Original Item: Only One Available. This is an very good condition example of the German Red Cross (DRK) Enlisted Man / Non-Commissioned Officer Hewer, complete with its original scabbard and leather belt frog. The hewer has a blunt tip and edge, as it was intended for combat medics, who would make more use of the Sawback blade, which could be used to cut wood for splints. The heavy blade could however be used for chopping if sharpened, similar to the U.S. Hospital corps "bolo" knives of WWI.

The alloy hilt mounts retain much of the original nickel-plating, however there is definitely some flaking and bubbling from long term oxidation, most likely suffered during storage. There is a bit of wear through to the non-magnetic base metal around the end of the pommel, probably from storage, and the grip shows signs of only light use.

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 grip plates are bakelite, with the top plate being checkered, and the bottom plate being smooth and having a small chunk missing. They are retained by the original screws and steel slotted bolts, which show some oxidation. The crossguard still has the original leather buffer washer around the blade.

The blade of this hewer is the classic saw back type, and is in very good condition, with little to no oxidation present. It however definitely was sharpened and polished in the past, as indicated by the edge irregularity near the ricasso. It looks to have been done long ago, probably to remove surface oxidation, and there are now swirl marks on top of the new polish. Under the cross guard the blade is marked GES. / GESCHÜTZT, for Gesetzlich Geschützt (Protected By Law), indicating that this knife was a trademarked design.

The scabbard is in good condition, showing just a few small dents to the steel body that we can see, with no bending The original black enamel finish has degraded over time due to wear and age, probably retained now at around 60% with the rest having flaked off. The remaining paint shows crazing and checking, and the areas of the scabbard body missing the finish have oxidized a bit.

The nickel plated steel fittings are still present, each retained by two screws that show no sign of turning. They show light overall oxidation, with some areas of plating loss. The scabbard is held in a very good condition black leather frog, which features aluminum rivets. The stitching in the body of the frog under the belkt loop has puleld and rotted out, and there is some cracking to the leather in that area, as well as in the belt loop area. A wooden dowel with a wire hanger has been fitted into the belt loop for display.

A very nice example of a WWII DRK Hewer, complete with the original scabbard and frog. Ready to add to your collection!

Specifications:

Blade Length: 10 1/2"
Blade Style: "Hewer" with Sawback
Overall length: 15 5/8“
Crossguard: 3”
Scabbard Length: 11"

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.