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Hitler believed German youth to be the future of his 3rd Reich. The Hitler Youth (Hitler Jugend)was formed officially in 1935, and with the exception of Nazi ideology indoctrination was very similar to the Boy Scouts. Beginning at about the age of ten years, both boys (Hitler Jugend) and girls (Bund Deutscher Mädel) were enlisted in the Party-run organization. The boys only were given HJ Knives after having passed minor exams. The knives had nickeled hilts with black checkered grip plates. The obverse plate was fitted with an enameled HJ swastika insignia. Through 1937, these knives were etched with the motto of the organization, Blut und Ehre! (Blood and Honor!). Examples produced after this date were made with plain blades usually bearing an RZM marking.
HYK #28931C HITLER YOUTH KNIFE RZM M 7/10 1949 - J.A. Henckels
This Hitler Youth Knife, despite its 1940 production date, is still heavy and of high quality. The base metal is of excellent steel and there is good nickel plating over the surfaces. This nickel plating is nearly at 100% showing only nominal usage. The grip plates are the closed checkered black variety and they are in perfect condition being retained by nickel rivets which have dressed heads on the obverse. The enamel is nicely in place and is in perfect condition with its diamond of red, white, gold and a mobile black swastika. This insignia moves slightly like it normally will. The scabbard is nice and straight and has pretty good original paint. The obverse has a minor amount of paint missing on the upper area with just a few scratches and the reverse area is nearly perfect. The original owner has scratched his name in the reverse of the scabbard paint, “E. Girk”. This paint rates at about 98% and it still has factory luster to it. The dark brown leather hanger and retainer loop are in place and still supple with a good working snap. The blade of this example is still fairly bright with a small amount of grayness to it. There also is some sharpening which goes a little bit up in to the blade surfaces but is not bad. Overall this blade would grade at about excellent to excellent plus. It is the style with short ricasso. The reverse of the blade has an open single RZM circle postioned over the J.A. Henckel code, “M 7/10” and the production date below, “1940”. The original brown leather washer is in place. Not a bad HJ knife here.
HYK #29032 EARLY HITLER YOUTH KNIFE WITH MOTTO – Justinus
This Hitler Youth knife is of earliest vintage and it still retains nice condition throughout. The hilt is the early solid steel base having fine nickel-plated surfaces. In fact, this nickel plating is still bright and is 100%. The grip plates are the early black checkered bake-o-lite. They are in perfect condition and are retained by fine rivets which are also solid nickel types. The obverse heads are dressed. The Hitler Youth diamond insignia is in perfect condition and moves slightly to the touch. The insignia looks great with its enamel colors of red, white, gold and black mobile swastika. The scabbard of this example is nice and straight. The obverse paint shows some scuffing as well as quite a bit missing at the tip area. The reverse has a small amount missing at the top but has most of the original paint intact otherwise. This paint rates at about 70% and still looks really good. There is a fine brown leather belt loop and retainer loop complete with working snap. This leather is still supple and very serviceable. The blade of this example is the type without ricasso. It still is mostly bright having some smudge in the surfaces. The motto though is all there and discernable. Most of the dark backgrounds are out of the motto but it still has a good look to it. This blade also has some mild sharpening but it does not affect the condition much as this blade still grades at excellent plus. It retains its nice early shape and is a desirable condition. The reverse of the blade is stamped, “Justinus” which is positioned over their logo of a battleaxe within a shield shape. Below this is the town of Solingen as well as the patent pending marks, “Ges. Geschützt”. The original blade washer is in place. A good-looking Hitler Youth knife here.
HYK #28940C HITLER YOUTH KNIFE RZM M 7/51/41 - Anton Wingen Jr.
