German WWII Luftwaffe Paratrooper Gravity Knife

****Please read full description and see detailed images which form part of the description

German WWII Luftwaffe WWII paratrooper "take-down" gravity knife.

We believe this is an original knife based on the information that we can gather from the internet, from an expert in Militaria and from the last owner of the knife who had it in his possesion for over 20 years.

It has a locking lever, pick, spine and lanyard swivel.

4" clean graying very good condition blade but no markings on the blade. (The blade could have been changed we do not know)

Wood grips show some wear to the finish as does the metal in a few places. We believe the wood is Walnut.

We can only assertain that it is genuine because (if not) generally some are stamped "reproduction" and from one of the best companies selling reproduction knives in the USA, there knives do not say reproduction but under the collar on the flat metal, they are stamped '612'. This one does not have any numbers or markings under the Collar.

This has no number anywhere apart from at the base of the spike where it is inscribed:

R.B NR0/0561/0019 (The 0019 is slightly obscured but this is our best guess) and on the opposite side it has a symbol with number 6 stamped in it. Solingen Germany details are outlined in full description below.

Originals are between USD $700-$1500. (Around the $990-$2000 AUD mark) and apparently the easiest way to distinguish the reproductions is with the serial number "612" stamped into the metal on the plate under the collar.

Again, this knife has no number and no stamp apart from the Solingen mark on the spike.

We would be happy to stand corrected on this knife and if any visitors to our site can shed any more light on the details etc of this knife, please let us know as we are no experts.

(We purchased this knife in good faith at an Antique Arms Collectors Meeting and have priced it according to the information we can gather) *The sale on this knife is final and no refunds.

Knife Information :

The "gravity knife" was carried by German Flying personnel, including Paratroopers (Fallschirmjäger) in WWII. Officially known as the Fliegerkappmesser (Fliers folding knife) these were designed as a general purpose survival/ utility knife for pilots, air crew and paratroopers. There were two main variants, the early "Type 1" which did not break down, and the "Type 2" that one could disassemble and trouble shoot if it became jammed.

This one comes apart in that you can take the collar off, swing the handle out, take the blade out and can clean the knife. (See detailed images)

The blade slides into the handle (as opposed to folding like a pocket knife) and there is an awl designed to help untangle shroud lines. A U shaped swivel at the end allows a "dummy cord" to be attached. To open the blade, the thumb latch is unlocked and pushed forward while holding the knife point facing down- it is not spring loaded/ assisted opening and gravity alone operates the blade. Closing is the opposite.

Please read additional information below under full decsription:

Item Description

Only One Available. This is a lovely example of a late-war produced Type II "Take down" version of the legendary Luftwaffe Fallschirmjäger-Messer, or German air force paratrooper knife (FJM or FKm), with a Solingen RB Nr on the Spike. These knives utilize a four-inch (100 mm) telescoping (OTF), gravity-propelled locking blade. First produced in 1937, the FJM was issued to German flight crews and paratroops, primarily for the purpose of cutting a trapped parachutist from his rigging in case he landed with a tangled parachute, or became entangled in trees with the shroud lines. Though not intended for use as a fighting knife, the FJM's blade could be and was used as a close combat weapon when necessary.

The Luftwaffe Fallschirmjäger-Messer uses a sliding blade inside a metal gripframe, which was originally fitted with smooth wood scales, usually of beech or walnut. The blade itself is a relatively blunt spear-point, and the profile is flat ground, tapering to a utility edge. To open the blade, the user points the FJM downwards while flipping up the fulcrum-style operating lever, allowing gravity to draw out the blade to its fullest extent. Releasing the lever locks the blade into position. The FJM may also be opened by flipping the blade release lever while flicking the wrist holding the knife, causing the blade to extend. The FJM was also equipped with a folding marlinspike or awl. Primarily intended for untangling rope knots, it can also be used as a prying tool. The FJM's spike does not lock when opened and was never intended to be used as a combat weapon, though individual German paratroopers may have employed it as such.

There are three principal types of wartime-era Luftwaffe Fallschirmjäger-Messers. The Type I FKm has wood scales (handle), was made from 1937-1941, and unlike successive models, has no 'takedown' capability. The Type II FKm is the same knife, but with takedown features, and was produced from 1941 to the end of World War II.

This example of the Type II FKm (FJM) is in very good condition, and is has a fine carbon steel blade, with anodized and plated steel components making up the rest of the knife. There is no number on the blade base, or on the inside of blade slide,. There is an arrow on the cross guard to indicate the correct orientation when reassembling the knife and on the other side is a symbol with the number '6' within it.

The "take-down" ability allows the cross guard to be removed, and the body/sheath opens with the end ring as a hinge. The blade can then be removed for servicing, and the interior can be cleaned to ensure the blade moves freely. On this example, the take-down ability functions perfectly, and the release and marlinspike springs are intact with no cracks. This is a fully functional example, and the blade of this knife is in extremely choice condition. It retains much of the original crossgrain and is still sharp. The blade does not appear to have been sharpened much, if at all, after the factory.

The grip plates are of walnut with the standard four retaining rivets on each side. These plates are in very good condition throughout, with a very attractive wood grain. The base of the marlinspike has an additional marking on it, indicating the manufacturer of the knife:

R.B.NR.
0/0561/0019

German RB Numbers, or Reichsbetriebsnummer, also known as the National Business Number, were an alternative to the 3 letter codes in use late in the war. The first number 0 is the prefix for "industry", while 0561 is the location code for Solingen, the largest and best blade producing city in Germany. From what we can tell from records, contractor 0019 is thought to be Paul Weyersberg, a well known name in Solingen. There is unfortunately not much information out there on the RB number system.

The take-down version of the gravity knives are becoming extremely difficult to locate and this is the first example that we have had in our collection of knives.

- SKU
  GPGK-0/0561/0019