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Warsaw Pact daggers

Article about: Good morning gents, I did look to see if I could find a thread on this subject but amonst the multitude of SS dagger threads I couldn't see one In the typical "Magpie" fashion of t

  1. #1

    Default Warsaw Pact daggers

    Good morning gents,

    I did look to see if I could find a thread on this subject but amonst the multitude of SS dagger threads I couldn't see one

    In the typical "Magpie" fashion of the general miltaria collector I often find small groups of widely differing items on the periphery of my collection.

    The officers daggers of the Warsaw Pact appears to be one of those groups and my knowledge of the subject could really do with some improvement. So, I wonder if there is interest here in discussing the subject?

    Here are general images of the few that I have and if there is interest I will show detailled individual images and we can maybe all learn something;

    Warsaw Pact daggersWarsaw Pact daggers

    My first question would be, does anyone know whether the Czech and Hungarian forces used officers daggers during the WP period? I have never seen any.

    Regards

    Mark
    PS I have belts to go with all except the Polish ones. Any Ideas?
    Last edited by Watchdog; 06-12-2019 at 12:15 PM. Reason: ps
    "War is an ugly thing, but not the ugliest of things. A man who has nothing for which he is willing to fight, nothing he cares more about than his own personal safety, is a miserable creature with no chance of being free unless made and kept so by the exertions of better men than himself."

  2. #2

    Default

    I put an NVA dagger (in velvet lined wooden presentation case, and complete with engraved inscription) on here a while ago Mark, but apart from the few DDR collectors on here, it attracted little attention. The daggers (and belts) do appear on 'eBay de' in spite of the rules, but they are stripped of the blades - or blades hidden, and sold as 'parts'... although you do get the blade with them.

    Cheers,
    Steve

  3. #3

    Default

    Quote by HARRY THE MOLE View Post
    I put an NVA dagger (in velvet lined wooden presentation case, and complete with engraved inscription) on here a while ago Mark, but apart from the few DDR collectors on here, it attracted little attention. The daggers (and belts) do appear on 'eBay de' in spite of the rules, but they are stripped of the blades - or blades hidden, and sold as 'parts'... although you do get the blade with them.

    Cheers,
    Steve
    Hi Steve, yes I saw your dagger and was quite envious when you recounted how you came by it especially when I recalled the markets of Berin circa 1990!!
    I have noted the ebay.de ads selling the daggers "without blade" and had assumed the it was a method of circumvention of the hypocritical policies there.

    Let's see if we can provoke some debate here!

    Regards

    Mark
    "War is an ugly thing, but not the ugliest of things. A man who has nothing for which he is willing to fight, nothing he cares more about than his own personal safety, is a miserable creature with no chance of being free unless made and kept so by the exertions of better men than himself."

  4. #4

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    Quote by Watchdog View Post
    My first question would be, does anyone know whether the Czech and Hungarian forces used officers daggers during the WP period? I have never seen any.

    Regards

    Mark
    I honestly don't recall them either but I would have assumed as part of the old Warsaw Pact that items such as officers daggers might have been produced by a limited number of companies and made available to the various countries made up of the old SU?

  5. #5

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    Quote by BlackCat1982 View Post
    I honestly don't recall them either but I would have assumed as part of the old Warsaw Pact that items such as officers daggers might have been produced by a limited number of companies and made available to the various countries made up of the old SU?
    Granted it does seem inconsistent but during my service we were exposed to all kinds of NATO publications on the subject which did include the dress uniforms of all the WP nations (don't know why because if we ever saw parade uniforms it would be all over wouldn't it?) and I don't recall seeing daggers on Czech or Hungarian uniforms either then or since. Pre WP yes but not during the WP period.

    As for the therory of a select number of contracted firms servicing all of the WP nations I think that is unlikely as most personal kit as far as I have seen (odd exceptions like the DDR/Polish para helmet notwithstanding) all seems to be made "in house" and the international standardisation seems to be confined to big stuff such as vehs, armour, aircraft, artillery etc. The daggers I have in my collection whilst not all maker maked certainly appear to be made by different industries.

    I don't know the answer but I am sure there is one and I will bet that somebody knows which is why I started this thread!

    So, come on lads. Let's find out!

    Regards

    Mark
    "War is an ugly thing, but not the ugliest of things. A man who has nothing for which he is willing to fight, nothing he cares more about than his own personal safety, is a miserable creature with no chance of being free unless made and kept so by the exertions of better men than himself."

  6. #6
    XJC
    XJC is offline
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    As promised here's the info I have on Hungarian daggers, including some info cross posted from here.

    From my research it appears that under the Communist Rakosi Govt 47-56, there was limited wear of daggers similar in patterns to the traditional war time ones but featuring the Rakosi Hammer and Wheatsheaf - As seen in the following images. These are taken from a Hungarian book.
    Warsaw Pact daggers
    Warsaw Pact daggers

    And as posted in the other thread - my example, purported to have belonged to Lt. Col. Nógrádi Sándor
    Warsaw Pact daggers

    Found in this same book is also the photo of the below dagger, more in keeping with the other warsaw pact daggers. Unfortunately there is no further information on it.
    Warsaw Pact daggers

    After 1956 I cannot find any reference, image or information on Daggers being worn by the Army of the People's Republic of Hungary, under Kádár János (56-88).

    Hope this helps.

    JC
    Last edited by XJC; 06-17-2020 at 01:52 PM.

  7. #7

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    Thanks for the extra info and pics. Seems the answer to my question is probably no.
    The dagger in the last pic is intruiging though as it looks very similar to the Soviet dagger of the period but without any emblem etc.

    Regards

    Mark
    "War is an ugly thing, but not the ugliest of things. A man who has nothing for which he is willing to fight, nothing he cares more about than his own personal safety, is a miserable creature with no chance of being free unless made and kept so by the exertions of better men than himself."

  8. #8
    XJC
    XJC is offline
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    Just found this on a Hungarian auction site:

    Legierős Rakosi 1952M repulőtiszti tőr eredeti db. - Aukcio - Vatera.hu

    Titled as M1952 Air Force Dagger. (Apologies not able to upload the photos at the moment)

    Annoyingly it's nigh on impossible to purchase outside of Hungary from this site.

  9. #9

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    Warsaw Pact daggersWarsaw Pact daggers
    A couple more photos of a Hungarian example.

  10. #10
    XJC
    XJC is offline
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    That's stunning Gunny, is that one you own?

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