Though this little dagger has seen better days it is built much better than most all letter openers I have ever seen. The blade is very well made and tempered (something usually not seen on letter openers) and even though a bit on the dull side right now you can tell at one time it was kept very sharp. The hilt is made of silver sheeting most likely over a wooden core. My opinion is that that this piece would have been better used for self defense than as a letter opener. Personally I would never use something this sharp to open envelopes as I would end up cutting myself way to often.
Best,
Robert