This article appears in the November 2023 issue of KNIFE Magazine.
The Spartan George Raider Dagger: Les George Updates the Marine Raider Stiletto with 21st Century Materials and Manufacturing
By Tim Stetzer
Military knives always have a certain mystique to them. Daggers seem to invoke particular interest since these were truly fighting knives and were most often used by commando and special operations units. The dagger has a specific purpose and isn’t suited to general utility use like many other issued knives and tools. The Marine Raider Stiletto from World War II is one of those knives. The fact that it was made in relatively small numbers, and the poor material choice meant that not many have survived to this day make it even more desirable to collectors.
Most of us will never have the chance to own an original, let alone one we’d be willing to use, and that’s where custom knife maker Les George steps in. Les took the original design and its deficiencies and decided to see what he could do with modern materials and manufacturing to improve it. He then teamed up with Curtis Iovito of Spartan Blades to make a production knife that lived up to the original Raider design and that would be affordable enough for troops going into the field today.
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