Original Item: Only One Available. This is an excellent example of a very rare German Red Cross (DRK) Officer's Dagger, complete with its nickel plated scabbard and belt hanger. 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 light 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 caramel color, which is a bit lighter on one side due to different amounts of light exposure. It is in very good condition showing little use and/or staining, with no cracking and just a few small scratches. 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.

The blade of this dagger is in excellent near mint condition! It has full factory final grind crossgrain, with just a few tiny speckles of light staining. 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 leather blade buffer is present, and is in great shape.

The scabbard is in very good condition, with the steel body showing no bends or dents that we can see. The nickel plating is almost fully intact, and there is 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 fantastic example.

Attached to the scabbard is a very good condition belt hanger, with functional spring clips with a great patina. The buckles and keepers all smooth, with some accent grooves near the edges, and no embossed decorations. The clips are the regular hinged style, made from zinc alloy, and do not have any markings that we can see. They show some wear through of the aluminized paint, while the other fittings look to be solid aluminum. The straps are gray with red and silver stripes, colors associated with the DRK, and the velvet on the back is very well retained.

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

Specifications:
Blade Length: 9 3/4"
Overall length: 14 1/2”
Crossguard: 2 1/4”
Scabbard Length: 10”

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 as a legally recognized organization by the NSDAP. As with other essential services in Third Reich Germany, it came under control of the NSDAP in late 1938 under the auspices of the Ministry of the Interior's Social Welfare Organization.