This Hitler Youth knife despite its late vintage is a quality example. The hilt is made of solid steel base having excellent nickel plating. The nickel plating appears to have a flash coat of brass below as there is a little bit of the plating missing where the pommel and quillon meet the grip plates. The plating still though is at 95%. The grip plates are a fine black checkered bake-o-lite having retainage rivets which are nickel-plated steel. The Hitler Youth insignia has excellent enamel to the diamond with its nice bright colors of red, white, silver and mobile black swastika. Nice hilt here! The scabbard shell is straight throughout. The obverse has quite a bit of wear and age to the original paint. The reverse has also some age and wear but not quite as much. The original owner has sculpted his initials in to the painted area and they appear to be, “A.H.” All in all, this paint rate probably on about 60%. The leather hanger is a black color having excellent serviceability to the belt loop, retainer loop and working snap. The blade is an outstanding example. It still retains its original mirror finish and also has all of its crossgraining. It is quite rare to see a blade in this condition. The keen eye will pick up just the slightest of sharpening at the edge but it is nothing. This blade is in near full mint condition. It is the style with short ricasso. On the reverse ricasso is the double open style RZM circle with the code, “M 7/51/41”. This is the code for the Anton Wingen Jr. firm and “41” would be the year this Hitler Youth Knife was produced. The brown leather washer is in place and is in a new-like condition. A very fine HJ knife here.
HYK #28712 EARLY HITLER YOUTH KNIFE WITH MOTTO - Anton Wingen Jr.
This early Hitler Youth knife is of highest quality construction. The hilt is produced of solid steel base and has good nickel plating. There is a minor amount of filling of the plating on the area which is covered by the leather retainer strap. The rest of the hilt though is still bright and near 100%. The grip plates are the early checkered bake-o-lite type and they are in perfect condition. They are retained by nickel rivets having dressed heads on the obverse. The obverse grip has a fine Hitler Youth enamel insignia. The enamel is in perfect condition and has beautiful colors to the red, white, silver and black mobile swastika. A nice hilt here! The scabbard is nice and straight throughout. The obverse scabbard has good original paint, showing a little bit of age and a couple of small rub areas, but it still rates at about 85-90%. The reverse is in better condition rating near 100%. There is a brown leather loop as well as a retainer loop and both are in good serviceable condition. The retainer loop has a fine working snap. Nice leather here. The blade is the style without ricasso and it is still nice and bright. The blade has a tiny bit of light pitting at the tip area but it really does not look to be of anything consequential. The rest of the blade is really nice. The motto is all there being a light etch and not having much of the darker backgrounds but nevertheless it still looks pretty good. This blade easily grades at excellent plus, plus. The reverse is stamped with the maker little knight logo and above the logo is the firm’s name, “Anton Wingen Jr.”. Below is the location of, “Solingen” and the patent pending stamping, “Ges. Geschützt”. The original leather blade washer is in place. A nice HJ knife here and if some of the minor pitting could be rubbed out at the end of the blade it would really be a fantastic example.
HYK #28666 HITLER YOUTH KNIFE WITH MOTTO RZM M7/2 1937 - Emil Voos
This Hitler Youth knife is a fine quality example, being produced by the Emil Voos firm. The hilt has exceptional nickel plating throughout. This nickeling is easily in 100% condition and still has nice bright highlights. The grip plates are the standard checkered black celluloid. These plates are in perfect condition and they are retained by two steel rivets having finished heads on the obverse. The Hitler Youth insignia fits nicely in the obverse grip having perfect enamel to the red, white, silver and black mobile swastika. The scabbard is also a fine example having straight sheet metal on the obverse and just a tiny ding on the reverse. This scabbard has excellent original black paint. There is some spidering on the obverse throughout most of the surfaces but the reverse still has excellent bright paint. The black belt loop and retainer loop are in excellent condition with the leather still being supple throughout. There is a good working snap on the retainer loop. The blade of this example is still in nice condition. It is mostly bright throughout and almost all of the crossgraining can still be seen in the surfaces. There is some minor smudge in the surfaces here and there but the motto is still nice and crisp and it has about 90-95% of the background darkening. This blade has never been sharpened and has a couple of minor defects along the edge near the point where someone used it to pry something, but other than that the blade easily rates in Excellent Plus, Plus to Near Mint condition. We have to give a little bit of leeway on this Hitler Youth blades as most are so terrible when we see one this nice it deserves a little bit of overgrading. This is the style blade which has the short ricasso. On the reverse area in front of the ricasso is a double open RZM circle. Below this is the code, “M7/2” and below this the date of production, “1937”. The original leather blade buffer is in place. A nice Hitler Youth knife here.
