Soviet Navy dagger

[Phil2012]

Hello!

As a collector, I'm mainly interested in soviet and russian submarines (have a look at "Europe non Socialist States / Russia / Russian Federation: "Typhoons submarines badges and medals"). But I sometimes happen to buy other items from Navy, when I consider they're very good looking and very representative. Among these items, here is my officer's dagger:

It's 13 3/8 (34,5cm) long with the scabbard.

The dagger itself is 12 1/2 (32cm) long. The blade is 8 3/8 (21cm) long. The handle is made of wood and gilted brass. The blade is made of stainless steel.

The scabbard is made of wood, covered with black leather with gilted brass elements.

On the sides of the scabbard, an anchor and a ship:

On the blade, the logo and the name of manufacturer "Bulat" and the year of manufacture:

On the other side, the number of the dagger:

At the top of the handle, the coat of arms of the USSR:

Many accessories (buttons, cap badges, breast badges, etc...) featuring soviet symbols still were used for the two or three years following the official collapse of the communist regime in 1991. Certainly because there were stocks! Now, on the Navy dagger, there is a double-headed eagle.

[Phil2012]

Here are pictures to show how the dagger is worn:

At the end of their studies, the young officers receive their diploma and dagger. It's a tradition of plunging daggers into a huge glass of champagne and drink:

My dagger on a frame, with a copy of Saint George Order:

;)

[kapten_windu]

Here are pictures to show how the dagger is worn:

At the end of their studies, the young officers receive their diploma and dagger. It's a tradition of plunging daggers into a huge glass of champagne and drink:

My dagger on a frame, with a copy of Saint George Order:

very nice display!!

who's the man on the left picture?

[Phil2012]

Thank you!

The man on the left picture is my grand father. He was a Resistant during WW2, and the document in this small frame is his card of member of the Interior French Forces (in french: Forces Françaises de l'Intérieur, or FFI), the national resistance network. At the same time, he was a male nurse in the Passive Defense.

[Mervyn Mitton]

Phil - an interesting and well presented post. The dagger is well made and attractive - is this still the

current pattern ? Mervyn

[Phil2012]

Hi, Mervyn,

yes, the Navy dagger still is the same. Except, as I said, the double-headed eagle on the handle instead of USSR coat of arms. But it's almost impossible to get such a dagger, at this time. On a famous auction website, I saw only once and the price was too high for me, unfortunately: a Navy dagger of Soviet era most commonly costs around 300 USD. I was lucky to win the auction for mine below 180 ! But the starting price of the only dagger of Russian Federation I saw was above 400 !.. Too much expensive for me ...

[Mervyn Mitton]

Well - you did well with the price on this one Phil - a lovely speciman.

Do you have any other edged weapons that could come onto this Forum ? Mervyn

[Phil2012]

No, Mervyn, sorry! This dagger is the only edged weapon I own!.. But I'm still looking for a Navy dagger with double-headed eagle !..

[Mathomhaus]

For a few years now, a prominent American dealer in Third Reich edged weapons has had one of the post-USSR Russian naval dirks on his site for US$ 395.00. His description reads in part, "“The front section of the pommel displays the Russian two headed eagle with crown above. … On the obverse [of the blade] there is a number etched in, “2005” and below that the letter, “C”. I believe this is an accountability number not the date as this piece looks to be from the 1960s or 70s. "

Current Russian Federation naval daggers with post-2000 dates on the blades do show up every once in a while in the US at gun shows. They are offered at various prices but most dealers seem to be willing to settle for a final price somewhere in the three hundred dollar range. Because the eagle on the pommel identifies them as not being Soviet, they seem to be very slow sellers - unless, of course, a collector is working on a "type" collection (which is why I bought one!)

Regards

[Mervyn Mitton]

Mathomhaus - some good information for collectors. I think this is an attractive dagger and well worth adding to a collection.

The prices you quote seem fairly reasonable $350 = 218 pounds sterling.

Do you have other articles from your collection that you could post ? Mervyn

[Mathomhaus]

Dear Mervyn,

After the holidays are over, certainly by 10 January, I'll post photos of my four daggers in this thread (Soviet Navy w/WW2 date, Soviet Army, Soviet Air Force with an etched presentation, Russian Federation navy).

I feel that we all owe Phil2012 a debt of gratitude. I've seen photos before of Russian & Soviet naval personnel receiving their officer daggers in ceremonies(usually along with their new officer's shoulder boards), but I've never seen that ritual with the champagne glasses!

For the record, many of the current Russian naval daggers that I've seen in recent years have central grip sections that do not fit as well as the grips on older, Soviet era daggers. If you buy one on the Internet, look at the photo carefully to see if the narrow "panels" on the four corners of the handle line up satisfactorily with the metal fittings above and below. Frankly, some of the modern handles could be made of some type of wood - it certainly does not appear to be any of the composition materials used "back in the day."

Regards.

[thebig]

Hi gents,

I have also a few soviet daggers in my collection.

Regards

Oleg.

Edited December 30, 2012 by thebig

[Mervyn Mitton]

Oleg - a lovely collection - and good that you have so many with suspension belts. Welcome to GMIC and I am sure your

posting will bring a lot of replies - and hopefully more pictures of collections. Mervyn

[thebig]

Thank you, Mervyn.

Happy New Year to all!

Oleg.