An Italian Army Officer's Dagger, Belt and Bandolier, c. 1930s-1940

Includes a dagger, belt and bandolier. The dagger measures 305 mm in length with the scabbard on, the magnetic steel blade with the usual in and out runner marks, semi-sharp edges and a dull tip, maker marked "SCUOTTO NAPOLI" on the ricasso, with scattered light contact and surface wear in the plating. The blade measures 165 mm in length and rating better than very fine. Flat brass crossguard, bronze gilt ferrule with a repeating interlocking rope motif, the wooden grip painted white and inlaid with ten rows of twisted wire, bronze gilt feathered eagle head composing the pommel and handle spine, ball on top of the eagle's head with die holes on either side. Crazing in the white paint on the grip, along with scattered gilt wear on the hardware, the dagger measuring 189 mm in length. Accompanying scabbard with a black finished leather body, stitched along the rear seam, chape with a rusted dual prong, reinforcing strap and belt loop strap attached to the rear of the scabbard via four rivets, gray eyelet penetrating a leather strap passing through the belt loop and having been severed at both ends, the scabbard measuring 207 mm in length. The belt with a 44 mm x 50.5 mm bronze gilt buckle at the right end, illustrating the left-facing Italian eagle standing upon a fasces, surrounded by a wreath of laurel leaves, matching receiving clip on the left end, the belt composed of two pieces, the longer piece incorporating a 15 mm wide black embroidered centre flanked by 12 mm wide strips of patterned fine gold-coloured bullion wire on either side on the upper, smooth finished butterscotch-coloured leather backer stitched in place with white and off-white threading, two sliders on the belt, measuring 43 mm mm x 900 mm, the shorter piece stitched in place on the left end with a black wool upper and smooth finished butterscotch-coloured leather backer, measuring 42 mm x 140 mm, the belt measuring 985 mm in length overall, with limited wear on the upper. The bandolier is fabricated from a magnetic metal, the exterior body with a black corduroy finish, with silvered rectangular reinforcing boxes on either end, the ring with screwpost held in place on one end via a six-sided washer, the other end missing its ring but its washer remains with loose the unit, the weather flap painted black on its exterior, with a 71.5 mm x 116.5 mm die-stamped silvered brass crowned left-facing Italian eagle standing upon a rolled banner centred by a star, a shield bearing a cross upon its chest, the underside of the flap with a pebbled fabric lining, twist-to-lock silvered wingnut tab on the bottom, latch affixed to the underside of the weather flap and when secured to the wingnut tab on the bottom ensures a snug fit, the bandolier measuring 32 mm x 86 mm x 150 mm, exhibiting scattered silvering wear, along with bubbling and contact marks in the black paint on the exterior of the weather flap. Very fine.

Footnote: From the collection of approximately 900 German buckles accumulated by John R. Angolia, who start collecting buckles, belts and brocades from 1944 until around 1990; most of the buckles were obtained from the American and German veterans; most of these buckles present a core of Angolia’s book “Belt Buckles & Brocades of the Third Reich”, published in 2001.