German Boot Knife
 

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...

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/Bollersh...er/messer.html
or:
http://members.aon.at/hirschhornschnitzer/messer.htm

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

Additional Pix Of Cutler's Mark On Boot Knife
 

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....

Nobody knows this makers mark?

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

Mark...

Bump!