HYK #28621 HITLER YOUTH KNIFE WITH ISSUE TAG RZM M7/13 -Arthur Schüttlehöfer
This Hitler Youth Knife is most likely unissued, as it was liberated complete with its paper tag still affixed to the reverse of the leather carrying loop. The printing on the loop is mostly worn off but if someone took the loop off and unfolded it there would be a way to see the details. Normally the tag would best be left just where it is frozen in time on the reverse of the leather. The hilt of this knife is a real beauty. It is nickel-plated over the pot metal base. The plating still is factory bright and is also 100% throughout. The grip plates are a fine perfect condition black checkered variety, retained with nickel-plated rivets and having dressed heads on the obverse. The nickel plating on the rivets is also in pristine condition. The obverse grip plate has a fine Hitler Youth insignia. It features perfect enamel having the bright colors of red, white, silver and a black mobile swastika. You won’t find a nicer hilt here! The scabbard is straight throughout and the obverse has good original black paint. There are a few signs of age and a couple of minor chips here and there from time. On the reverse the paint is also very nice but does have a few more chips, mostly confined to the right edge. I would assume these come from the knife being set in place on a table or whatever over the years. The leather is the late style type having fairly large graining in the surfaces. It still remains in choice condition, complete with the small loop and working snap. As mentioned above the issue tag is still attached to the reverse of this leather. The blade of this example is as nice as they will come and is in virtually new condition. This blade has perfect shape and has 100% of the original crossgraining. It is the style blade with short ricasso. This full mint blade is marked on the reverse with an etched open double RZM circle positioned over the code for Arthur Schüttlehöfer, “M 7/13”. The original leather washer is in place looking to match the leather of the carrying loop section. This is an outstanding Hitler Youth knife and a great chance to add an unissued piece to your collection if you are specializing in HJ pieces.
HYK #28542 HITLER YOUTH KNIFE RZM M7/3 - Kuno Ritter
This Hitler Youth Knife is a later made example having good nickel plating over pot metal base. The nickel is just about 100% throughout and still holds good brightness to its surfaces. The grip plates are the usual black checkered variety and they are in perfect condition throughout. These rivets are the nickel-plated type having dressed heads on the obverse and being magnetic. The Hitler Youth insignia is a beauty, wiggling slightly and made up of fine enamel colors of red, white, copper and with a black swastika. There’s no damage to the enamel anywhere. The steel tube scabbard is painted with original black paint. This paint has some spidering in the surfaces and a little bit of loss at the upper obverse area but for the most part it is still pretty good and rates at about 90-95%. The leather belt loop and retainer strap are a brown color and they are in good condition and very serviceable. The retainer loop has a good working snap button. The blade is a fine example still being mostly bright and having almost all of the original crossgraining still present in the surfaces. Other than just a minor amount of age here and there and some in and out marks this blade would clean easily to near mint condition. The reverse blade is stamped with a double open RZM circle which is positioned over the code for the Kuno Ritter firm,”M 7/3”. The original black leather blade buffer is in place. A pretty nice example here.
HYK #28422 HITLER YOUTH KNIFE RZM M7/68 - Tiger
This Hitler Youth knife is a later made piece having pot metal base hilt and nickel-plated surfaces. The plating is still pretty good throughout the hilt although it is beginning to wear in the area covered by the retainer loop. (We see this a lot with Hitler Youth knives.) The plating, though, rates at overall about 90%. The grip plates are the usual black bake-o-lite type and they are in perfect condition. These plates are retained by nickel-plated steel rivets having dressed heads on the obverse. The Hitler Youth insignia in the obverse grip wiggles nicely and it has perfect enamel. The enameling looks great being red, white, copper and with a black swastika in the center. The scabbard of this example is the usual black steel tube type. It has the original black painted surfaces and there are some scratches and age here and there but overall it’s about 80-85%. There is a good black leather belt loop with retainer loop having a working snap. This leather shows only mild age and is still in good condition. The blade of this example is exceptionally nice. It is still bright throughout and if you look closely almost all of the original graining is still in the surfaces. This blade has never been sharpened and other than just a mild bend in the edge toward the tip it is still in choice condition. This blade is in a near mint state and would really clean up nice. The reverse is etched on the ricasso area with a single open RZM circle. To the right of the circle is the code, “M7/68”. Horizontally marked on the blade is a striped tiger making his way down toward the tip. The details to this cat are outstanding throughout. Behind the cat is the firm’s name and location, “Tiger Solingen”. The original brown leather blade washer is in place. A pretty nice Hitler Youth knife here.
