WW1 frontline medic with huge knife - but what is it?

[ArHo]

Hey all,

just got this nice little picture - and I wonder what kind of knife this quite rough looking medic carries in his bayonet-sheath. It does not look official to me, more like a civilian (russian?) production? The card was sent from the Western Front on 24/8/15 by this man, Gefreiter A. Kettel of 12th company, Landwehr-Infanterie-Regiment Nr. 13, 13th Reserve-Division.

Looking forward to any ideas!
ArHo

Edited February 16, 2020 by ArHo

[Bayern]

ArHo ,strange thing indeed , to me he carries a circasian dagger into a bayonet sheat and frog ,notable also the handgun of the sanitater, a 1879 Reichsrevolver . Austro Hungarian medics carried the M1853 Pioniersabel , 1853 sappers sabre . a short  weapon heavier and with a wide blade . Perhaps your man served some time in the eastern front or cared some Russian POW 

[ArHo]

Bayern, thanks Circassian sounds interesting - I was irritated by the form of the handle I do not know from european bladed arms of the time. Russian was a "shot in the blue". Some caucasian arms I saw online looked very comparable. I will do some research, thanks again! Unfortunately this man is not in the Verlustlisten, and Prussian...

Cheers

Edited February 17, 2020 by ArHo

[Bayern]

ArHo ,the circassian Kindjal was used by Cossacks , Turks ,Tcherkesses in Siria and Iranians . the handle is characteristic in form dont matter of which material is made .the blade is straight ,pointed and double edged and with fuller.

[motojosh]

This does look a lot like a circassian Kindjal, but this is actually a private purchase knife made by Friedr. Kottenhoff, Gevelsberg. They were a prolific maker of trench knives, bayonets, and grabenkeule during WWI.

Page below from Deutsche Kampfmesser by Eugen Von Halasz.

 

 

 

 

[Chris Boonzaier]

Guess I am gonna need to get that book... wow... would never have guessed that was an issue piece....

[motojosh]

4 hours ago, Chris Boonzaier said:

Guess I am gonna need to get that book... wow... would never have guessed that was an issue piece....

It's a weird variant for sure, a member of another forum referred to it as the Rambo knife of its time lol.

The book covers both WWI and WWII knives and is well worth the purchase, there's a second volume as well. I'd also recommend Deutsche Kampfmesser 1914-1918 by Christian Méry.

[ArHo]

@motojosh wow thank you, sir! This is a really interesting twist to the story. Ive been collecting pictures of trench knife wearers for some time but would never have guessed this huge knife would be something that was produced in larger numbers! Books are ordered ?

[Chris Boonzaier]

I wonder if the starting point of these was an old bayonet, factory repurposed?