Point.

The design began with a sturdy modified spear-point accompanied by an almost full-length serrated cutting edge. This provides the end-user with an aggressive surface for slicing wet rope or tangled parachute cord. MOD precision hollow grinds each knife from a cryogenically hardened 154 cm high-carbon stainless-steel alloy blank that is tempered to a 60 Rockwell hardness.

Chief Watson wanted the handle to feel like it was part of your hand. To that end MOD computer machines the handles from solid bars of T6 aircraft aluminum, and puts a milspec hard-coat black anodized finish on them, finally finished with a checkered Kraton rubber insert for increased grip and feel when wet. These knives are built on the same type of computerized machinery used to construct missile guidance systems, and then hand-fitted by master craftsmen in the final assembly. These are knives that give you the precision of a custom knife coupled with the accuracy and durability afforded by the latest in CNC technology.

I chose the Watson Trident Utility Folder because of my need for a lightweight tactical folder that would hold up for everyday carry, but be tough enough for a variety of hard usage chores throughout the week; work that constitutes just about everything from cutting cleaning patches from discarded cloth to slicing through wet rope mountaineering in the rugged terrain of Western North Carolina. Other than wiping the blade clean or putting a drop of oil on the pivot bearing, I didn’t pamper the knife, but subjected it to the full range of tasks throughout the testing period. I was first concerned about the black coating the blade comes with, but my concern was unfounded as the matte black boron carbide coating held up exceptionally well with minimal care. The serrated edge gave little cause for worry after a few careful touches with a ceramic stone. The machined finger grooves on the spine of the blade provided a supplemental margin of delicate cut when used with the pressure of an index finger as your guide. This made cutting an odd size of gun cleaning patches a breeze. Much has been said about the ability of a knife to cut wet nautical line, but the truth is that soaked rope is indeed a tough cutting chore for any knife. The MOD Watson knife routinely cut all of the line that it encountered, but like any good knife required a periodic touch-up of the serrated edge with the ceramic stone. Spyderco manufactures the excellent Sharpmaker, and that has become the industry standard since its debut.

I was quite impressed by the 148 thousandths thick blade. It has a sturdiness that enables the knife to tackle jobs that oftentimes only a fixed blade knife or rescue tool could accomplish. Chief Watson told me that had been his goal all along; to give the operator the power of a fixed blade knife in a folder.

Tasked with building a campfire with wet kindling, I began cutting old kudzu vines for tinder. Because they are hanging vines, they generally have an opportunity to dry quickly after a rainstorm, so are a decent candidate for dry wood when there’s nothing else around. The Watson Knife when applied on an angle and with firm pressure would slide right through the kudzu vines and so I was able to gather a fair amount of kindling for a warm fire in a fairly short amount of time.

The Watson knife can be carried in a variety of ways. My favorite is just positioned in my front Levi’s pocket, but the MOD knife comes with a nylon Cordura pouch that can be worn on the belt horizontally or vertically. The flap is secured with Velcro for easy access. My old friend Frank Sigman makes a Kydex sheath for the Watson folder that is truly remarkable. Easily clipped on the belt, the knife slides in with a satisfying click that tells you that it is handily secured.

Masters of Defense produces this knife in a manual opener and an auto knife, which is restricted to military and law enforcement only. While I tested both versions, the manual opener is probably the model that would be best suited for everyday civilian carry.

Masters of Defense Knives has proved they have the mettle to survive in today’s highly competitive knife market. For twelve months I’ve lived with this knife and done just about everything with it. I’ve cut parachute cord, fished with it, used it around cars, trucks and motorcycles, then taken it to the range and abused the hell out of it. In all sorts of circumstances the knife took it all in stride. Chief Watson showed me one he had even used to cut tile with!

The one thing that every end user of Chief Watson’s folder had in common was that they all truly used the knife, not just stored it in their dresser drawer. The knife was designed to be carried on a daily basis. Any firearms enthusiast needing a good folder would do well to examine this fine offering from MOD.

Contact information:

Masters of Defense, LLC
256 A Industrial Park Drive
Waynesville, North Carolina 28786
Phone: (828) 452-4158
Fax: (828) 452-7327
Email: www.mastersofdefense.com

(Fig. 1) shows a number of the common issue knives. On the left and right of the picture are a couple of World War II items returned to service in Vietnam. The USN Mark 2 on the left is a guard marked version made by Camillus with its plastic sheath. On the right is another Navy knife, a Mark 1 by Pal. I have tried to determine if any other Mark 1 ‘s saw service in Vietnam and have spoken with a few veterans who were issued the Pal Mark 1 and recall seeing it being carried others but have no recollection of seeing other Mark 1 ‘s in use. The Mark 2 second from the left is typical of the Vietnam period with it coated leather handle and sheath. This one is made by Conetta but Camillus and Utica also made these knives. The Jet Pilot’s Survival Knives are in the center. The early six inch version was a more practical knife for field use but was redesigned in 1962 and shortened to five inches because of cockpit space requirements. This was a popular knife in Vietnam and was seen in use by ground forces as well as by pilots and air crews. This was also the first knife to sport saw teeth on the back and started a whole generation of survival knives with teeth. The original Jet Pilot’s Survival Knife was made by Marble’s and is quite rare. Camillus, Milpar, Ontario, and Utica also made these knives. The Milpar and Utica varieties are seldom seen and one aluminum handled Milpar made knife is quite rare. Starting around 1967 the knives were marked w1th the makers name and date on the pommel.

