warpath Posted October 2, 2016 Share #1 Posted October 2, 2016 Case V-42 Stiletto from Fort Bragg, NC picked up back in the late 1950s when a box of unissued V42 knives was found and about to be tossed out. A few were given to one man and the remainder thrown away. Before anyone calls BS on the story, this is the third one from that box that I have seen and I own two including this one obtained from the recipient that day. He did not recall how many were in the box, but only four at most were saved. Ed Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
warpath Posted October 2, 2016 Author Share #2 Posted October 2, 2016 Case V-42 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
warpath Posted October 2, 2016 Author Share #3 Posted October 2, 2016 Other than tip wear from sliding the knife in and out of its sheath the set is unused. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
warpath Posted October 2, 2016 Author Share #4 Posted October 2, 2016 Thumb print Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
warpath Posted October 2, 2016 Author Share #5 Posted October 2, 2016 Hilt Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
warpath Posted October 2, 2016 Author Share #6 Posted October 2, 2016 Pommel Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
doyler Posted October 2, 2016 Share #7 Posted October 2, 2016 Ed Thats a beauty. Thanks for posting Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
warpath Posted October 2, 2016 Author Share #8 Posted October 2, 2016 Blade Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dskjl Posted October 2, 2016 Share #9 Posted October 2, 2016 Amazing find, and you have how many? Seems you could be a hoarder, perhaps an intervention should be considered. I have a well worn beaten to death number version that I cherish, but man i would sure love to own a minty version like your. Congrats. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
warpath Posted October 2, 2016 Author Share #10 Posted October 2, 2016 Sheath Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
katieony Posted October 2, 2016 Share #11 Posted October 2, 2016 Can't get much nicer than that! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
warpath Posted October 2, 2016 Author Share #12 Posted October 2, 2016 Actually, it can get better. This is from the same lot without handling wear. Ed Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SKIPH Posted October 2, 2016 Share #13 Posted October 2, 2016 Is this the one you were telling me about last week? It is very nice! SKIP Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
camillus Posted October 2, 2016 Share #14 Posted October 2, 2016 great find congratulations Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
warpath Posted October 2, 2016 Author Share #15 Posted October 2, 2016 I'll have this on display at the MAX Show this week. Stop by my tables if you would like to see it. Ed Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1SG_1st_Cav Posted October 3, 2016 Share #16 Posted October 3, 2016 AWESOME! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bill Walters Posted October 4, 2016 Share #17 Posted October 4, 2016 I'll have this on display at the MAX Show this week. Stop by my tables if you would like to see it. Ed Ed, I will also have a table at the Max. I will stop by your table. Bill Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SKIPH Posted October 4, 2016 Share #18 Posted October 4, 2016 Wish I could go to this show! Jon M.,and I have to work, plus this Hurricane Matthew may mess everyone up. Sooner or later I'll meet you Bill Walters. Have fun! SKIP Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bill Walters Posted October 4, 2016 Share #19 Posted October 4, 2016 Wish I could go to this show! Jon M.,and I have to work, plus this Hurricane Matthew may mess everyone up. Sooner or later I'll meet you Bill Walters. Have fun! SKIP Skip, I wish you and Jon could make the show. We would have a great time. I did meet Jon at the last SOS. Bill Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alex9483 Posted October 14, 2016 Share #20 Posted October 14, 2016 Thanks so much for posting these pics Warpath. I read somewhere that all real V-42's had to have the thumb grooves touch the edges of the ricasso. Yours is like mine: close but does not touch. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
warpath Posted October 14, 2016 Author Share #21 Posted October 14, 2016 I've owned several variant V-42 stilettoes including one prototype and I believe there were production runs that may account for the slight differences. These were hand finished and of the highest quality made by more than one person so variations occurred. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
doyler Posted October 14, 2016 Share #22 Posted October 14, 2016 As Ed stated these were hand ground blades so was the thumb print so there is going to be variations. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bobgee Posted October 14, 2016 Share #23 Posted October 14, 2016 Beautiful knife! I can easily buy the "found old box" story but not the 'thrown away" part. Throw away fighting knives on a military base in the 1950s? I don't think so .......unless Lt Denny Dumazz and Sgt Ralph Retardo were the supply folks. But I know stories do enlarge. Great that you have two of these super-great pieces. Bobgee Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
warpath Posted October 15, 2016 Author Share #24 Posted October 15, 2016 Bob, I assume you're a veteran and I served in the 82d Airborne. Far more expensive, rare and collectble items got tossed, grew wings and legs, or even got buried so the stuff was taken out of inventory. Military accounting practices could be somewhat flexible no matter the time period. Some folks just aren't collectors or appreciate what they have or see. The horror stories are legion, but at least a few were saved in this case. The last owners held on to these for over 50 years. Ed Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alex9483 Posted October 15, 2016 Share #25 Posted October 15, 2016 I guess what got me worried was the reproduction recognition page of the well respected Frank Trzaska's site, in which he showed pics of repro and real thumb prints and wrote: "Note the design and shape of the Case name stamping and the thumbprint which goes from edge to edge on the original but not on the repro." But I totally agree- anything done by hand will have variations. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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