Original Item: Only One Available. A rare original U.S. WWII Office of Strategic Services stiletto, manufactured by Landers, Frary & Clark of New Britain, Connecticut, and complete with its distinctive “pancake flipper” scabbard. Created in 1942, the OSS was America’s wartime intelligence and special operations organization, responsible for gathering intelligence, supporting resistance movements, and carrying out sabotage and other clandestine missions behind enemy lines. Closely patterned after the British Fairbairn-Sykes Commando fighting knife, the OSS stiletto was developed for personnel engaged in this type of covert work. Approximately 10,000 examples were produced, making complete surviving sets particularly scarce.

This example shows the defining features of the American OSS pattern, including a narrow, double-edged blade with a dark wartime finish. The blade appears to have seen little, if any, use, as the original factory sharpening is still evident and the finish remains intact along the cutting edges. The knife is fitted with a simple oval steel guard and a one-piece, dark-finished metal grip with pronounced diamond-pattern knurling extending fully to the guard.

The knife is unmarked, or “sterile,” as expected for a weapon intended for clandestine use. The lack of maker, military, and national markings made it more difficult to connect the knife to the United States or a specific organization if it was captured or recovered behind enemy lines.

Of particular interest is the unusual original scabbard, known among collectors as the “pancake flipper” or “pancake flapper” pattern. LF&C was already a major manufacturer of kitchen utensils and household metalware, and the broad mounting plate was produced using an existing spatula mold that was adapted for wartime use. The design proved practical, with elongated slots that allowed the scabbard to be threaded onto a belt or secured to equipment in several positions for greater flexibility in carry. A movable suspension ring near the top provided an additional attachment point, while the reddish-brown leather blade sheath was reinforced at the bottom with its original olive-drab painted metal chape.

Complete with this distinctive scabbard, the set is a rare and exceptionally well-preserved example that would make an excellent addition to any collection of WWII weapons or special operations artifacts.

Dimensions:
Blade Style: Spear Point Knife
Blade length: 6 ½”
Overall length of stiletto: 11 ½”
Crossguard: 2”
Scabbard length: 7 ½" with metal belt loop.
Total length: 12 ½”