V-42 stiletto V-42s procured by the U.S. Navy were the only known V-42 knives sent to a unit or branch outside the First Special Service Force. The V-42 was depicted on the badges of the Canadian Special Operations Forces Command, Canadian Forces' Joint Task Force 2 and one of the United States Army Special Forces badges. W. R. Case & Sons Cutlery Co. manufactured a post-war version from 1989 until 1993. The V-42 weighs , with either a or long blade and handle, for a total length of approximately . Its features included a double hollow-ground, stiletto-type blade equipped with a thumb-imprint
Stiletto fallen or severely wounded heavily armored opponent. The needle-like blade could, if used with sufficient force, penetrate most mail or find its way through gaps in a knight's plate armor, and was narrow enough to pass through the eye slits of the helmeted knight. A severely wounded opponent who was not expected to survive would be given a "mercy strike" (French "coup de grâce"), hence the name "miséricorde". Later, the Gunner's Stiletto became a tool for clearing cannon-fuse touch holes; used in the manner of an automotive oil dipstick, they were often inscribed with marks indicating levels of powder charges