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The RAD (Reichs Labor Service) was formed as a "make-work" program, beginning in 1934. All young man were required to join for a six month period, prior to entering the German Army. The organization drilled and performed digging jobs. Initially, both officers and men wore the large service hewer. This is a massive stag-gripped weapon equipped with a Bowie-style blade. The blade is etched with the motto of the organization, Arbeit Adelt. The scabbard shell is blued on very early versions, but mostly is found with black painted surface. The nickel or plated steel scabbard fittings are stamped with swirled designs and a swastika superimposed on a shovel at the bottom. After 1937, RAD Officers wore a scaled down model weapon.

RADEM - 017 - 26354C - RAD FULL STAG EM HEWER - CARL EICKHORN

This full stag RAD hewer is, of course, of initial production. Eickhorn apparently had the nod to go ahead and produce these hewers for the RAD. The initial examples produced had stag grips which covered the entire upper hilt to include the pommel top. They only made a few of these, as finding antler with the proper width proved to be very difficult and costly. As a result, these full stag examples are much sought after and highly prized by collectors. This example has all solid nickel heavy fittings throughout. The plating throughout the hilt is in nice condition and is 100%. The ferrule area still has nice, cris edges. The original number assigned to this property is stamped in the reverse of the ferrule. The stamping is “Fü224". This number matches the stamping in the scabbard throat. It is thought that the “Fü” designation would stand for the German word for leader “Führer”. Since the RAD officers wore the same hewer as the enlisted men up until 1937, this piece was most-likely an officers’ example. The cross guard below is a real beauty, also having good, crisp edges and it appears as though all of the original blackening is still in the recess depths of the decorative twin lines which run throughout the length of the cross guard into the curl design of the quillon. Fitted to this outstanding hilt are the full stag grip plates. These plates were cut by a master, as they could not fit nicer to this hilt section. They have beautiful colors of brown and gold in their raised grains and recesses. These plates show very little wear and have golden edges where they were trimmed. The full stag look is always immediately noticeable where the antlers cover the beak area of the pommel, but, when the hilt is turned to the side with the pommel pointed outward, this is where the best sight can be had. These grip plates are slightly thinner at the bottom of the hilt and get thicker as they rise toward the beak area. It makes for a great effect, sure to be appreciated by the next owner of this outstanding artifact. These grip plates are retained by screw and spanner hardware. The screws are pointing from north to south and they appear to have been out maybe once, but that is about it and there is no burring to the grooves. The scabbard shell of this example is nice and straight. It is a painted version. (Some early shells will be in a blue finish.) The paint on this example shows some spidering and usage signs but it is still quite bright and looks very good. This paint is about 85% - 90%. The scabbard mounts are beautiful, silvered solid nickel base metal. These mounts have the striking RAD curl designs stamped into the upper obverse and reverse and on the lower mount have the depictions of the mobile swastika superimposed over a spade having lined surfaces. This spade is positioned between two wheat shafts. The edges of both of these fittings, where they meet the scabbard shell, have beaded designs. The lower fitting shows almost no hits and is really nice. The screws are all there to these mounts and they are unbuggered and in good condition. The blade is also a fine example. It is the heavy Bowie style format and its edges and tip area are as crisp as the day it was forged. This blade is produced in a matte finish and, other than some of the mildest signs of age, is still in near full mint condition. The motto of the Labor Corps. “Arbeit adelt” is perfectly etched and has about 95% of its original darkening the backgrounds. The reverse ricasso is matching etched. It portrays the RAD triangle on top of the patent pending words “Ges. Gesch.” Beneath this is the early double oval trademark used from 1933-1935. It is a double oval which contains the firm’s name and location “Carl Eickhorn Solingen”. Inside is portrayed a seated squirrel with serrated tail. The rodent is positioned over the firm’s initials “ce”. An outstanding artifact here that has a nice, mild patination throughout, but if the next owner does not clean it for a few years, it will really take on an outstanding dark color. A fine hewer here.
Excellent Plus Plus. $2,195.00