HYK #28429 MID-PERIOD HITLER YOUTH KNIFE WITH MOTTO RZM M7/68 - Tiger
This Hitler Youth knife is a mid-period example. It is of solid steel base metal having good nickel-plated surfaces. The nickel plating looks to be still 100% throughout. The grip plates are the typical early style black checkered bake-o-lite. They are in excellent condition throughout having close checkering. They are retained by nickel-plated steel rivets having dressed heads. The enamel Hitler Youth insignia is in perfect condition having great colors to the red, white, copper and black swastika. The scabbard is straight throughout being the typical steel tube variety. It has some wear to the bottom of the paint and the rest of the original paint shows some scratching and usage here and there. This paint overall grades at about 80-85%. The brown leather belt loop and retainer strap are in still intact condition that the retainer loop has to be handled gingerly. The snap still works fine. The blade of this example is still mostly bright. It shows some in and out wear and grades at approximately excellent to excellent plus. The Hitler Youth motto is etched into the blade obverse. The motto is becoming fairly light showing quite a bit of wear over the surfaces, however, all of the lettering though is still visible. There is very little of the blackening behind the motto backgrounds. The reverse blade at the ricasso is stamped with an open single RZM circle. To the right is the code, “M7/68”. Stamped into the reverse blade center area is a tiger making his way toward the tip of the blade. His stripes and facial features are very prominent. At the back of the tiger is the firm’s name and location, “Tiger Solingen”. The original brown leather blade buffer is in place. A fairly nice HJ knife here.
HYK #28558 HITLER YOUTH KNIFE RZM M7/80 41 - C. Gustav Spitzer
This Hitler Youth knife has a little bit of bubbling to the nickel plating around the pommel but for the most part the finish is still all there. The nickel plating on the backstrap areas and the quillon is still in good shape. The base metal of this piece is pot metal. The grip plates are in good condition being the black checkered variety. The Hitler Youth enamel is in perfect condition having good coloring to the deep red, white, copper and black swastikas. These grip plates are retained by nickel-plated steel rivets. The scabbard of this example is the typical steel tube type and it has pretty good original black paint. There is some loss to the tip area and there is some carrying signs throughout, but for the most part, this scabbard paint is at least 95%. The leather strap is a black type being that kind of leather that we see on most of the wartime pieces. It does not have the quality look of the earlier type leather but still it is in good condition and the retainer loop has a good working snap. The blade of this example is in bright outstanding condition still having what appears to be all of the crossgraining. This blade has a great shape to it and it has never been sharpened. It has the typical short ricasso. This blade is in near full mint condition. The reverse ricasso is etched with a single RZM circle and next to it appears the code for Spitzer, “M7/80” and then beneath that is, “41”, which was the date this piece was made. The leather washer is made of the same type of material as the hanger. Although this is a late made piece it really is in good shape considering there are very few of these pieces found with nice blades.
HYK #28156 HITLER YOUTH KNIFE / RZM M 7/13 - Arthur Schuttlehöfer
This Hitler Youth knife is a fine-looking example having excellent preservation. The hilt plating is still good, beginning to fail a little on the pommel area beneath the leather retaining strap. This is normal and is seen quite frequently with pot metal based later made Hitler Youth knives. The plating, though, is at least 95%. The grip plates are in excellent condition, having good checkering. They are retained by nickel plated steel rivets having dressed heads on the obverse. The Hitler Youth insignia has perfect enamel and looks outstanding with its red, white, gold and black swastika colors. The scabbard is straight throughout and has excellent original black paint. This paint shows a little bit of thinning at the bottom tip but, overall, it is still there at about 98%. It also has good brightness still in the finish. The leather belt loop and small retainer are all there but are beginning to become slightly limp from age and usage. It would be a good idea for the next owner to use some leather conditioner to aid in preserving this strapping. The small retainer loop appears to have had an old repair but it is well done and everything is in good shape with a working snap. The blade of this example is still nice and bright and also retains nearly all of its original factory graining. Other than in-and-out marks, this blade almost looks in new condition. If you look close though, there is a little bit of edge sharpening but it is not too bad and has not gone into the slab edges of the surfaces. This is really a nice blade here, rating in near full mint condition. The reverse of the blade is stamped with the Schüttlehofer code, being a double open RZM circle over the number “M 7/13”. The original leather blade buffer is in place. A pretty nice Hitler Youth knife here.
