The V-42 Stiletto was a fighting knife issued to the First Special Service Force, also known as the FSSF, which was a joint American-Canadian unit known as the Devil’s Brigade, which saw action in Italy in the Second World War.

The original fighting knife was made with a hollow-ground 1095 steel blade, a stacked leather handle, and a crusher pommel. 

The design was simple but has become legendary, and has been recaptured by Half Face Blades in its modern take, the V-42 Dagger. If you like this pattern and want to carry what the elites once did, it might be for you. Here’s what to know. 

About the Reimagining 

Half Face Blades’ take on the original V-42 Stiletto has captured most of the details fairly faithfully. The remake is 12.5” overall, with a 7.5 S35VN steel blade; double-edged and needle-pointed like the original.

While the aesthetics and profile remain effectively unchanged, the steel represents a considerable upgrade over the tool steel original. The S35VN steel used here is tougher, more corrosion resistant, and will hold an edge longer than 1095. It’s also not impossible to resharpen, which is a bonus. 

And, not that this represents a difference from the original, because it doesn't, but the fact that it is double-sided means that you can keep one very fine edge for detail work and a slightly more obtuse edge reserved for harder use. That represents a whole dimension of utility that is absent on knives with a single edge. 

Like the original, Half Face Blades’ V-42 dagger retains the crusher pommel, but unlike the original, the remake sports G-10 handle scales instead of a stacked leather handle. This is another considerable upgrade.

Stacked leather is comfortable in the grip, offers sure traction, and is comfortable in pretty much all conditions. It’s also pretty cool looking, but it can rot and it requires maintenance. G-10 does not and is far, far physically tougher and chemically much more stable than leather. 

So what you get, thanks to the G-10 scales, is a modest step back in terms of aesthetics, and a huge leap forward in terms of toughness, general usability, practicality, and in the fact that you’ll never have to clean or otherwise maintain the scales in order for them to perform as intended. 

On the same note, the original V-42 stiletto was issued with a leather sheath that, like the leather handle, offered solid aesthetics and which broke in with time. However, just the same, leather is absorbent and prone to all sorts of damage from a variety of environmental factors. 

Half Face Blades’ remake offers an upgrade here as well since it is paired with a Kydex sheath that offers a friction fit, rather than a leather sheath. The Kydex sheath also offers the versatility you need to mount it in a variety of configurations. Obviously it can be carried tip down on a belt, but it can also be rigged for tip-up carry, pack carry, shoulder carry, scout carry or cross draw, and potentially even for boot carry, depending. 

And, unlike a leather sheath, the Kydex sheath is a no-maintenance, no-worry option, which is the other part of the upgrade.

All in all, this is an incredibly versatile fighting knife and one that is designed to perform in the field, no matter how or why you carry it. 

Where to Learn More About the Half Face Blades V-42 Dagger

All that’s left for you to do here if you want one of these Half Face Blades’ V-42 Daggers is to learn more about them or find a place where you can buy one. The solution to both of those is a visit to The Knife Connection. Check out their collection of Half Face Blades and get in touch with them if you have any questions. 

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