Germany, DLV. A Rare Flyer’s Knife, by Josef Munch

(Deutscher Luftsportverband Fliegermesser). A Deutscher Luftsportverband (German Air Sports Association) flyer’s knife, measuring 34 cm in total length when inserted into the scabbard. It features a 17.5 cm-long, nickel-plated, magnetic steel blade with a sharpened tip and edges. The reverse ricasso bears an acid-etched maker’s mark of “JOSEF MUNCH, BROTTERODE”, circumscribing the firm’s initial logo. The blade sits securely within a nickel-plated upper crossguard which takes the form of a pair of stylized wing bearing double-sided central black mobile swastikas, with an intact dark blue Moroccan leather buffer pad covering the seam. The handle grip is lined with dark blue Moroccan leather, and connects to a rounded, cascading pommel which screws in to maintain the knife’s structural integrity. It is accompanied by its original scabbard, constructed of a magnetic metal shaft similarly lined in dark blue Moroccan leather. Nickel-plated fixtures are secured to both the tip and throat, with the latter retaining a loop for the accommodation of a hanger. Balde and fittings has been post-1945 nickel plated and polished.