HYK #28015 HITLER YOUTH KNIFE RZM M7/13 - Arthur Schuttlehöfer
Despite the fact that this Hitler Youth knife has an RZM marking, the hilt is still the early heavy steel variety. This hilt has good nickel plating throughout, showing a little bit of thinning around the quillon and also the area where the leather strap covers. All in all, though, the nickel plating is quite good on this example and shows well. The plating is about 95%. The grip plates are the early finely checkered variety. These Bakelite plates are in perfect condition to include the Hitler Youth insignia. The enamel is still perfect throughout the red, white, gold and black swastika areas. These grip plates are retained by steel rivets having dressed heads on the obverse. The scabbard of this example is nice and straight and has outstanding original black paint. The reverse is nearly perfect, while the obverse has a couple of minor chips toward the lower area and some wear at the tip. This paint, though, still has its original factory luster and really looks good, being in near mint condition. The black leather hanger is complete with the little retainer loop. The very end of the retainer loop has gone to time, but the working snap is still in place and in good condition. The blade of this example is nice and bright, having most of the original graining still in the surfaces. This blade shows almost no age and is easily in near mint condition throughout. There is no sharpening on this example. The reverse is stamped with a double open RZM circle which is positioned over the code for Schüttlehöfer, “M7/13”. This blade is protected by the original black leather washer. An outstanding Hitler Youth knife here, probably of about late 1938 vintage.
HYK #27875 MID-PERIOD HITLER YOUTH KNIFE WITH MOTTO RZM M7/36/E - E. & F. Hörster
This Hitler Youth knife is still in good condition throughout. The hilt fittings are the heavy steel base and they have good nickel plating. There is some mild age which is mostly confined to the area trapped under the leather strap. It is not bad, though, and would clean up some if someone wanted to do it. The rest of the hilt plating is still mostly bright. The grip plates are the black Bakelite checkered variety. They are in perfect condition and are retained by steel style rivets with dressed heads. The Hitler Youth insignia wiggles in the grip and is in absolute perfect condition, having 100% enamel. The surfaces have a red and white color with gold diamond and black mobile swastika. The scabbard of this example is also a fine piece. This scabbard is straight throughout and has outstanding original black paint. This paint only has a few scratches in the surfaces and only the slightest bit of wear just to the very tip area. Other than this, the paint is still factory fresh and is at least 98%. Attached to this fine scabbard is an outstanding black leather hanger with original retainer loop and working snap button. This leather is also in a near mint state. The blade of this example is the style with short ricasso. This blade is still mostly bright, having a little bit of sharpening noticeable around the edge but it is not too bad. It does go a little into the motto, but only at the bottom. The motto “Blut und Ehre!” is still quite clear and has about 90% of the original darkening in the backgrounds. The reverse blade is stamped with the maker’s name and location “E & F Hörster Solingen”. The ricasso is stamped with a double RZM open circle and to the right of this is the code of the firm “M7/37”. The original leather buffer is in place. A nice Hitler Youth knife here.
HYK #27937C HITLER YOUTH KNIFE RZM M7/66 - Carl Eickhorn
This Hitler Youth knife is still in virgin condition and does not appear to have been cleaned since the war. The hilt plating is still 100% throughout the surfaces and although it has a dull patination currently, I think that if the next owner wanted to, it would probably clean up very nice. The plating still looks to be in 100% condition. The grip plates are the black checkered variety and they are retained by steel rivets having dressed heads on the obverse. The Hitler Youth insignia is in place, having perfect enamel to the red, white, gold and black swastika surfaces. The scabbard of this example is the typical metal tube type, being in good, dent-free condition. The original paint is also outstanding on this scabbard. In fact, this paint still has its original luster beneath the patination and is in 100% condition. I believe that this paint would come up to mint with a little work. The black leather hanger is attached to the scabbard. This leather also is in excellent condition, being complete with its small retainer loop having a workable snap. A fine scabbard assembly here. The blade of this example is the style with short ricasso. The blade is still bright and does have most of the original cross graining showing in the surfaces. There are also some stains which start about at the mid point and are noticeable also down at the end of the blade on both sides. It is possible that these stains could be mostly worked out because this blade surface is really in a great condition. In fact, if the stains were not there, the condition of the blade would be easily near mint. This blade has never been sharpened and has its nice, original shape. The reverse of the blade is stamped with the squirrel trademark used from 1935 – 1941. Beneath this is a single open RZM circle placed over the firm’s code “M 7/66”. On the reverse ricasso, the date of production is also stamped into the surface “81”. The original leather washer is in place. Not a bad piece here, which has excellent potential.
