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WWII US OSS Smatchet fighting Knife -
The Office of Strategic Services (OSS) was a United States intelligence agency formed during World War II. It was the wartime intelligence agency, and it was the predecessor of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA).

The Office of Strategic Services was established by a Presidential military order issued by President Roosevelt on 13 June 1942, to collect and analyze strategic information required by the Joint Chiefs of Staff and to conduct special operations not assigned to other agencies. During the War, the OSS supplied policy makers with facts and estimates, but the OSS never had jurisdiction over all foreign intelligence activities. The FBI was responsible for intelligence work in Latin America, and the Army and Navy guarded their areas of responsibility.

The knife featured here is an OSS smatchet. It was issued to OSS personnel during WWII.






This page is a recognition and identification guide for military fighting knives. Multiple detailed photos of a specific sample are provided. Descriptions point out clearly defined points that should be noted.

One of the most commonly asked questions is "How much is my fighting knife worth?". A price guide is included here to address this question. The value of the knives is reviewed over a period of several years. A trend can be observed. The present worth of the edge weapons in the collector's market is illustrated.

This service is provided free of charge to the visitor/enthusiast courtesy of MilitaryItems.com, a company dedicated to the preservation of military history and to providing quality military antiques and collectibles to museums, institutions and the general public.

WANT TO LEARN MORE?
  1. FAQ's
  2. knife anatomy
  3. knife construction materials
  4. knife makers and markings
  5. Fighting knife blade types
  6. Identifying fakes and reproductions
  7. Purchasing a fighting knife
  8. Perspective View








The design of the knife is very impossing. The full length of the knife is approximatelly 16 inches. The construction of the blade brings focus to the knife. The blade is large. It start narrow at the base, it expands and then narrows down into a tip. As with many other OSS weapons there are no markings anywhere on the knife. Since the missions were secret, in case of capture, the OSS officer did not want to show any association with a particular office or branch of service.

The handle is made of wood. It is held together by two rivets. The pommel is of aluminum construction. it has two small rivets placed at an angle. Silver color.

The scabbard is made of leather. Very heavy duty construction. Two leather belt loops are placed on the back. They are positioned at an angle. A small leather strap with a snap is provided to hold the knife in place while moving.






This edge weapon is currently being reproduced. It is becoming more difficult to be able to tell the fake ones from the real ones because the quality of the reproductions is improving. The collector must become familiarized with the construction style and materials employed in the manufacturing of this item. Attention to the details is critical in order to be able to determine the authenticity of the collectible.



If you have an interest is seeing other fighting knives, you can do so by going to our Military Fighting Knives Price Guide identification guide. Where we cover Army, Navy, Army Air Force, USMC and other organizations.





PRICING GUIDE INFORMATION

The value for the Fighting Knives and other military antiques and collectibles is provided as a means to educate the collector community and individuals who have a general interest on the field. The following is an estimated value. Prices may vary in every state and every country. This service is provided courtesy of MilitaryItems.com . The source for military antiques and collectibles in the web.

Year 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025
Value $650.00 $0.00 $0.00 $0.00 $0.00
Availability Rare Rare Rare Rare Rare
Invest Grade A A A A A


While the item featured here is not for sale, similar items like it are available for purchase in our website MilitaryItems.com


 
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