Another issue knife is the all-metal four-blade pocket knife. Like the Jet Pilot’s Survival Knife these were also dated and provide an area of interest for collectors. There were TL-29’s, electrician’s pocket knives. Finally, there were a large variety of knives issued to the Special Forces that draw keen interest from collectors and these include machetes, bolos and SOG knives, (Fig. 4).

The PX (Post Exchange) was a place where GI’s could purchase knives for their own use. (Fig. 2) shows a pair of six inch Kabar made knives. The top knife is all black and has resin impregnated wood handles and a parkerized blade. The bottom knife has a stacked leather washer handle and a bright blade. Kabar’s history with the U.S. Military is a proud one and during WWII they supplied hundreds of thousands of Mark 1 ‘s, Mark 2’s and pocket knives. During this period they also produced a pair of knives quite similar to the PX knives described above. One was named the Parkerized Commando and the other, with a bright blade was known as the Polished Commando.

Another proud supplier of WWII knives was Western Cutlery Co. and they were there in Vietnam as well. (Fig. 3) shows a couple of popular Western offerings. The Western Bowie at the top was offered stateside as well as in Vietnam. Some of these knives were also used by the Special Forces in Vietnam as presentation pieces. The Western eight inch fighting knife, second from the top, served well as a survival knife as did the eight inch Buck shown below it. Buck knives made before 1968 were marked “BUCK” on the reverse side of the blade. Those made after 1968 were marked, “BUCK/U.S.A.’”. The knife below the Buck was is a Garcia Survival Knife. This knife was designed by Ken Warner and Pete Dickey and was built by Hackman of Finland. Later, the knife was manufactured for Garcia in Brazil and at that time the knife was lightened quite a bit. The first batch of knives, i.e. those by Hackman, were very well made of 1/4 inch stainless steel. The handle is a hollow metal tube covered by stacked leather washers. The tube is kept water tight by a screw cap and “0” ring. Custom knifemaker, Bill Moran, could not keep up with orders during the war, so he bought 100 of these knives by Hackman, provided his own sheath and sold them to his customers who needed a knife right away. The bottom knife in Fig. 3 is a Randall model 18 Survival. Like the previous knife, it too has saw teeth and a hollow handle for storing survival items. This knife was popular with career soldiers who thought it worthwhile to spend a substantial amount ($35 to $44 in 1968) on a quality handmade knife.

Three other Randall knives are shown in (Fig. 4). A model 14 Attack is shown on the left, the center knife is a model #2 and a model #1 is on the far right. The knife second from the left is a Ruana model 29 Junior Bowie. Ruana knives of the Vietnam period are marked “R.H. Ruana/Bonner/Montana M”. Later Ruana’s do not have the final .’M”. The knife second from right is an issued SOG knife. This particular one is numbered and has a plum colored blade. These SOG knives are quite rare and much sought after by collectors.

Stiletto type blades of the Vietnam period include the Gerber Mark II Combat Knife shown at the top of (Fig. 5). This knife was available for about $25 and was quite popular. Like the other knives shown with it, it was primarily a weapon and did not serve well when used for more common chores. The Fairbairn/Sykes type commando dagger in the middle was purchased through Randall Made Knives in the states. The knives could be obtained in one of Randall’s well made leather sheaths ($6 for the knife and $5 for the sheath). The bottom knife is a John Ek Knife Model 3 made in Miami, Florida. John Ek knives became legendary in World War II and these are marked “John Ek Knives/Hamden, Conn.”. His knives with the Miami mark are rare and quite desirable among Vietnam collectors.

Knuckle knives were not as popular during the Vietnam War as they were in WWII but at least two new variations appeared on the scene. (Fig. 6) shows as custom made knife by Jim Pugh of Azle, Texas. Pugh made about 20 of these in 1971 and 1972. They are serially numbered 1000 through 1019 and also show a “10” stamped on thestainless440C blade which represents the blade model #. The sheath is by Johnson Leather Company in Castleberry, Florida. It is no coincidence that it looks like a Randall sheath of the same period …Johnson also made sheaths for Randall. The bottom knife was also made in the early 1970’s. Kevin Parsons made about 1,000 knuckle knives. About 250 of the variety shown in this photograph were made. Some 750 were fitted with F/S type blades and a number were made with M7 bayonet type blades. The leather was supplied by Krasne’s Triple K of San Diego, California who manufactured a variety of holsters and sheaths. The scabbard supplied was their Style 139 with a basket weave finish.

Tru-Balance throwing knives also showed up in Vietnam, (Fig. 7). Harry (Mac) McEvoy, who died a few years ago, was a journalist and maker of throwing knives. He made a variety of knives but the ones that were popular with those bound for Vietnam were the Bowie Ax (top) and the Battle Blade (center). These were made of rather soft spring steel and could be re-sharpened on a handy rock or other abrasive material. The knives, which were just about indestructible, served for clearing brush, opening 55 gallon drums or ration cans, or as a defensive last ditch weapon. Mac’s son Stephen carried one of his dad’s knives in Vietnam. Tru-Bal knives were well regarded and even Randall Made Knives of Orlando, Florida carried his line during the Vietnam War years.

The bottom knife in (Fig. 7) is a Milpar bayonet knife. It is made from a U.S. M7 bayonet, however, the latching mechanism has been replaced with a plain steel disc pommel. The sheath is made from nylon webbing. The whole package provides an inexpensive yet somewhat functional knife.

These are but a few of the knives of the Vietnam War. There are many more: issue, factory, and custom knives, all waiting for the tender loving care that only a passionate collector can give them.