HYK #27465 EARLY HITLER YOUTH KNIFE WITH MOTTO
This early
Hitler Youth knife has fairly nice plating which is all there
except for the area immediately under the leather retainer strap.
The movement of the pommel against the inside of the strap most
likely caused this commonly seen flaw. The plating, though, throughout
this example is still about 95%. The grip plates are the early
close-checkered Bakelike variety. They are in perfect condition
and are retained by nickel rivets having dressed heads on the
obverse. The Hitler Youth insignia is also in perfect condition,
having fine colors to the red, white, gold and black swastika
enamel. A fine hilt here! The scabbard is one of the rarely seen
varieties, having a blue finish. This blueing is still at 100%
and really looks good. The scabbard shell itself is in perfect
condition. The belt loop and retainer loop with working snap are
a black color leather and are in excellent, supple condition.
The leather is stamped on the reverse with an oak leaf having
the letters “l” and “s” next to the leaf.
A choice scabbard here. The blade of this example is one of the
early initial production types that do not have a ricasso. Although
the blade retains its original shape and I do not see signs of
sharpening, it is slightly gray. It could brighten up, however,
with some semichrome, as there is no real staining in its surfaces.
The motto “blut und Ehre!” is still all there. It is
beginning to thin slightly but about 50% of the background blackening
still remains. On the other side of the blade, there is the trademark
of this popular company. It consists of a finely detailed cat
which is making his way toward the blade tip. This cat has striking
features to his face and his stripes are very prominent, right
down to his curled tail. Behind the feline, in large capital letters
is the name of the firm “TIGER”. Below this in small
letters is the factory location “solingen”. Horizontally
placed across the ricasso area in a rectangle are the words indicating
a patent was pending “ges. geschützt”. The original
leather blade washer is in place. Not a bad piece here, and a
high-quality example. These early pieces are getting difficult
to find.
HYK #26476 HITLER YOUTH KNIFE RZM M7/13
This Hitler
Youth knife is made of the later pot metal base, having a nickel
plated surface. The nickeling is still pretty good throughout,
except it is beginning to develop a couple of cracks in the surfaces,
here and there. The cracks do not look as though they are going
to spread any further, but nonetheless, they are there. The plating,
although having a little bit of underbubbling, is also still all
there. The grip plates of this example, at first glance, appear
to be crisp, but the keen eye will see that there is also a crack
in both the obverse example at the top rivet, and the reverse
example, just below this rivet. These cracked grip plates appear
to have been repaired, most likely with the use of some epoxy
to keep them in place. This is a shame, but if you’re just
looking at this piece, you cannot see it from a small distance.
The grip plates are retained by nickel plated rivets, having dressed
heads on the obverse. The Hitler Youth insignia is nicely placed
in the center, and has perfect enamel. This insignia features
the bright colors of red, white, gold, with a black mobile swastika
in the center. The scabbard of this example is a nice straight
one. It has very choice original black paint. This paint is in
near full mint condition. The leather strap with retainer loop
is a black color, and is the later type leather that we see. The
retainer loop looks as though it could have been replaced, as
it is slightly thinner than the usual type. It is complete, though,
with a working snap. The blade of this piece is extremely nice.
This blade is bright, and has all of the original factory graining
in its surfaces. In fact, I believe that this blade is as close
to mint as you will see. The reverse of the blade is etched with
an open double RZM circle. Below the circle is the code for the
Arthur Schuttlhofer firm, “M7-13”. This blade has a
ricasso, and has been protected by an in-place leather washer.
It is a shame about the broken and repaired grip plates, but the
job that was done is definitely okay, and a good restoration for
this knife. This knife has too many nice things going for it,
for the grips not to have been properly repaired. A nice example
here, if you can stand the repair. It is priced accordingly.
HYK #24819 HITLER YOUTH KNIFE WITH MOTTO - Gottlieb Hammesfahr
The hilt of
this Hitler Youth example is in fine condition. It is one of the
earlier steel base types and it has excellent nickel plated surfaces.
The nickeling is still bright and covers nearly 100%, failing
only a little bit in the area which is covered by the leather
retainer strap. Fine plating here, though. The grip plates are
the black checkered type and they are in perfect condition. They
are retained by nickel rivets having finished heads on the obverse.
