ITALIAN YOUTH LEADERS DAGGER Horster  #428

ITALIAN YOUTH LEADERS DAGGER.    Many collectors believe these were put together for the US GI's after the fall of Italy to the Allies.   Dagger is 11inches long and is without leather scabbard. The blade is 6 1/4 inches nickel plated with a 4 1/4 inches  leading edge and a 3 inch trailing edge. Marked Horster. The blade is not sharp. The youth leaders daggers were non regulation but basically had the configuration presented here with a gilded brass pommel, ferrule, and cross guard with a painted wood grip. There were three colors of wood grips. Black for the Youth Air Cadets, White for leaders, and Green for Alpine cadets. The youth Navy cadets had a dagger with a lions head for a pommel.  Jim #72