American Firearm Directory
  • Home
  • LONG GUNS
    • AR RIFLES & PARTS
    • SEMI-AUTO & AK
    • BOLT ACTION RIFLES
    • LEVER & PUMP ACTION RIFLES
    • TARGET
    • RIMFIRE
    • SHOTGUNS
    • MUZZLELOADERS & BLACKPOWDER
    • GUNSMITHS
    • AIRGUNS/AIRSOFT/PAINTBALL
    • ARCHERY, CROSSBOW & SLINGSHOT
  • HAND GUNS
    • SEMI AUTO & PARTS
    • REVOLVERS
    • RIMFIRE
    • SBR/SBS/PCC/CCU
    • DERRINGERS/OTHER
    • LESS-LETHAL
  • AMMUNITION
    • CENTERFIRE
    • RIMFIRE
    • SHOTGUN
    • AIRGUN
    • RELOADING
    • CHRONOGRAPHY
  • ACCESSORIES
    • ARMOR, SAFETY & PROTECTIVE
    • CAMS, COMMS & NAVIGATION
    • CLEANING & CARE
    • FOOTWEAR/CLOTHING
    • GRIPS/STOCKS/BRACES
    • HOLSTERS
    • HUNTING & FISHING, CAMPING, SURVIVAL & DOG CARE
    • KNIVES
    • MAGAZINES
    • OPTICS/SIGHTING/LIGHTS
    • SAFES/RACKS/GUNCASES/RUGS
    • SILENCERS/BARREL ACCS
    • SLINGS & BELTS
    • TRIPODS & GUNRESTS
    • TACTICAL
    • TARGETS, TRAINING & RANGE
  • MIL/LE/CONTR
  • RESOURCE
    • WHOLESALERS, MANUFACTURING & BUSINESS SERVICES
    • ONLINE GUNSTORES, BLOGS & YOUTUBERS
    • TV, MEDIA & PRINT
    • NON-PROFITS, GROUPS & EDUCATION
    • TRADESHOWS
    • PHYSICAL GUN SHOPS BY STATE
    • GUNSMITHING, FINISHING & ENGRAVING
  • BLOG

NEW FIREARMS & ACCESSORIES

We make every attempt to only preview new products when they are actually available on the market. This spares consumers from wasting time trying to locate an item to buy when it hasn't yet left the prototype phase. Please note that during SHOT Show (January of each year) manufacturers often announce new items that are several months from stores: we still announce these despite not being immediately available for purchase.

GERBER MARK II: NOT FOR BABIES

5/25/2017

 
Picture
​The British Fairbairn-Sykes fighting knife was developed as a tool to compliment their (Fairbairn and Sykes') gutter fighting technique known as the Defendu system. The Defendu system of fighting combined wrestling, boxing, Jujitsu, Kung Fu and Savate, and promoted absolute foul play to neutralize the enemy as promptly as feasible by any means necessary. This close combat system (think Jason Bourne) was perfected by Fairbairn and Sykes from personal, experiential knowhow immediately prior to WWII in 1939. Fairbairn had served with the Shanghai Police in the red light opium district which was haunted by ruthless gangs and considered one of the most dangerous places in the world at that time. It is believed that Fairbairn himself engaged in over 600 fights, and though he received countless stab wounds over his 20 years on the beat, his survival suggests many more victims succumbed to his superior skills. Sykes on the other hand was a marksman and was also working in Shanghai with the British Secret Service, and so in 1941 they were commissioned to establish the Commando School in Scotland to train British and allied commandos and aid resistance movements in their newly crafted art of close quarter combat. 
​
Once the school had developed it’s own instructors, Fairbairn was tranfered to Canada to open Camp X and Sykes was moved into the Special Operations Executive to train special agents for clandestine duties behind enemy lines. Following his term at Camp X, Fairbairn was rejoined by Col. Applegate to form the United States Camp B, now known as Camp David. Through Col. Applegate and other instructors the Defendu system was taught to U.S. troops including the Marines and Rangers, as well as OSS operatives and later to the FBI and CIA as the foundation to their basic training. Though the famed FS knife has survived until this day and is still issued to the Ministry of Defense by Egginton in Sheffield (all black, zero-markings), it was not wholly favored by American troops who preferred the clip-point blade of the Ka-Bar configuration: the original FS knife had a needle point which was prone to snapping off (or becoming lodged) in bone or if dropped, so various subsequent evolutions have sought to address this problem.

