Czechoslovakian Dagger
 

Hello All!

I got this Czechoslovakian dagger a while back and have decided to post it. The handle was origenally the hoof in the picture but it is very fragile and I decided to remove it to keep it from breaking. I have orderd some old stag horn handles to put on it in the hoofs place the wood one in the picture is juast temporary. How old could it be? I think 1930's. It is stamped on the blade "Crown Cutlery Co. Czechoslovakia" In its old mounts it is 5" long with a 5 1/2" handle. The 'S' guard is iron or steel and the furrel is brass. I really like this little dagger because my fathers side of the family is Czech. I will post pictures when the stag handle is on it! Any comments are welcome!

Mark...

No Comments?

No opinons on age? Please I would really like some ideas on how old it might be. :shrug: I am a persistant bugger, no? :D

Hi Mark,
IMO the piece is mid-20thC. ; I used to see these knives available through the Johnson Smith catalogue and other Boys/Men's sporting periodicals of the time; magazines such as Argosy etc. .

Hello Rick!

Thank you for the reply! When I bought this knife it was in a box with several others very similer to it, most were stamped "Solingen, Germany" and two were stamped "Austria". I would have liked to buy one of the Austria ones but I had only enough money for one :( But I think I made the right choice... I found a thread with a dagger with a similer blade and guard.

Mark...

http://www.vikingsword.com/vb/showth...ighlight=czech

Were these daggers also used by the local people and not just exported?

Mark...

Hello All!

Here are the pictures with the "new" old stag handle. I think it turned out very good. The handle is about 4" with the brass furele included and about 9" overall. It required very little fitting. The handle was already made, I'm guessing it probaly came off of a old carving knife or something. I think the handle is about the same age as the dagger and has light patination and lots of small nicks and scrathes which I think add to the piece. The really white band above the brass is where the sanding I did went too far up. All Comments welcome!

Mark...

Note: In the last picture the sharp part of the blade is facing toward the flags so the knife actually upside down. The book is "Flags of the World" by DK publishings.

How would this dagger be worn since there is no belt-loop on the sheath? Is tghis type of dagger pre WWII or Post WWII?

Mark...

I USED TO SEE QUITE A FEW OF THESE TYPE OF DAGGERS THE ORIGINAL HANDLE WAS PROBABLY THE DEER FOOT THAT YOU HAVE IN THE PICTURE. I DON'T KNOW WHY THESE WERE USED FOR HANDLES AS THEY WOULD BE SURE TO LOOSE THE HAIR IF USED MUCH OVER A LONG PERIOD.THE WOOD HANDLE THAT WAS ON IT LOOKED LIKE AN ICE PICK HANDLE NOT MUCH TELLING HOW THAT CAME ABOUT. THE DEER FOOT MAY BE FOR LUCK OR A HUNTING TROPHY ORIGINALLY IN THAT PART OF THE WORLD. :confused:

AS TO THE SCABBARD PERHAPS IT SLID DOWN INTO A BELT AND THE WIDENED TOP PART KEPT IT FROM FALLING ALL THE WAY THRU. JUST MY GUESS :shrug:

Hello Vandoo!

The Deer hoof pictured is the origenal handle. The wood one on it I made myself as a stop gap measure. Personally I like the stag handle I put on it, I got the idea off of another Czechoslovakian dagger I saw on a web page with a stag handle. I will try to find the link. About the fur falling out, quite true I saw one from Austria that was completley "Bald" :D .

Mark...