The Hitler Youth motto is in choice condition and is the type
that wiggles a little bit to the finger. This enamel appears to
be all there and looks great with its colors of red, white, gold
and the black swastika in the center. The scabbard of this example
is in excellent, straight condition. The reverse black paint is
about 98% and really looks good. The obverse is somewhat less,
but still has excellent original paint, wearing only near the
tip area. Attached to the scabbard is a fine black belt loop retainer
loop combination. This leather is still supple and in fine condition.
The reverse of the leather is stamped with the maker mark which
features an oak leaf and the letter “l” on either side
of the leaf. The retainer loop has a good working snap, having
about half of the original coloring still remaining on the button
surfaces. The blade of this example is the style with short ricasso.
There is some mild sharpening that is noticeable towards the end
of the blade but it is not bad and has not altered the shape.
There is also a little bit of edge sharpening, but this is to
be expected with these knives. This blade is still in good condition
and probably would come up a bit brighter with some semi-chrome
polish. It still looks pretty good and the motto is very evident,
having about 70% - 80% of its original backgrounding. This blade
grades at about excellent plus. The reverse is stamped with the
pyramid figure having a plus sign in the middle. The firm’s
name and location along with the patent pending marks are stamped
to the right of the pyramid “Gottlieb Hammesfahr/Solingen,
Foche/Ges. Gesch.”. The original leather washer is in place
on this blade. A fine mid-period Hitler Youth example here with
motto. These are getting very difficult to locate in any kind
of condition.
HYK #26173 UNUSUAL HITLER YOUTH KNIFE WITH MOTTO - E.P. & S.
The Pack Company
made a unique Hitler Youth knife, which is much different from
other producers. In fact, it resembles a bayonet more than it
does a Youth knife. This example shows some overall age discoloration,
but it is all there, and is a very rarely seen variation. The
hilt area is of steel base construction. The pommel is slightly
different from other Youth knives, in that the eagle head beak
is much more prominent, just like a bayonet would be. The lower
quillon crossguard is the same as normally seen. The nickel plating
has mostly gone from this piece, and it has a dull brown patination
over the hilt parts. The grip plates are an outstanding black
checkered bakelite. This bakelite still remains crisp. Just like
other products made by this company, the plates are retained by
rivet and spanner hardware, meaning that the plates could be taken
off. Strange as it may seem, the rivets still retain their perfect
nickel plating, as do the spanners. The Hitler Youth insignia
is in perfect condition and wiggles nicely. This insignia features
red, white, gold, and black swastika enamel. It really looks good
against the darkness of this hilt. The scabbard is a standard
Hitler Youth type, being of tube steel. It appears as though it
had a blue finish rather than paint, although most of the blue
seems to be gone. The scabbard has a dull dark patination across
its surfaces, matching that of the hilt. There is a good black
leather belt retainer loop section, and the retainer is complete
with a working snap. The blade has some dark spots in its surfaces,
but it still retains its original shape. The motto is on the obverse,
and is still quite visible, having about 20% to 30% of the original
background darkening. This blade could be cleaned up some, as
the dark spots are really stains not rust. This blade only grades
at about excellent. The reverse ricasso has the stamped hammering
Siegfried figure, and to the right of this, is the firm’s
initials and location, “E.P.S., Solingen”. A fine example
here for the Hitler Youth “type” collector out there.
Rarely seen variation.
HYK #27510 HITLER YOUTH KNIFE RZM M7/42 - WKC
The hilt fittings
of this Hitler Youth Knife are as nice as you will see. They have
100% of the nickel plating, and the plating is still bright and
new-like. It is a pleasure to view such a fine hilt! The grip
plates are nice and crisp, with their black bakelite checkering.
These plates are retained by rivets, having dressed heads on the
obverse. The rivets also match the hilt plating. The Hitler Youth
insignia wiggles, and has 100% enamel to the red, white, gold,
and black swastika colors. An outstanding hilt here! The scabbard
of this example is nice and straight throughout, and has 100%
of the paint. The paint shows a couple of signs of carrying, but
not enough to take it from a mint rating. Attached to the reverse
of the scabbard is the seldom seen usage of black plastic. Once
in a while, we see plastic used on RLB hangers, as well as Hitler
Youth hanger straps. This plastic is in perfect condition, making
for a belt loop assembly. The retainer loop is produced of black
plastic, with a working snap clip. Very fine scabbard here, and
rare to see the plastic variation. The blade of this example is
also as nice as you will see. It is bright, and has 100% grain
to the finish. This blade is in mint condition, having a short
ricasso. The ricasso is stamped with the WKC maker code, and date
of production. It has a double open RZM circle, with the code
“M7/42”. Below this is the date of production, “1942”.
