Russian knives?

[autoknife]

Have any of you seen these models before? A very good friend gave me one of the black handled ones for a gift. A friend of his who visits Russia picked them up there.

I have also seen these advertised as Russian paratrooper knives, is this correct? I do not own one of these yet, so if anybody knows a good source for either of these please email me as I would love to pick up a couple more. Thanks....Ken

 

[JB1964]

The Black handeled knife looks interesting!

I have not ever seen a knife like that one of which you think it ist for paratroopers, but it remembers me on the German Paratrooper knife. It is OTF too, but the blade Style is different at all.
But the blade style of this knife remembers me on an NVA (Army of former East Germany, allied with Soviet Army) paratrooper knife. This knife was a fixed, but the blade style was similar.

Bild geliehen von http://nva.4mg.com/

 

[bumpkin]

Das obere Messer erscheint mir anhand der erkennbar dürftigen Qualität, der Materialanmutung sowie des Schriftzuges "TURIST" wohl eher im Billigstbereich beheimatet zu sein.

Das untere Messer macht da schon einen deutlich interessanteren Eindruck.
Erscheint mir auch wie eine Kreuzung zwischen Fallschirmjäger-Fallmesser und NVA-Kappmesser.

Mein Englisch ist leider zu schwach um das verständlich auszudrücken.

Gruß Thomas

 

[autoknife]

The Black handeled knife looks interesting!

I have not ever seen a knife like that one of which you think it ist for paratroopers, but it remembers me on the German Paratrooper knife. It is OTF too, but the blade Style is different at all.
But the blade style of this knife remembers me on an NVA (Army of former East Germany, allied with Soviet Army) paratrooper knife. This knife was a fixed, but the blade style was similar.

Bild geliehen von http://nva.4mg.com/

Thank you for your post! There used to be a small magazine with just switchblades, and gravity knives here in the United States that is now gone, that did an article on the brown handled knives. I will dig out my back issues and see what the story was. The blade style does remind me of the knife you pictured.

 

[autoknife]

Das obere Messer erscheint mir anhand der erkennbar dürftigen Qualität, der Materialanmutung sowie des Schriftzuges "TURIST" wohl eher im Billigstbereich beheimatet zu sein.

Das untere Messer macht da schon einen deutlich interessanteren Eindruck.
Erscheint mir auch wie eine Kreuzung zwischen Fallschirmjäger-Fallmesser und NVA-Kappmesser.

Mein Englisch ist leider zu schwach um das verständlich auszudrücken.

Gruß Thomas

Hello Thomas, thanks for your post! I'm sure my German is 100% worse than youe English!
I agree that the black knife is a rather crude piece and probably is for tourist trade. I would still like to find some more though.

 

[JB1964]

Perhaps the NVA Fallschirmkappmesser which I did show in answer #3 is deeply influenced by the knife coming from Soviet Union/Russia.

As far as I know the armies of all countries under Soviet influence (allied countries) used to use soviet weapons and gear and copies of Soviet weapons and gear.

Sorry for my weak English, I don't have enough practice in writing in a foreign language.

 

[autoknife]

Sorry for my weak English, I don't have enough practice in writing in a foreign language.

Never apoligize for being able to read and write in more than one language, it is a very good thing. I can only speak and write English and must use a traslation tool to understand German, French, and Italian.

 

[teachdair]

as far as i know is this knife basically a polish design and became adapted for the nva and throughout the warzaw pact, so why not a russian gravity knife version?

 

[luftauge]

The OTF looks like an advanced combination (crossing) of the most well known west-german paratroopers knife (otf) with the eastern standard type (fixed).

The german standard para-OTF was used also in the federal german army (BW) and the national peoples army (NVA), differated only by the stamps but with identical function.

F.J Stephens did not write about this type, but Eugen von Halasz did show some pictures of the "commonly" used para-otf.
Where did you find these pictures ?

Regards Andreas

 

[autoknife]

Hello Andrea,
I had seen this model in an article in "The Newsletter" many years ago and those pictures I posted were from an auction that I didn't win a couple years ago on ****.
Are these the OTF's you are referring to?

 

[luftauge]

Hi Ken,
yes - these are two the west german otf/gravity types. There have been a few more manufacturers.
I think Teachdair is quite right - your picture might show a russian crossover model. The maroon scale material (bakelite ?) may be typical for russian manufacturing.

Greets Andreas

 

[ausjulius]

Have any of you seen these models before? A very good friend gave me one of the black handled ones for a gift. A friend of his who visits Russia picked them up there.

I have also seen these advertised as Russian paratrooper knives, is this correct? I do not own one of these yet, so if anybody knows a good source for either of these please email me as I would love to pick up a couple more. Thanks....Ken

hi ,

ok the first knfie is a cheap soviet knife, made in vorsma mostlikely,
may crude autos were mad ein the soviet times,,
it has a bottel opener and a lemon slicer, so not realy a street thugs material, unless they work in a bar by day.. and rob by night


the secound is a soviet paratrooper automatic shoot cutter,
it is only to be used to cut the shoot if you get tangles in it,, the balde retracts when pushed so you cant cut your self,,

ther ewas fisex models of this also,,

there was another modle of fixed model with a waspe shped serrated balde, they still use this , but now the handle and sheath are grey plastic instead of brown bakerlite.


oh man that gravity knife you germans issued to the military was a peice of poorly desinged junk!!!
nothing like the onld 1932?? model which was a well made good quality knife,
the new one with the green grip , as in the last photos,, the blade runs on a chrome plated steel liner,, which makes shure it is blunt every time its opened, also the guard is zinc and it has a bottel opener on it n zinc likes to brake and so do these knives,

from what i understand the east german knife was somewhat different.
or they had everal modles of it, ive seen some copies of the german ww2 made garvity knife but with east german marks and a button instead of the lever...

 

[autoknife]

hi ,

ok the first knfie is a cheap soviet knife, made in vorsma mostlikely,
may crude autos were mad ein the soviet times,,
it has a bottel opener and a lemon slicer, so not realy a street thugs material, unless they work in a bar by day.. and rob by night


the secound is a soviet paratrooper automatic shoot cutter,
it is only to be used to cut the shoot if you get tangles in it,, the balde retracts when pushed so you cant cut your self,,

Hello ausjulius,
Do you know of any sources for these Soviet made knives, or the automatic shoot cutters? I'd like to pick some up fpr my personal collection, and a couple very good friends. Thanks....Ken

 

[ausjulius]

hi..
hmmm , ok, well the small autos arnt a problem........
but the military knives, actualy they ar enot common in russia,, (in russa military knvies an such are hard to get , becuase they ar enormaly sold in bulk to companies in the u.s. buying surplus)
and in russia they cost 3 to5 times more than in the u.s. :O .. (this shoot cutter can cost 200$ or more!!!)

the cheap auto in the top..
well like this type is no longer made,
but medtec and saro and vorsma and other still make knives like this...
but the only problem i can see is sending them out of the country.. which is against the law..

other wise you could just buy one from any of the 100s of net shops selling knvies in russia
or i could jsut buy one in the market for ya..
but .. customes have , wandering hands,, and the check all.......