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Named WWII Theatre Knife - Comments?


BryanJ
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I’m in the process of acquiring a nice WWII group from the estate of Lieutenant James A. Pence, Bombardier, 15th AAF in Italy.  Lieutenant Pence flew 35 missions during the war and his obituary in 2019, stated that he never flew after the war because he believed he had exceeded his flying luck.  I have not yet received all of his military items, and will post photos of the entire group when it’s received, but I’d like to get comments on his knife.  The knife appears to be theatre made, because there is not a maker’s mark anywhere.  Further, there are noticeable grinding marks at the ricasso and guard, where I believe the leather washers were ground down for the handle.  There was some dried grease on the blade, when I wiped it down with one coat of oil, the blade shown to a mirror finish.  The knife is very well made, very sharp, nothing loose at all.   Another reason I believe it to be theatre made, is that I also have coming what is clearly a theatre made cigarette lighter that also has his name and squadron number.  Possibly made by the same by same individual.  Thoughts on knife?

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I'm not sure that is a theater knife, as it looks well made.  There are knives called pattern knives.  These knives were generally unmarked, and are made in the same pattern as marked knives.  This one looks a bit like a Case or possibly an English knife.  As far as I know there has never been a compilation of the pattern knives, although Bill Walters talks about them in his Book II on pages 118-122.  In fact, there is a knife identical to this one on page 121, number 7.  His description of it is "This Case Stiletto pattern has a curved guard and leather handle with thick grey fiber washers."

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I think you are absolutely correct.  I don’t have Bill Walter’s book, but I do have Michael Silvey’s WWII knives book.  Based on your comment I found on page 187 a knife that looks very close, maybe the same.  The sheath is identical and both blades are 7” as referenced in the book.  Silvey describes the knife as a commercially made stiletto “reminiscent of the Case Stiletto.”  It’s interesting because in the same Silvey photo is a WWII era 3” Bombardier wing.  In the group I’m acquiring, is an identical Bombardier wing.  How ironic is that?  

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