German Boot Knife

[Aurangzeb]

Hello All!

I recently got this knife at a gun show. I know the knife is a German boot knife. It's blade is good quality thick steel that shows age as well as a makers mark of a compass. The Hilt is made of good silver fittings at both ends of a stag horn handle that shows a yellowish color as well as wear from age. I think it might be from the 1930s or 1940s but I am not sure. What I whould like to find out is about how old is it and especially what the maker's mark on the side is from. I think if this can be identified it might be able to shed light on how old it is.

Mark...

[Rather]

I don’t think that it is military or even a boot knife. There were some knives called “Graben Dolch “ (trench dagger) in first World War. (picture enclosed) Please observe the difference of the blade, which is more shaped like a dagger, not a knife.
IMHO your knife belongs to the traditional Bavarian costume, these kind of knifes are designed to be decorative, with relatively big haft (sometimes even containing a small flask for snuff tobacco. They are called “Lederhosenmesser” (leather trousers knife)
They are still produced today, but your example could date back to the 1930’s or 40’s.
A link to a producer of these knifes:
http://www.boellerkaiser.de/Bollershop/Pruefung/Messer/messer.html
or:
http://members.aon.at/hirschhornschnitzer/messer.htm

[not2sharp]

It is a traditional German hunting knife. It may very well have seen service in war as a privately purchased item. Can you post a clearer photo of the markings?

n2s

[Aurangzeb]

Hello All !

Attached is an additional picture of a close-up of the cutler's mark inscribed on the blade as requested. Thanks for the I.D. of my Bavarian Lederhosenmesser!

Mark....

[Aurangzeb]

Nobody knows this makers mark?

Are these knives used all through out Germany or only in Bavaria?

Mark...

[Aurangzeb]

Bump!