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 The hewers were originally made with a blunt tip and edge, as it was intended for combat medics, who would make more use of the Sawback blade, which could be used to cut wood for splints.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, which is what has happened with this example. It looks to have been arsenal or possibly even manufacturer sharpened to have an edge appropriate for cutting through sticks and small pieces of wood.

The alloy hilt mounts retain much of the original nickel-plating, with a bit of minor bubbling, most likely suffered during long storage. There is a bit of wear through to the non-magnetic base metal around the end of the pommel, and the grip shows signs of only light use. Overall the plating has a lovely lightly oxidized patina to it.

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, both showing no cracking or other damage. They are retained by the original screws and steel slotted bolts, which show 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, still bright and shiny for the most part. As mentioned previously the main edge has been sharpened, and it still shows the original grind marks very well. It does not look to have seen any real use since it was sharpened, and there is now some scattered oxidation on the sharpened area as well as on other portions. It also has not been majorly cleaned, so the crossgrain is still strong, except where it has been worn away by the scabbard runners. 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 very good condition, showing no dents or bends on the steel body that we can see. The black enamel finish is in very good condition, showing some light crazing and checking, showing that it has not been repainted. There is just a bit of finish flaking, which has allowed the steel body to oxidize. The nickel plated steel fittings are still present, with all four "cheesehead" retaining screws still present and in very good shape. They show light overall light oxidation, with some very small areas of plating loss. The scabbard is held in a very good condition black leather frog, which features plated steel rivets. The stitching is fully intact, as are the rivets, and the finish is very well retained, showing wear through around the top of the belt loop.

A very nice example of a period sharpened 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.