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.
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Multiple detailed photos of a specific sample are provided. Descriptions point out
clearly defined points that should be noted.
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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.
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