V - 42 stiletto The V - 42 stiletto was a stiletto and fighting knife issued during World War II to the First Special Service Force ( 1st SSF , aka Devil ' s Brigade ) , a joint Canadian / American commando unit . Design and features . Based on the Fairbairn – Sykes commando knife designed by William E . Fairbairn and Eric A . Sykes , the " Fighting Commando Knife , Type V - 42 " used a narrow - profile , double - edged stiletto blade made of high carbon steel . The V - 42 was primarily designed by officers of the FSSF , including its commanding officer , Lt . Colonel Robert T . Frederick , who desired a combat knife that could be used to silently eliminate enemy soldiers as well as perform the role of a close - quarters combat knife . The blade ' s design has been attributed to Col . Frederick , who had encountered the Fairbairn – Sykes commando knife while on duty in England . While the V - 42 had a double - edged blade like that of the Fairbairn – Sykes knife , it had a narrower stiletto blade profile designed to optimize penetration when used for thrusting , and the V - 42 could easily penetrate a G . I . steel helmet and liner with a single thrust . With its relatively thin , narrow blade , the V - 42 was designed from the outset for use as a fighting knife , and was consequently prone to breakage when used for utility chores such as opening ration tins or ammunition crates . Unusual for military combat knives of the period , the V - 42 ' s twin edges were double hollow - ground for increased cutting performance . The addition of the skull - crushing pommel was attributed to the input of Major Orval J . Baldwin , the FSSF Supply Officer . The thumb groove on the V - 42 ' s ricasso was designed to promote a flat grip with the thumb over the crossguard , which positioned the double - edged blade horizontally . In this manner a Forceman could slash an opponent with either a forehand or backhand stroke , while ensuring that his blade would slip between the ribs when used in a thrust or stab . The V - 42 was manufactured in the United States by Case . After a series of leg injuries incurred during training , the original leather sheath was reinforced in later versions with a metal tip designed to prevent the needle - like tip from penetrating the sheath . Since the force was originally trained for fighting in cold weather conditions , the sheath was designed long , so as to hang beneath the bottom of a G . I . parka . History . After receiving drawings of the proposed knife from its designers , prototypes of the V - 42 were submitted by three knifemaking companies - Camillus Cutlery Co . , Case Cutlery , and Cattaraugus Cutlery Co . . Captain Dermot Michael " Pat " O ' Neill , the First Special Service Force ' s close - combat instructor and a former Detective Sergeant of the Shanghai Municipal Police ( the same police force in which Fairbairn and Sykes had served ) , recalled that Col . Frederick personally selected the Case prototype and gave authority for its acquisition . First issued in 1942 , the V - 42 was the standard issue fighting knife issued to the FSSF , whose members generally referred to it as the " Force Knife " or " V - 42 Stiletto . " All members of the Force were trained extensively in its use , though only members of the Force ' s Combat Echelon were actually issued their own V - 42 knife . In combat , the V - 42 proved itself an excellent thrusting weapon that could easily penetrate leather and heavy clothing , though its needle tip would occasionally stick when contacting bone after a deep thrust , making the knife difficult to withdraw . It has been rumored that some Force members re - ground the points of their knives to alleviate this , though Col . Baldwin would later state that differences in the points of issue V - 42 knives were due to variations in production , as they were hand - ground and largely hand - made . Approximately 70 V - 42 knives were issued with short U . S . Marine Corps Raider knife scabbards . This was confirmed by Case Cutlery shipping records , which indicate that some seventy V - 42 knives were procured by the U . S . Navy and sent to the Brooklyn Navy Depot in late 1942 and early 1943 . The knives were issued in 1943 to crewmen serving in the " USS Omaha " Landing Force and Armed Boat Party while the ship was off the Florida coast at the start of a South Atlantic war patrol , searching for German commerce raiders and blockade runner s . While the USS Omaha did encounter German blockade runners , there were no recorded instances of the V - 42 being employed against an opponent in combat . The seventy V - 42s procured by the U . S . Navy were the only known V - 42 knives sent to a unit or branch outside the First Special Service Force . The V - 42 was depicted on the badges of the Canadian Special Operations Forces Command , Canadian Forces ' Joint Task Force 2 and one of the United States Army Special Forces badges . W . R . Case & Sons Cutlery Co . manufactured a post - war version from 1989 until 1993 . Specifications and production quantity . The V - 42 weighs , with either a or long blade and handle , for a total length of approximately . Its features included a double hollow - ground , stiletto - type blade equipped with a thumb - imprint choil or ricasso designed to facilitate a flat or modified saber grip , and a leather handle with a pointed skull - cracking pommel ( butt ) . One source states that the Army placed five separate orders totaling 3 , 423 V - 42 fighting knives from November 1942 through November 1943 . However , Case factory records indicate that approximately 3 , 000 V - 42 knives were actually produced , and only one shipment of 1 , 750 knives to the FSSF was recorded by the Force ' s supply officer .