In 1966 Gerber Legendary Blades, with the design assistance of US Army Captain Bud Holzman, took the FS knife and successfully corrected a couple of its fail points to forge the Mark II. By widening the tip into a spear point, it made it more robust and was thusly chosen for carry by US troops in Vietnam, seeing service alongside the revered Ka-Bar. In today’s beautiful version Gerber utilizes an aluminum handle, a guard to prevent your hand slipping into the blade and a skull punching pommel so in all senses it it is truly a combat knife and one of the few to have survived the tests of time and proven it’s holistic worth in close combat warfare. Like the Ka-Bar it is the forebear to the modern tactical knife and deserves pride of place in every collectors showcase, or, if you are a follower of the binary code then this indeed qualifies as a possible “one” knife. And it’s available today, proudly made in America with American steel AND by the original manufacturing company, Gerber. Considering the brevity of American History, Gerber is to our American warriors what the sword in the stone was to the English knights.  http://www.gerbergear.com/Knives/Fixed/Mark-II-Knife_22-01874
​AW

Comments are closed.

    the afd blog

    Previews and reviews on newly available items are written-up by our team as quickly as we can find them. Please let us know if we've missed something debuting on the market. As a firearm enthusiast or an AFD listed company you are welcome to submit a blog entry about a new product. You may also submit a firearm related commentary, idea or nostalgic musing: we like things celebratory of American ingenuity and manufacturing. All entries are subject to editing and/or fact-checking.

    Archives

    September 2022
    August 2022
    July 2022
    June 2022
    May 2022
    April 2022
    March 2022
    February 2022
    January 2022
    December 2021
    October 2021
    September 2021
    August 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016

    RSS Feed

Are you a Firearms, Sporting Goods or Veteran owned business?
Donate $500 to the
DV Farm for Homeless Veterans and receive a DV Farm Donor Coin
plus a year of FREE advertising on the American Firearm Directory!
Type "AFD referral" in
special instructions to seller at DV Farm donation portal.

HELP HOMELESS VETS

    subscribe to afd updates & newletters

Subscribe

Support

Contact Us
Promote Your Company
Picture
© COPYRIGHT AFD 2016-2021. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
Founded in Vermont, USA
Unless otherwise specified, all images are Copyright & Courtesy of the Manufacturer highlighted in each post.
  • Home
  • LONG GUNS
    • AR RIFLES & PARTS
    • SEMI-AUTO & AK
    • BOLT ACTION RIFLES
    • LEVER & PUMP ACTION RIFLES
    • TARGET
    • RIMFIRE
    • SHOTGUNS
    • MUZZLELOADERS & BLACKPOWDER
    • GUNSMITHS
    • AIRGUNS/AIRSOFT/PAINTBALL
    • ARCHERY, CROSSBOW & SLINGSHOT
  • HAND GUNS
    • SEMI AUTO & PARTS
    • REVOLVERS
    • RIMFIRE
    • SBR/SBS/PCC/CCU
    • DERRINGERS/OTHER
    • LESS-LETHAL
  • AMMUNITION
    • CENTERFIRE
    • RIMFIRE
    • SHOTGUN
    • AIRGUN
    • RELOADING
    • CHRONOGRAPHY
  • ACCESSORIES
    • ARMOR, SAFETY & PROTECTIVE
    • CAMS, COMMS & NAVIGATION
    • CLEANING & CARE
    • FOOTWEAR/CLOTHING
    • GRIPS/STOCKS/BRACES
    • HOLSTERS
    • HUNTING & FISHING, CAMPING, SURVIVAL & DOG CARE
    • KNIVES
    • MAGAZINES
    • OPTICS/SIGHTING/LIGHTS
    • SAFES/RACKS/GUNCASES/RUGS
    • SILENCERS/BARREL ACCS
    • SLINGS & BELTS
    • TRIPODS & GUNRESTS
    • TACTICAL
    • TARGETS, TRAINING & RANGE
  • MIL/LE/CONTR
  • RESOURCE
    • WHOLESALERS, MANUFACTURING & BUSINESS SERVICES
    • ONLINE GUNSTORES, BLOGS & YOUTUBERS
    • TV, MEDIA & PRINT
    • NON-PROFITS, GROUPS & EDUCATION
    • TRADESHOWS
    • PHYSICAL GUN SHOPS BY STATE
    • GUNSMITHING, FINISHING & ENGRAVING
  • BLOG