Russia, Soviet Union. Soviet Army Officer's Dirk with Hanger

A well-preserved Soviet Army officer’s dirk, measuring 340 mm in length when inserted into the scabbard. It features a 215 mm-long nickel-plated magnetic metal blade with a sharpened tip and sharpened edges, the blade with both edges bevelled on both sides. The obverse ricasso bears an etched maker's mark of "ЗИК" framed by a triangle (Златоустовский Инструментальный Комбинат = Zlatoust Tool Factory) above the manufacturing date "57" (1957), while the reverse ricasso is etched with the serial number of "П07631" (P07631). The base of the blade has a black leather washer, with the blade set securely into the gilded bronze upper crossguard with hooked quillons. The reverse of the handle with a brass push release stud, connected to a spring-loaded catch on the reverse ricasso of the blade, allowing for secure attachment to the scabbard. The grip is embedded into the handle and is composed of a smooth light orange celluloid, the end of the dirk finished with a pommel in gilded bronze and bearing the state emblem of the Soviet Union on the obverse side and is finished with a circular disk with a raised five-pointed star on its end, the dirk measuring 317 mm in length overall and rating near extremely fine. It is accompanied by its original scabbard, the body of which is wrapped in blackened leather, with three gilded bronze adornments on the body, a locket, a central band and a chape, each held in place by a single visible rivet on the reverse. The locket bears a raised five-pointed star overlaid by a hammer and sickle, with emanating rays above and an open-ended laurel wreath below on the obverse, while its reverse illustrates the Spasskaya Tower ("Saviour Tower", the main tower on the eastern wall of the Moscow Kremlin which overlooks Red Square). The chape is finished in a snub-nosed style. Both the locket and the central band have ball finials, each of which has a large suspension ring fed through them for accommodating the hangers on the belt, the scabbard measuring 237 mm in length overall, with contact marks and moderate surface wear, rating better than very fine. The hanger waist belt features a two-piece construction, with two panels stitched together, the upper piece in a lemon-yellow cotton twill, interlaced with three rows incorporating a series of bars in red, black, green and yellow embroidered threading in a repeating pattern, the underside piece in light yellow cotton. Both ends of the waist belt incorporate two rivets, along with a hook which is designed to attach to brown finished eyelets on the underside for length adjustment, seven at one end and seven at the other. The underside of the waist belt on the left end has two production stamps in black ink, each of which is framed in a rectangular box, one of which is partially legible, with "2 РОСТ" (2 Growth) on the top line, the other totally illegible. The left end of the waist belt has a brass belt buckle, the buckle bearing a hammer and sickle insignia fronting a five-pointed star with emanating rays, the star within an open-ended wreath of laurel leaves, the buckle measuring 42 mm in width x 49.2 mm in height, the belt fed through its loop and securing the buckle in place. The belt has two bars embedded within, both of which are secured in place by two rivets each and finished with two bronze rings protruding from the bottom edge. The waist belt measures 45 mm in width x 1,220 mm in length inclusive of the piece that is fed through the buckle and folds over onto the reverse. Both dagger hanger straps are in a matching lemon-yellow cotton twill, interlaced with two rows incorporating a series of bars in red, black, green and yellow embroidered threading in a repeating pattern. Each strap has a brass length adjustment buckle at the midpoint, with brass clips attached to loops at either end, the clips at one end designed to connect to the bronze rings protruding from the bottom of the belt, one of which has a multi-link chain with a large u-shaped hook affixed, the hooks at the opposite end connecting to the large suspension rings on the scabbard. Both straps measure 24 mm in width, the shorter strap with the u-shaped hook measuring 215 mm in length, the longer strap measuring 265 in length, the waist belt and straps together rating near extremely fine.