Joe,

I don't know if you realize this or not, but you just agreed with me and debunked your own "the blade grind on John's knife) appears a bit later than that when compared to those pictured in photo 43 in Gaddis of 1940" when you say "John's knife has little to no top bevel as does the knife you describe - third from the bottom - as I see it".

If (1) Stone pouches were an option as of May, 1940 and (2) No one has seen a pancake sheath with one, a reasonable conclusion can be drawn that from 5/40 on the sheaths were "A Style".

I am going to revise my opinion of Brian's knife because of the sheath: I now think it's earlier than mid 40 and that the hilt was an exception to the oval / flat face norm at the time. Possibly because the top quillion needed to be high enough to ward off opposing knife blows and an oval hilt would be way too massive! An oval hilt that big would also push the knife away from the sheath way too far. I love these back and forth exchanges with you because it makes me think!

Some fighters did not have a stone pocket simply because it would hang up on other gear or obsticals. That was the buyers prerogative then as it is now. We've seen it many times over in sheaths from the VN war.