Rare official Office of Strategic Services (OSS) Stiletto Fighting Knife, known as the ‘Pancake Flipper,’ made between 1942-1943 for behind-the-front line members. The sharp steel blade measures 6.75″ in length and the stippled brass grip measures 4.5″ in length; this particular knife is believed to have been produced by Landers, Frary, and Clark of New Britain, Connecticut, a firm that used the British Fairbanks & Sykes (FS) Fighting Knife as their design template. Includes the original ‘pancake flipper’ scabbard; as a measure of wartime austerity, the company used the same stamping tool for their household spatula as they did to make the steel scabbard back. In overall fine condition. The knife and scabbard are accompanied by an unmarked 7-inch triangular spike dagger, a 3-inch H.G. Long & Co. blade, a 5.25 x 5 OSS flag, a WWII Special Force (SF) wing badge as worn by OSS operators, two OSS insignia badges (gold and white), and two Airborne Command badges.
A rare and unique knife, the stiletto was designed for and used by the US intelligence agency, the Office of Strategic Services (OSS) during WW2. The forerunner of the CIA, the OSS coordinated espionage activities behind enemy lines and required specialized weaponry for the high operational risk of close combat encounters. By mid-1942, the FS knife had been in production for around 18 months and was already sought after and accepted as the ideal knife for this purpose. Connecticut-based housewares company Landers, Frary, and Clark was well placed to employ its extensive manufacturing capabilities towards the contract. Their quote of $2.03 per knife was accepted and production began in June 1942 with an initial order for 10,000 pieces.
