United States Marine Raider stiletto stiletto: The U.S. Marine Raider stiletto is a collectible knife for a number of reasons. It was one of the first Marine-designed and Marine-issued knives. It was issued to a special unit. Because of the decomposing zinc-alloy handle, the stiletto is one of the rarest knives in the world of militaria collecting and knife collecting, and existing specimens can be expensive. United States Marine Raider stiletto The U.S. Marine Raider stiletto was a stiletto and combat knife issued to the Marine Raiders and 1st Canadian Parachute Battalion during World War II. At the start of World War II, the Mark
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