late fathers knife

gtinc · 3rd January 2005, 08:26 PM

would like to know idenity of it please

Jim McDougall · 3rd January 2005, 08:54 PM

Qtinc,
Most unusual! This is a fascist officers 'pugnale d'ordinanza' from c.1935, of Mussolini's forces. Note the Italian fasces emblem. The 'fasces' was an interesting form of 'weapon' in itself...a ceremonial emblem of power borne before the Roman magistrates, made up of a bundle of rods as a haft for an axe head (fascis= bundle or pack, Latin).
Examples of these can be seen in "Armi Bianchi Militari Italiane 1814-1950" by Cesare Calimandrei, Firenze, 1987, p.175, figs. 1,2,3.

Best regards,
Jim

Montino Bourbon · 3rd January 2005, 10:45 PM

Yep, Jim McDougall is right... I remember seeing one of these first-hand in Italy; it had been owned by my friend's father, who was an officer in the Italian army in ww2.

Battara · 3rd January 2005, 11:20 PM

Yep, I'm with the facists. Well, not actually with the Facists. What I mean is that I agree with the Facist attribution. Well not agreeing with the Facists......Never mind.

Mark · 4th January 2005, 12:29 AM

Can you believe that they even managed to make the eagle on the pommel look like Mussolini?

If anyone has been to the pre-WW2 sports arena in Rome (near Ponte Milvio), which is lined with statues of various buffed athletes in heroic poses, you might remember that most of them have Il Duce's head stuck on the body(!).

Battara · 4th January 2005, 02:50 AM

Yup, like Hitler, Il Duce was a humble man.

Radu Transylvanicus · 4th January 2005, 05:43 AM

Agreed and guaranteed , Italian and fascist dagger , like the others mentioned already.
Still I have to mention that this is quite avant-gardistic design for those years , Italians have always got the fashion one step ahead. Look at the handle, so Art Nouveau / Gotham City , dont you think ?

3rd January 2005, 08:26 PM	#1
gtinc Member Join Date: Jan 2005 Posts: 2	late fathers knife would like to know idenity of it please Attached Images

3rd January 2005, 08:54 PM	#2
Jim McDougall Arms Historian Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Route 66 Posts: 9,815	Qtinc, Most unusual! This is a fascist officers 'pugnale d'ordinanza' from c.1935, of Mussolini's forces. Note the Italian fasces emblem. The 'fasces' was an interesting form of 'weapon' in itself...a ceremonial emblem of power borne before the Roman magistrates, made up of a bundle of rods as a haft for an axe head (fascis= bundle or pack, Latin). Examples of these can be seen in "Armi Bianchi Militari Italiane 1814-1950" by Cesare Calimandrei, Firenze, 1987, p.175, figs. 1,2,3. Best regards, Jim Last edited by Jim McDougall; 3rd January 2005 at 09:05 PM.

4th January 2005, 05:43 AM	#7
Radu Transylvanicus Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: 2008-2010 Bali, 1998-2008 USA Posts: 271	Agreed and guaranteed , Italian and fascist dagger , like the others mentioned already. Still I have to mention that this is quite avant-gardistic design for those years , Italians have always got the fashion one step ahead. Look at the handle, so Art Nouveau / Gotham City , dont you think ? Last edited by Rick; 5th January 2005 at 10:25 PM.

3rd January 2005, 10:45 PM	#3
Montino Bourbon Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Santa Barbara, California Posts: 296	Yep, Jim McDougall is right... I remember seeing one of these first-hand in Italy; it had been owned by my friend's father, who was an officer in the Italian army in ww2.

3rd January 2005, 11:20 PM	#4
Battara EAAF Staff Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Louisville, KY Posts: 7,161	Yep, I'm with the facists. Well, not actually with the Facists. What I mean is that I agree with the Facist attribution. Well not agreeing with the Facists......Never mind.

4th January 2005, 12:29 AM	#5
Mark Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Posts: 987	Can you believe that they even managed to make the eagle on the pommel look like Mussolini? If anyone has been to the pre-WW2 sports arena in Rome (near Ponte Milvio), which is lined with statues of various buffed athletes in heroic poses, you might remember that most of them have Il Duce's head stuck on the body(!).

4th January 2005, 02:50 AM	#6
Battara EAAF Staff Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Louisville, KY Posts: 7,161	Yup, like Hitler, Il Duce was a humble man.