RADEM - 018 - 26643 - RAD EM HEWER - CARL EICKHORN

This RAD Hewer is of very early construction and is extremely heavy in the hand. All fittings are of solid nickel material, having outstanding silver plating throughout. The hilt of this example is still nice and crisp with excellent beak at the top and sharp ferrule area at the bottom area of the grip. The cross guard is nicely curled at the end and all of the original blackening still appears to be in the crevices. This silvering has developed an attractive patination throughout. The genuine stag grip plates are in good condition. They have pleasing tones of brown and tan in the grains. The edges, as well as the areas where the grip plates were trimmed, have taken on a golden glow. These grip plates are retained by two screw and spanner hardware fasteners and the screw heads do not appear to have been out. The scabbard shell is straight throughout, being a steel base. It has the original black paint applied over it. The reverse scabbard has outstanding paint, still having its original sheen and being nearly 100% with only the slightest of crazing signs. The obverse has experienced some wear time and there are some chips to the paint surfaces and a little bit of rust where the paint has come off. The obverse of this shell rates at approximately 85%. The scabbard mounts are the solid type, having outstanding silvering matching the hilt. The upper mount has the complicated RAD curl designs and the lower mount features a spade with lined surfaces having a mobile swastika in the center. The spade is positioned over a set of wheat shafts. These designs are on both sides of the scabbard mounts on the EM pattern. The edges of both mounts have beaded designs. These mounts are retained by the original flathead silvered screws, all of which are in place and have unbuggered heads. The blade of this example is the typical matte finish Bowie style. It is in excellent shape, having a little bit of smudge in the surfaces, but it is not bad. The Labor Corps motto is crisp and deeply etched, having about 95% of the original blackening. This blade certainly grades at excellent plus plus condition and could come up nicer should someone wish to work on it a little. The reverse ricasso is matching etched with the RAD triangle positioned over the patent pending words “Ges. Gesch.”. Below this is the small double oval logo which traps the firm’s name and location “Carl Eickhorn Solingen”. In the center is a serrated tailed, seated squirrel. A very fine early Hewer here. These RADs are getting difficult to find. Excellent Plus Plus. $ 1,195.00

RADEM - 019 - 25842 - EARLY RAD EM HEWER WITH FULL STAG GRIP PLATES – Carl Eickhorn

Early on, the first RAD hewers were produced with stag grip plates which covered the entire hilt. Later, it was determined that it would be much cheaper (and probably much easier) to use a stag antler that covered only the grip area itself and not the beak of the eagle which curved outward to the left. The Eickhorn firm was the only one to produce early examples with the full stag option. This piece is one of them! The hilt is a very heavy, solid material having good silver plating. The silvering has taken on a fine patination, and although it shows some usage, for the most part this silvering is still in choice condition. There is some minor wear to the center ferrule area at the obverse which, no doubt, was the area used as a finger hold. If anything, this slight wear gives realism to the piece. The quillon is a fine example, still having nearly 100% of the original darkening put into the backgrounds of the twin line decoration. The grip plates, though, are what this piece is really all about. The obverse plate is just fantastic, being a lighter color stag material, but having very appealing upward pointing grain particles. In fact, this thing looks like it has big pimples sticking out at the top! Not very attractive on the face, but sure does look good on these antler pieces. The reverse side does not have as high of a grain, but still, there is a lot of it and it really looks good, being slightly darker than the obverse. These full stag pieces can really be appreciated when seen from the side view looking straight down at the eagle’s pommel beak. A wonderful sight, indeed, and also getting quite rare, as these pieces are not seen on the market very much anymore. The stag plates are retained by two deeply patinated screws with spanner hardware. They look like they may have been out once, but that’s about it. The scabbard is a straight steel shell. It has an anodized surface, as this was also the route that was taken by Eickhorn early on, rather than using paint. (The anodizing apparently wore off quickly, so paint took over). This example still has the anodized finish. There is some very tiny pitting that is visible in the surfaces in a couple of places, but it is not bad and does not really affect the fine view. The shell is equipped with matching solid silvered mounts. These mounts are in choice condition to include the lower mount, which has no sign of ever being dropped. This is quite unusual with these heavy pieces. The upper mount features the complicated RAD curl designs and they remain crisp throughout with good factory blackening in the backgrounds. The bottom mount has a stamped RAD lined shovel with mobile swastika superimposed. The shovel rests on wheat shafts and is the repeated motif on both sides. Both fittings have pearl designs where they meet the scabbard shell. These fittings are retained by early nickel screws which are all in place and are unbuggered. The blade of this piece is a little brighter than we normally see. (The later blades were produced with a more matte finish). This blade is still nice and crisp, having the Bowie shape. The spine is newlike and the narrow fuller is still crisp. This blade shows some minor scratches here and there and some in and out markings but, overall, it grades at near mint condition. A fine blade here. The Labor Corps, motto, “Arbeit adelt”, is crisp and perfectly etched. The backgrounds remain in the etching at about 95%. A very nice blade here. The reverse ricasso is etched with the RAD triangle and below this, the patent pending words “Ges. Gesch.”. Below this is the early Carl Eickhorn trademark, which was used from 1933 through 1935. It is the double oval design trapping the firm’s name and location “Carl Eickhorn Solingen”. Inside is a squirrel with serrated tail. Beneath the rodent is the firm’s initials, “C.E.”. A very fine RAD with full stag grips you will enjoy adding to your collection. You will never get tired of looking at the full stag grip!
Excellent Plus. $1,895.00