Original German Pre-WWII Red Cross Deutsches Rotes Kreuz (DRK) Hewer With Scabbard & Frog

Original German Pre-WWII Red Cross Deutsches Rotes Kreuz (DRK) Hewer With Scabbard & Frog

In 1938, the Deutsches Rotes Kreuz (German Red Cross) was formally recognized as an official organization of the NSDAP, and with that designation came the introduction of a distinctive edged weapon: the “Hauer für Mannschaften”, the Red Cross Hewer for enlisted personnel. Unlike traditional dress daggers, this utilitarian blade featured a blunt tip, a single cutting edge, and a sawback spine, designed not only for ceremonial use but also for practical field tasks such as preparing splints, bandages, and casts. Issued from unit stock as needed, these weapons were not privately purchased, making them a unique item among German edged weapons of the era.

An original German Red Cross enlisted personnel’s hewer, complete with its original steel scabbard and black leather frog. This example features the distinctive sawback blade with a blunt tip and remains in very good to excellent overall condition.

Hilt:
The nickel-plated hilt retains much of its finish, with light age toning, scattered scratches, and small areas of finish wear, particularly on the pommel. The crossguard’s oval medallion features the DRK eagle and cross emblem, which retains crisp detail and clear definition.

Grip:
The black grip plates feature a checkered front and smooth reverse. The checkering remains sharply defined, while the reverse shows light handling marks. Both plates remain securely fitted and in excellent condition, with no apparent cracks or significant chips.

Blade:
The heavy sawback blade remains bright and in excellent condition, with well-defined saw teeth, a pronounced fuller, and visible original crossgraining on both sides. Scattered light gray spotting is present on one side, while the opposite side remains particularly clean. The blade is marked “Ges. Geschützt,” meaning “Legally Protected.” The leather buffer remains present beneath the crossguard, showing some age and wear around its exposed edges.

Scabbard:
The steel scabbard retains a substantial amount of its original black paint, with scratches and scattered areas of chipping and finish loss exposing the underlying metal. It remains straight and undented. The metal fittings remain secure and show light age toning, spotting, and handling wear.

Frog:
The original black leather frog remains supple and intact, with solid stitching and secure rivets. The leather shows creasing, fine surface cracking, scuffing, and edge wear consistent with age. An “H” marking is visible on the reverse.

Please refer to the photographs for additional details and condition.
Condition remains in excellent condition. Please refer to the photos for more details and actual condition.

Note(s):
Portions of the photos have been digitally censored for platform compliance only. The item itself is completely unaltered. Additional uncensored photos are available upon request. Contact us at [email protected], call or text us at (856) 294-9310.

Due to the value of this item, a special handling fee has been included in the shipping cost to ensure it is properly and securely packaged and insured. If the final shipping and handling cost is less than estimated, we will gladly refund a portion of the overage.