BACKGROUND: The DRK, Deutsches Rotes Kreuz (German Red Cross), was a civil assistance organization under auspices of the Ministry of the Interior. Due to its non-combatant status, it had to conform to the international Geneva Convention which directed that members not carry any weapons, including edged weapons. As a result the DRK Subordinates hewer was designed with a squared blunt tip, to preclude its classification as a weapon and allow its wear in the field. The DRK Leaders dagger, with pointed tip, however was classified as a weapon and could only be worn as a dress dagger, when not in the field. The DRK Leaders dress dagger was introduced in 1938 for wear by ranks of DRK-Wachtführer to DRK-Generalhauptführer.

PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION: Roughly 25cm long, dual edged, nickel/silver plated, drop forged steel blade with a raised central spine and large flat ricasso. The blade is still very bright and clean and the original cross-graining is till visible. The blade is unmarked. There is a coat of protective grease on it, should clean off fine. The thick blackened leather washer is still intact. The cast alloy cross guard, langets, and pommel all have a matte nickel/silver plating. The obverse vertically oval langet has a raised, smooth outer edge encompassing an embossed second pattern, (1938), DRK eagle with a highly embossed swastika to its breast, on a slightly recessed, pebbled field. The reverse vertically oval langet also has the raised, smooth outer edge encompassing a slightly recessed, smooth field. The cross guard features two deeply recessed horizontal lines near both the top and bottom edges. The unique shaped, plain pommel has a multi-slotted, flush, tang screw to the top edge. The dagger has an orange celluloid grip with ten raised, horizontal lines. The grip tapers slightly at both ends. The dagger comes with woven silver/aluminum portepee which is tied in the correct manner. Originally designed as a functional item to secure the blade sidearm to the holders wrist the portepee evolved into a purely decorative accessory. The portepee has a silver/aluminum cord with interwoven silver/aluminum slide and stem and twisted silver/aluminum braid crown and ball on a wooden template base. The dagger comes with its original matte nickel/silver plated, magnetic sheet metal scabbard with a pebbled finished obverse and reverse and smooth side panels. The bottom tip of the scabbard is also smooth and has a scalloped tipped top. The scabbard has smooth integral hanger bands with hanger suspension ramps angled diagonally upward with rectangular cut-outs for the hangers. The scabbard has both of its original dome headed throat screws intact. Of Note: There were two versions of the DRK dagger scabbard, with one featuring rectangular hanger cut-outs, and the other having circular hanger cut-outs. It is alleged that the circular hanger cut-out scabbard was designed for the Social Welfare dagger, which although identical to the DRK Leader’s dagger, came with a different set of hangers.