How to Authenticate a Hitler Youth Knife
- 1). Measure the handle and blade. An authentic Hitler Youth Knife has a handle that is 4 1/2 inches long and a blade that is 6 inches long.
- 2). Look for signs of nickel-plating on the knife's handle. Handles were originally nickel-plated in a checkered pattern. However, on many knives, most of the nickel plating has worn off over the years.
- 3). Look for the Hitler Youth swastika insignia on the obverse of the knife grip. Not all Hitler Youth Knives have the emblem, but most do. The insignia should consist of an enameled swastika design in red, white, black and gold.
- 4). Examine the blade and the core of the handle for evidence of solid-steel construction. The blades were made of 440 stainless steel.
- 5). Inspect the blades of Hitler Youth Knives made before 1938 for the presence of an etched motto. All blades of this period have the German phrase "Blut und Ehre," which means "Blood and Honor."
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