The original leather protective washer is in place, being a pebbled
type. An extremely nice Hitler Youth Knife here. It is very difficult
to find Hitler Youth knives in this condition.
HYK #26820 EARLY HITLER YOUTH KNIFE WITH MOTTO
This Hitler
Youth knife is one of the initial production types which has the
distinct bird head silhouette, similar to what we would see with
a bayonet. In looking at some of my photograph collection, I do
see early Hitler Youth leaders wearing Hitler Youth knives with
this bird head feature and it is possible that this was the type
that was designated for leaders. It also may be that it was just
an early version. At any rate, this is a great HJ knife for serious
“type” collectors. The steel base of this hilt is very
heavy and of quality metal. It is nickel plated and the plating
is still nearly 100% throughout. The grip plates are the early
heavily checkered Bakelite type. They are retained with nickel
rivets having dressed heads on the obverse and a good attempt
at dressing on the reverse. These grip plates are in good condition.
The original Hitler Youth insignia has a crack and missing piece
of enamel up at the top quadrant of the diamond. There is also
a small portion of the white enamel to the left of the swastika
which is missing. The rest, though, is all there and still in
good condition. This HJ insignia is the style with a coppery color
border as well as the metal surrounding the mobile black swastika.
It is a shame that the HJ insignia is flawed but, nevertheless,
this is an extremely rare piece here. The scabbard of this example
has a few small ripple style dents, but it is nothing that is
bad. This steel tube scabbard has excellent paint on the reverse,
whereas the obverse shows quite a bit of usage as well as missing
paint at the tip area. There is a heavy-duty brown leather belt
loop with retainer. The retainer loop has a good brown working
snap. The blade of this example is the style that does not have
ricasso. This is the earliest form. This blade has a single edge
and still retains its original shape. It has been sharpened, but
most of the sharpening is confined to the edge, although there
is a little bit of scarring that runs up into the motto slightly.
The blade is also beginning to turn gray but it is not too bad.
There is a small amount of graining which still appears in the
surfaces. The motto “Blut und Ehre!” is still very clear
and has about 80% of the original darkening in the backgrounds.
The reverse of the blade is stamped “E & F Hörster
Solingen”. Beneath this, it is stamped with the patent pending
marks “Ges. Geschützt”. This blade grades at only
excellent to maybe excellent plus. The original leather washer
is in place. A very rare Hitler Youth variation.
HYK #27696 HITLER YOUTH KNIFE WITH MOTTO - Hartkoph
This is an
early production Hitler Youth knife. The hilt is of solid steel
base and it has good nickel plating. The nickel plating is nearly
100%, still having good brightness to it and just a little bit
of freckling in the finish, but not bad. This plating would clean
up nice. The grip plates are the early black Bakelite style, having
good checkering. They are in perfect condition throughout and
are retained by nickel plated steel rivets having dressed heads
on the obverse. The Hitler Youth insignia is a beauty which wiggles
slightly. It has all of its enamel to its red, white, gold and
black swastika surfaces. The scabbard is nice and straight. It
does have what looks to be a touch up paint job, probably done
during the period. At any rate, the paint is very old but is at
100%. The scabbard shell is complete with a leather belt loop
and small retainer loop. The working snap is in position and this
leather is still fairly supple. The blade is the early style without
ricasso. This blade has some mild smudge, more on the obverse
than reverse, but it also has much of its original brightness
still there too. The blade grades at about excellent plus and
would clean up quite a bit if someone were to work on it. The
motto is done with a crisp etch and appears to still have about
90% of the etch in the backgrounds. It is a thin style etch. The
reverse of the blade is stamped with the popular trademark consisting
of the two devil heads. Next to the heads is the firm’s name
and location “Hartkopf and Company Solingen”. Underneath
this and stamped horizontally is the patent pending quote “ges.
Geschütze”. This blade is protected by an in-place brown
leather washer. A pretty nice, early vintage Hitler Youth knife
here.
