Original Item: Only One Available. This is an original German WWII German Red Cross, or Deutsches Rotes Kreuz, enlisted man and NCO hewer, complete with its black scabbard and leather belt frog. It retains approximately 90% of the nickel plating on the hilt, intact Bakelite grip plates, its original leather blade buffer, a full sawback blade with visible factory crossgrain, and a complete suspension assembly.

The DRK hewer was carried by enlisted and NCO personnel of the German Red Cross. Its heavy blade was manufactured with a blunt point and unsharpened edge, while the sawback could serve as a practical utility feature for cutting wood and preparing splints or other field materials. Although substantial in construction, this example retains its original blunt edge and shows no indication that it was altered for chopping use.

The alloy hilt fittings retain approximately 90% of their original nickel plating. The plated surfaces show age related bubbling and deterioration, but there are no major areas of chipping or extensive plating loss.

The crossguard has an oval boss on each side. The obverse displays an eagle with partially spread wings and a raised mobile swas on its breast, clutching a Geneva cross in its talons.

The Bakelite grip plates remain intact and crack free. The upper plate has the correct checkered surface, while the lower plate is smooth. Both show only light handling wear and remain secured by their original screws and black finished steel slotted bolts. The fasteners show no significant oxidation.

The original leather buffer washer remains fitted around the blade beneath the crossguard.

The sawback blade is in very good overall condition. Original factory final polish crossgrain remains visible throughout both sides, showing only wear from the scabbard runners and past cleaning. This fine transverse finish is especially important to advanced German edged weapon collectors because it indicates that the blade retains a substantial portion of its original factory surface and has not been heavily polished or resurfaced.

The cutting edge remains factory blunt and shows no evidence of sharpening. The sawback teeth are exceptionally well preserved and remain pristine. Light areas of past oxidation staining are present on the blade, with some of the staining having been cleaned away.

Beneath the crossguard, the blade is marked:

GES.
GESCHÜTZT

This is an abbreviation for Gesetzlich Geschützt, meaning legally protected, and indicates that the design was protected under German law.

The scabbard remains straight, with no dents that can be felt. Its black enamel finish is relatively well retained, although visible drip marks indicate that it was refinished at some point after manufacture.

The later finish has since developed age checking and crazing. An area near the lower end has flaked away, suggesting that the refinish itself has been in place for a considerable period rather than having been applied recently.

The nickel plated steel scabbard fittings remain present. The throat retains more than 90% of its plating, while the lower chape retains approximately 50%. Both fittings show light to moderate wear and oxidation.

All four cheese head fitting screws remain present and are in good condition.

The scabbard is carried in a black leather belt frog secured with aluminum rivets. The gloss black finish remains in very good condition, and the stitching and rivets are sound. The frog shows only expected age and handling wear.

With its substantially retained nickel plating, intact Bakelite grips, original leather buffer, clearly marked sawback blade, strong surviving factory crossgrain, pristine teeth, complete scabbard, and sound leather frog, this is a particularly attractive and substantially complete DRK enlisted and NCO hewer. The hilt plating bubbles, light blade oxidation, past cleaning, refinished scabbard, finish loss, fitting oxidation, and general age wear are fully disclosed. It would display especially well in a DRK uniform, German medical service, WWII edged weapon, sawback hewer, or advanced German blade 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.