This knife, rather than answering my questions, created a conundrum. One of the down-sides of having created my website is the exposure of so many rare knives to the general public. The majority of visitors to the site are content to just look at the knives. Some people have abused my site to create fakes. Most of these copies are being made in Pakistan, as I have previously written. This knife came from Poland. The seller said it was purchased at a flea market, and he believed it was British made for OSS agents. You will note that my website intentionally does not give any specific dimensions of these knives. The reason is to make it harder for counterfeiters. Had I realized the size of this knife I probably would not have bought it. For about $160 it was worth taking a chance.
As you can see, it is clearly oversized for an Agents dagger. So, what do I have? Is it a clumsy reproduction based on one of the originals shown on my website? Is it a reproduction made during WW-II, in Poland or France? I will never know for sure. It is well made. The blade is professionally ground, although of too thin stock to be a British piece. The steel guard is perfectly symmetrical and of heavy gauge steel. It has several bumps and dents that could indicate use over time. Most often forgers use thin metal for the guards to make it easier to cut the slot for the tang. One of the things I was basing my purchase on was the “R” stamped into the guard. It is deeply and cleanly stamped, probably before assembly. The grip is turned and nicely knurled brass. There is no top nut, so the tang is likely threaded into the brass itself.
Either the sheath is quite old, or it is cleverly made from old leather. It has the smell and patina of old leather. The knurling of the knife’s grip has left its imprint in the leather frog. If I had found this knife anywhere else, I might have thought it originated from India. Who knows the truth, maybe only the seller. Is it truly from a flea market, or a forger’s workshop? As a final note. The mini in my collection, with an “R” stamped into guard, is one I have ascribed to the Polish forces based on its grip shape. Your thoughts?
As you can see, it is clearly oversized for an Agents dagger. So, what do I have? Is it a clumsy reproduction based on one of the originals shown on my website? Is it a reproduction made during WW-II, in Poland or France? I will never know for sure. It is well made. The blade is professionally ground, although of too thin stock to be a British piece. The steel guard is perfectly symmetrical and of heavy gauge steel. It has several bumps and dents that could indicate use over time. Most often forgers use thin metal for the guards to make it easier to cut the slot for the tang. One of the things I was basing my purchase on was the “R” stamped into the guard. It is deeply and cleanly stamped, probably before assembly. The grip is turned and nicely knurled brass. There is no top nut, so the tang is likely threaded into the brass itself.
Either the sheath is quite old, or it is cleverly made from old leather. It has the smell and patina of old leather. The knurling of the knife’s grip has left its imprint in the leather frog. If I had found this knife anywhere else, I might have thought it originated from India. Who knows the truth, maybe only the seller. Is it truly from a flea market, or a forger’s workshop? As a final note. The mini in my collection, with an “R” stamped into guard, is one I have ascribed to the Polish forces based on its grip shape. Your thoughts?
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