Original German WWII DRK Red Cross Officer’s Dagger with Scabbard & Portepee – Deutsches Rotes Kreuz Original Items

Original Item: Only One Available. This is a great example of a very rare German Red Cross (DRK) Officer’s Dagger, complete with its nickel plated scabbard and portepee knot. Unlike the more commonly found EM/NCO Hewer, these daggers have a double edged spear point blade, which is actually fairly sharp near the tip. These were worn by officer’s, and not intended for the utility use of the hewer, so they utilize more standard German WWII Dagger construction, with a tang fully enclosed in the grip.

The excellent hilt mounts have over 95% of the original nickel-plating still intact, with some overall speckling and patination, but no real wear through to the base metal. There is jus a bit of scratching and scuffing around the edge of the pommel. This example looks to have seen only light use, and the usual contact points still show full plating.

The crossguard features an oval boss on each side, with the obverse featuring an eagle with half-opened wings and a raised out mobile swas (hook cross) on his breast. The bird clutches a Geneva cross in his talons, the emblem of the DRK. The celluloid grip of this example has faded to a very nice lemon yellow color. It is in very good condition showing little use and/or staining, though there is a stress crack running about an inch inward from the pommel on the reverse. The end nut does show some minor wear, probably from tightening. As it is, the grip and crossguard are just a tiny bit loose on the tang, due to shrinking from age. Tied around the end of the grip is a very nice aluminum bullion portepee knot, which shows just a bit of light wear and oxidation.

The blade of this dagger is in excellent near mint condition! It has full factory final grind crossgrain, with just two spots of oxidation on the blade’s reverse. This texture is iconic, and is the definitive identifying characteristic for a real WWII German Blade. There is some minor runner wear on the blade center ridge, to be expected. There is no evidence of post factory sharpening, and the original tip is intact and unbent. The blade is unmarked, as almost all DRK Officer Daggers will be. These were contract purchased and awarded directly by the DRK, so maker makers were not used. The original blade buffer is present, and looks to possibly be bakelite, or just very stiff leather.

The scabbard is in very good condition, with almost fully intact nickel plating, and minimal oxidation and wear. It features very nice pebble-grained panels, and a throat retained at both sides by small dome headed screws. They show no evidence of ever having been removed. Really a fantast example.

If you have been looking for a great condition Red Cross Officer’s Dagger, you just found it!

Specifications:
Blade Length: 9 1/2″
Overall length: 14 1/8”
Crossguard: 2 1/4”
Scabbard Length: 10 1/4”

History of the German Red Cross (DRK)

The DRK, “Deutsches Rotes Kreuz” (German Red Cross), a voluntary civil assistance organization originally instituted in 1864, was officially acknowledged by the Geneva Convention in 1929. In December 1937 it gained status