Red Cross Leaders Dagger for review

[hcliffe]

Please review and comment on this dagger before I put it up for sale on the estand. Is the portepee authentic? Thanks much.

[hcliffe]

2

[hcliffe]

3

[hcliffe]

4

[hcliffe]

5

[hcliffe]

6

[Billy G]

I believe this style portepee did exist in the period, albeit in very rare occasions. What I see though is that the knot's condition appears less weathered than the dagger. If the knot was original to the dagger, I'd expect a decent amount of tarnishing of the bullion. Not dispositive but omething to consider.

The hangers are not something I've ever seen before, they're nothing like my DRK hangers nor do they resemble Social Welfare hangers either.

How good was their source? I ask because there are a ton of modern accouterments floating around these days.

[Mat J]

I'm with Billy G on this. Knot is of post war production. Not only from the non conformity of wear but overall construction of the knot. Too fat of cord and lack of flatness of thread acorn construction. The hangers are just plain weird to me. Buckles and belt attachment look decent but the strap material is a complete mystery to me. A variant maybe but I highly doubt it. Better off selling the dagger by itself than adding questionable accouterments that would add doubt to the originality of what seems to be a decent Red Cross Leaders dagger. IMHO of course.

Mat J

[Serge M.]

I'm with Billy and Mat on this.
The hanger is a odd one for sure. The knot looks to be a 'Tommy Johnson' (postwar).

[hcliffe]

Thanks everyone.