Original Items: One-Of-A-Kind Set. This is a lovely pair of rather famous fighting knives that had their grips replaced with the “sweetheart” grips which consist of plexiglass grip scales and pictures of their sweethearts on each side. Most commonly encountered on sidearms, Servicemen began to salvage plexiglass from downed aircrafts to replace the grips for their Colt M1911 pistols as well as fighting knives. The transparent quality allowed them to personalize the grips by inserting a picture of a loved one or pin-up girl underneath the plexiglass. The trend became known as “sweetheart grips.”

The Knives In This Lot:

- Western L77 Single Edged Combat Stiletto: This L77 features a lovely pair of plexiglass grips on each side with two different photos of the same woman behind them. The grip is in lovely condition though water damage appears to have made its way behind the grips to the photos. The pommel is aluminum and secured by two steel pins going through the tang. The blade itself shows signs that this knife could very well have been used in a combat theater due to all of the original blueing missing and repeatedly sharpened edge. The steel crossguard is still tight to the blade and free of any bends or damage other than minor oxidation which matches the blade condition. The blade has the correct maker and patent marking partially visible on the blade ricasso:

WESTERN
BOULDER, COLO.

Approximate Dimensions:
Blade Length: 6 ¾”
Grip Length: 4 ¼”
Total Length: 11”

- Western G-46-8 Fighting Knife: It is sometimes called the "8 Fighter", and there were also 4 and 6 inch blade versions of the G46. This knife was developed during WW2 by Western Cutlery of Boulder Colorado, who hoped to sell it to the Marine Corps to fill their need for a fighting utility knife. Unfortunately the knife proved too expensive compared to competitors. Western-made knives were all beautifully made and finished piece with a bluing comparable to that seen on hunting rifles. Although they never had any major government contracts they sold thousands of knives through private and unit purchases. This particular version was only sold to the military.

This example has an 8 inch long single-edged clip-point blade, which has a broad fuller below the spine. The blade is 1 1/4 inches wide, and is of very sturdy construction. The oval ended cross guard was removed when the grips were replaced. The grip is in lovely condition though water damage appears to have made its way behind the grips to the photos. The pommel cap is solid, and secured to the end of the tang in two places. The blade ricasso is marked:

WESTERN
PAT'D.

This marking was only used on the early production knives, around 1940 or 1941. This knife has definitely been used, but not abused, and the blade does not appear to have been sharpened more than a few times. In many places the edge is still extremely sharp, though it does have multiple chips and some rather heavy pitting. The high quality bluing is still about appears to be present in some places, though we cannot tell due to the level of oxidation.

Approximate Dimensions:
Blade Length: "
Blade Style: Clip-point "Bowie" Style
Overall length: “
Crossguard: ”

A lovely pair of knives that come more than ready for further research and display.