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Unmarked Stiletto from WW2


raw275
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For everyone to ponder?/ I have 2 WW 2 Stilettos both purchased from two different WW 2 vets children. The knifes are from the same maker. Both have 7" polished blades. one has a straight guard the other is curved at both ends. Both handles are smooth leather washers but different colors. One has a polished aluminum pommel the other unpolished. the over all length of both are 12". Both have single pinned pommels. I found a drawing in the official price guide to collector knifes (15th edition) on page 104 of a Case Stiletto. I know Case made both marked and unmarked knifes. The difference in the drawing is the pommel. Ohter than the pommel my two blades match the discription. I have only seen a few photos of the Case stilettos one with a plastic pommel and the other with aluminum. Can anyone ID these blades as Case or are the made by some other maker?

Thanks for the help

Rich

post-2367-1210800196.jpg

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Charlie Flick
Can anyone ID these blades as Case or are the made by some other maker?

Thanks for the help

Rich

 

Hi Rich:

 

Those are a couple of beautiful knives. Congratulations.

 

I have one like your's on the right, but must say that your example is in better shape than mine. I also have an unmarked CASE double edge stiletto. I placed them side by side tonight after reading your post. While generally similar, in my opinion the knife in question was not made by Case. The Case knife demonstrates a better fit and finish, has a different handle shape (more full), the guard is thicker, and it has a different pommel of bakelite, as you mentioned. Mike Silvey has a pic of the mystery knife in his WW2 blades book and notes its general similarity to the Case. Frankly, I don't think anyone really knows who made those knives.

 

BTW, I noticed that the two sheaths you show are slightly different, with the one of the right having more rivets.

 

Those are neat knives. Perhaps one day someone will figure out who made them. For now, I don't think it was Case.

 

Regards,

Charlie Flick

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Many thanks Charlie. Both knifes are in great shape and I like look and feel of them. I wonder if there are any other handle patterns that are out there. I hope someday the makers can be ID. I'd like to know if the blades are US or English. Even that would help. I got a sheath on a case M-3 straight guard ridged handle that is the same as the sheath on the left. No makers marking on any of the sheaths. . I will keep looking for a case stiletto for my collection.

Thanks again

Rich

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Cool looking daggers

Interesting pommels

I am interested to see who made them as well

Kinfolks maybe?

I know Kinfolks catalogs/literature is rare

Camillus???

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Both of these knives are Pig Stickers, the term has lost most of its meaning now since people refer to all sorts of knives as Pig Stickers now and butchering hogs is no longer a common practice. These knives were originally used by farmers to kill pigs by driving it into the base of their brain that is why they have the long thin double edge blade and the round pommal to push it in. These two appear to be very well made many were rather cheap as they were really a tool not a weapon. The fact that they are an efficient killing weapon plus the wicked look of them made them very popular with soldiers and they have been manufactured well after their original purpose has been forgotten.

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Thanks for the info. Maybe some of the people out ther have the same blades in their collections and would like to post some photos.

Rich

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Both of these knives are Pig Stickers, the term has lost most of its meaning now since people refer to all sorts of knives as Pig Stickers now and butchering hogs is no longer a common practice. These knives were originally used by farmers to kill pigs by driving it into the base of their brain that is why they have the long thin double edge blade and the round pommal to push it in. These two appear to be very well made many were rather cheap as they were really a tool not a weapon. The fact that they are an efficient killing weapon plus the wicked look of them made them very popular with soldiers and they have been manufactured well after their original purpose has been forgotten.

 

Here in the mid west the more acceptable method is to take the animal(hogs or cattle)while in a stantion or restrained and grab one ear,pull head to the side,exposing the artery on the neck and "stick" the blade with a quick in and out stoke to sever the artery.The longer blade made it easier to not have to get to close to the animal.Driving the blade into the base of the brain is hard to do and a little messy while the animal(4 legged or two legged) is thrashing around.If you have ever had to handle a 750-1000 lb steer you know how it goes.In latter years when slaughtering animals became more mechanical they employed a bolt gun.This was a steel rod in a handle that was driven by a small calibur cartridge like a .22 casing with powder charge only.The device was held to the side of the skull and discharged.I believe later air driven boltguns were developed.

 

RON

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