My "new" non-Ethan Becker

zzyzzogeton · Apr 3, 2014

Just got a "new to me" Becker knife....

It's a GDBR Becker Solingen, Germany Boy Scout knife, from either the 50s or 60s. I don't normally buy "vintage" German knives because I don't really know them well and there are a lot of fakes out there, but I specifically got this one because it is a "Becker".
Here it is, alongside a BK16 for size comparison.

tanglediver · Apr 3, 2014

Very, very interestingk!

tjswarbrick · Apr 4, 2014

Germany's got some big Boy Scouts!

plastid · Apr 4, 2014

mod it?

zzyzzogeton · Apr 4, 2014

plastid said:
mod it?

Nope. I think I like it just the way it is.

zzyzzogeton · Apr 4, 2014

plastid said:
mod it?

Nope. I think I like it just the way it is.

stvpourciau · Apr 4, 2014

I would venture out to say that is a military style knife.

In fact its identical to this Hitler youth one, minus the swastika on the shield

http://www.quanonline.com/military/military_reference/german/danatomy.html

zzyzzogeton · Apr 4, 2014

Yeah, Steve, they pretty much are remakes of the HYK. Several companies made them during the war for various departments of the Nazi government. After the war, the same companies (and others) kept making them and just changed out the shield for whatever they were making them for. I believe they are still being made to this day by a couple of companies. References to Becker Knives are kinda scarce, but I found 1 reference each to the 50s and the 60s, (not this knife), so that's why I labeled it they way I did.

There have also been tons of fake WW2 era versions show up of this and other WW2 German military knives, which is why I don't try to collect them. I don't know enough to ID whether they are real or fake WW2 vintage.