V-42 Commando Stiletto manufactured by Case for the 1st Special Service Force in 1943. The Stiletto has a 7 5/16-inch blued blade with distinctive milled "thumbprint" serrations on the right ricasso, leather-backed steel cross guard, handle with serrated leather washers and pin-fastened, pointed, steel butt. The blade is marked "CASE" below the serrated thumbprint. The blade has a dark blue finish. The cross-guard has a blue-black painted finish with bright steel visible underneath the paint. The pointed "skull-crusher" butt is blued. The milled thumbprint serrations extend across the full width of the blade and are not quite parallel to the indentation. The Stiletto is complete with the distinctive russet leather scabbard with extended hanger. The scabbard is 20-inches long and has fourteen, diamond-shaped, copper reinforcements along the sides and eight steel stamped reinforcements at the throat. The back of the scabbard is marked in ink with a name what appears to be service number; the markings have been partially lined out in ink and are illegible. The consignor wrote a letter to the W.R. Case & Sons Cutlery Company in 2001 (copy of letter sent included) asking for information on this exceptional V-42 in identifying it. This just adds more to the credibility to this highly collectable World War II fighting knife!

Excellent. The blade retains 98% of the bright original blue finish and has not been re-sharpened. The black, painted finish on the underside of the cross guard has some minor flaking. The butt retains 95% of the blue finish with some minor handling wear on the edges of the pommel. The leather grip is in excellent condition; the high points of the leather serrations are darkened from handling. The scabbard is in very fine condition. The leather has never been oiled and has the original medium russet finish. Wear is limited to some scuff marks on the hanger from contact with the tip of the knife butt. The scabbard retains the original elk-hide tie-down strap. This is an excellent example of a WWII Case V-42 Commando Stiletto with scabbard.