Early (c.1950s) British, Wilkinson, RAF/Army, Type D Survival Knife, with Original Brown Leather Sheath

*Early (c.1950s) British, Wilkinson, RAF/Army, Type D Survival Knife, with Original Brown Leather Sheath*

This is an early version of the British military Wilkinson Sword Type D survival knife, which was introduced in the 1950s. The blade measures 182mm in length, with an overall length of 31.7mm. It bears the maker’s mark “Wilkinson Sword Ltd” and “REGD DESIGN APP FOR” on one side, and on the other side, it is marked with “1B/4594” along with the war arrow symbol. This robust and versatile knife was initially issued to the British Special Forces and the RAF. It features the pre-NATO marking, where the “1B” prefix served as the stores code for small hand tools used by both the Army and RAF, and “4594” denoted the pattern number. (Later examples were marked with the NATO stores code “5110-99-127-8214” and the designation “Knife Survival, Type D”). The knife has wooden grip plates with screw bolt fastenings and comes complete with its original early leather sheath, featuring a ‘lift the dot’ retaining strap.

*Condition*
This knife is in excellent condition. It looks like it has been sharpened. There is a slight nick to the pommel. the Original leather sheath is also in great condition with minor wear to the retaining strap. Please see photographs as part of the condition report.

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