I have just picked up thru my ad to buy old war souvenirs, a WW2 Italian Fascist Youth dagger & the eyes of the eagle are white ( glass ) jewels. Upon examination, it looks like the white eyes have been on there forever. I've had these Youth daggers in before via my ads, & the eyes have always been red. Is there any significance of these Youth daggers having different color eyes ??
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The daggers you speak of were sold to American GI occupation troops. They were put together mostly from sword parts. You will find them in various types of scabbards. I have seen them with green and red eyes. So....... Basically white eyes are a possibility.
I believe the company was Gnutti of Naples.
They are collectable in their own right with many variations , but have no real connection to the fascist regime. -
Gnutti is located near Brescia, not Naples.
Please read here:
http://dev.wehrmacht-awards.com/foru...d.php?t=705355Last edited by kanister; 06-05-2014, 04:22 PM.Comment
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Thanks for the great information.Comment
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Yes sorry , I misspoke and gave the wrong name your correct,but I believe made in Naples.Originally posted by kanister View PostComment
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knives
Gnutti is a common name from my hometown , Brescia , actually more related to a valley ... Val Trompia ... which is knows to work metals since iron age due some old mines . most part of italian weapons are from the area : Beretta , Bernardelli , Perazzi etc etc .
I've heard in Neaples were produced a lot of daggers , knives , blades using spare parts from other swords to sell Allied souvenirs .Comment
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Yes, what we call "sola" (fake) to sell to the ingenuous Allied soldiers.Originally posted by PAOLORUBENS View Post
And these "fakes" are till today on the market.Comment
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Kanister , Can you please explain what you mean by "ingenious Allied soldiers".Originally posted by kanister View Post
Sarcasm ?Comment
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"Ingenuous", not ingenious.
"Ingenious" were the maker of these fakes.Comment
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Kanister Yes,I know my iPad changed the spelling , but I think the naive GIs you speak of knew they were not buying Mussolini's daggers just spending their money on cheap souvenir knives. I don't think they were interested in being early fascist dagger collectors. The GIL connection was made by a book written in the 70s with many errors. So I think the are not really fakes , but should be considered wartime and maybe postwar occupation souvenirs but having no connection to legitimate Fascist era daggersComment
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Yes, you are perhaps right and these daggers were then considered only as postwar souvenirs but today there are many persons that sell them as "fascist daggers" or "fascist youth daggers".
It's is only a fine dagger.Comment
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It reminds me of Hitler Youth daggers...those were resold after the war but with a change to the grip i.e the H.J. diamond insignia removed..and they were sold as scout knives etc...my father as a soldier in Germany serving with the B.A.O.R bought one of these Souveniers...so i guess its a similar thing with the Italian daggers talked about here...cheers Semovente..
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Yes, but here we have a "scout knive" that someone sell as H.J. dagger: the price is not the same.Originally posted by Semovente View PostIt reminds me of Hitler Youth daggers...those were resold after the war but with a change to the grip i.e the H.J. diamond insignia removed..and they were sold as scout knives etc...my father as a soldier in Germany serving with the B.A.O.R bought one of these Souveniers...so i guess its a similar thing with the Italian daggers talked about here...cheers Semovente..Comment
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Yes Kanister thats very true....is'nt it just the craziest thing...nothing changes !!...i know the daggers you said about seen one or two at military fairs etc...cheers Semovente.Originally posted by kanister View PostComment
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