Vintage French Airborne Foreign Legion 1er Republic dagger

[kwakster]

Vintage French dagger from the Airborne Foreign Legion 1er Republic France Algeria Indochina (1948-1961)
Background on this regiment: 1st Foreign Parachute Regiment - Wikipedia

This example that recently came out of the woodwork is marked on the ricasso: "Rodrigues 1880 Amsterdam".
In pre-internet days this was a well-known hardware store in the Netherlands, and with an owner who was a knife afi with a fondness for quality.
Sadly he and his wife died in 1977 in the Tenerife aircrash, while going on the first holiday of their life.
They had no successors.

[









Specs:

Overall length: 29,5 cm
Blade length: 18,0 cm
Max blade thickness (ricasso): 4,7 mm
Steel: drop-forged stainless steel
Guard: stainless steel
Handle materials: Fiber and brass
Weight: 241 grams (handle heavy)
Sheath: leather with 4 metal studs

 

[Messeristbesser]

Very nice thread about a beautifull dagger, do you know more details about the manufacturer/trademark and the steel which where these daggers made from? Is it really true the foreign legion guys used this thing? Whats your opininion about the value of such a piece (got offered one)?
Greetings to the Netherlands.

 

[boogerbrain]

Wonderful - though it's not really my style, it's a great knife anyway. Congratulations!

 

[kwakster]

Very nice thread about a beautifull dagger, do you know more details about the manufacturer/trademark and the steel which where these daggers made from? Is it really true the foreign legion guys used this thing? Whats your opininion about the value of such a piece (got offered one)?
Greetings to the Netherlands.

Sadly i don't know the manufacturer or the specific steel type of these daggers, but they were actually carried & used by members of the 1th Foreign Parachute regiment.
The link below takes you to a page on the website of a French knife collector who owns the exact same dagger complete with parachute emblem on the pommel & regimental shield on the sheath.
The text below the pictures reads:

"Poignard Parachutiste Légion Etrangére 1er REP Inox France Algérie Indochine Foreign Legion"

Now i don't know if his example was government issued or a commemorative version.

couteau legion etrangere 1 rep (http://collectionneur-de-couteaux.fr/1.17%20france%20legion%20etrangere%201%20rep.htm)