Russia, Soviet Union. A 1958 Soviet Navy Officer’s Dirk with Hanger

An extremely well-preserved Soviet Navy officer’s dirk, measuring 340 mm in length when inserted into the scabbard. It features a 210 mm-long nickel-plated magnetic metal blade with a sharpened tip and semi-shapened edges. The obverse ricasso bears Cyrillic initials “ЗИК” for the Златоустовский Инструментальный Комбинат (Zlatoust Tool Factory) and a manufacture date of “58” for 1958, while the reverse ricasso is etched with a serial number of “E07233”. The blade sits firmly within the gilded bronze upper crossguard, presenting with hooked quillons, with a black leather washer covering the seam. A spring clip for locking the dagger onto the scabbard emanates from the reverse of the crossguard, releasing with a functional stud on the handle. The grip is constructed of light orange celluloid, and the dirk completes with a round gilded bronze pommel. It is accompanied by its period original scabbard, constructed of a boiled blackened leather shaft with three gilded bronze adornments, each held in place by a single visible rivet. The obverse throat fixture bears a raised anchor wrapped with rope, while the reverse depicts a raised sailing ship cutting through waves. Additionally, the throat and mid-section fixtures each bear a loop for the accommodation of a hanger. The latter is included and consists of a white cotton twill belt, overlaid on the top with machine-embroidered golden-yellow cotton twill and three multi-coloured bands. One end bears a gilded bronze loop with a raised laurel and oak leaf wreath on the obverse, meeting a clasp of identical constructed on the opposite end, itself with a raised anchor and five-pointed star. The belt bears dual integral loops, each connecting to straps of identical construction with functional bronze spring clips. Each belt has an adjustable buckle decorated with two lion’s heads. They complete with additional functional bronze spring clips meeting the analogous loops on the dirk. The reverse of the belt is marked with a number of “23623”. It measures 940 mm in length.