Designed by a committee of experienced men led by then-Colonel Robert Frederick, the 1st Special Service Force's commanding officer, the dagger that would become the V-42 Stiletto (or "Force Knife" to its users) was intended to represent the state of the art in close quarters battle, with a particular eye towards deep winter/alpine combat. While a limited number of V-42s made it outside the unit, it was primarily acquired for the 1st SSF, which made it one of their signature weapons. The sheath for this V-42 is the original "long drop" pattern, intended for use with heavy cold weather coats, with steel reinforcement around the mouth and edges, and the front marked "S/SGt I/ARTHUR E. DUEBNER/F.S.S.F." Available records list Arthur Duebner as having been born in 1924 in Wisconsin and enlisted in 1943, joining the 1st SSF in May 1943, then joining the 504th Parachute Infantry Regiment following the disbandment of the 1st in December 1944, where he spent the remainder of his active service before his honorable discharge in September 1945. The record notes him as having been wounded in Anzio, Italy (where the 1st earned their "Black Devils" nickname from the Germans) and Menton, France (part of the Operation Dragoon assault on Southern France, one of the 1st's final engagements before being disbanded and the namesake of Menton Day, a day of remembrance for modern U.S. and Commonwealth Special Forces units that track their lineage to the Special Service Force) while with the 1st, and wounded in the Ardennes Forest while with the 504th. Returning to Wisconsin, he spent his civilian life as a carpenter and contractor before passing in 1997. The stiletto itself is 12 1/2 inches overall, with a 7 3/8 inch blade featuring a needle point tip, steep hollow grind to the cutting edges, and a large rectangular ricasso with the serrated "thumbprint" rest over the "CASE" marking. The guard is bright aluminum with a leather pad, ribbed leather grip, and a steel "skullcrusher" pommel. Provenance: The Putnam Green/Sycamore Collection

Good overall. The ground area of the blade has been polished bright, while still retaining the needle point, and the ricasso has turned a plum patina. The pad is pulling away from the guard at the ends, with some mild scuffs on the grip and a mixed brown and gray patina on the pommel. The sheath shows some creasing and staining, in particular a heavy crease right above the retention strap (commonly seen on these sheaths as a common field-expedient measure to reduce the length of drop to a more normal length), and some scuffs on the body.