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#263214 04/13/2012 12:40 AM
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Hello Collectors,

Just arriving today, my new addition to my skinning knife collection. This little Kuno Ritter has detail pouring out of it all over. The upper, lower, scabbard fittings front and back, furrel, and pommel are bleeding with some of the nicest artwork I've seen on these little knives. The lower scabbard fitting on the front has a deer on the side of a mountain, while the upper fitting front has the deers head in an oval frame, surrounded with branches filled with oak leaves and acorns. The lower fitting back is stuffed with oak leaves and acorns and the upper fitting back has a black powder rifle, game bag, hirschfanger with scabbard and powder horn in an oval frame. The furrel has the word "Weidmannsheil" meaning "Good Hunting" and the pommel has more oak leaves and acorns, and on the very top it has what looks to be a sun with rays coming out. This skinner has a nickle plated steel blade with a nice dark makers mark. Hope you enjoy the pictures.

Rich





















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Hey Rich,
Nice knife! Yes, Weidmannsheil is the greeting between German hunters and the animal pictured on the bottom of your scabbard isn't a deer but is a Gams and what is also referred to as a Gamswild which is of the goat-antelope species. Thank you and Weidmannsheil.

Mikee #263229 04/13/2012 10:52 AM
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Rich,

This little beauty has everything! Great detailed fittings, nice leather scabbard, super clean blade and a difficult to find maker's mark. Good choice adding this one to your collection. wink

Best!

Bill

WWII #263241 04/13/2012 04:33 PM
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Thank you for the kind words Gentleman,

And thanks for the heads up on the gamswild on the lower fitting Mike.

Bill is the one that filled me in on the "hunters greeting" Weidmannsheil in a previous email.

I do appreciate learning from you guys.

I just starting collecting these and really enjoy them. I find them quite affordable and the quality is amazing. Great little knives.

Rich


In memory of my loyal companion Nitro.
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As Houston stated in the introduction to this certain section of GD.C:
WAIDMANNSHEIL ! This is the historical German greeting of hunters who meet in the forest.

("Waidmannsheil" is the elder and more historical form of "Weidmannsheil" but both kinds can be used).
Pitbull63, nice quality knicker you have here, thank you for showing,
regards,

Last edited by wotan; 04/13/2012 11:24 PM.

wotan, gd.c-b#105

"Never look for sqare eggs" as a late owner of an original FHH-dagger used to say.
wotan #263269 04/14/2012 09:59 AM
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Hey Rich, This one is a little darling!! Very nice and i like the detail work on the scabbard. Larry


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Dear Mr. Robin Hudda,

That's a most beautiful place you have there, a big-game hunter's wet dream! How about sponsoring a raffle or something to benefit the GDC web site and yourself as well? I'm positive that a few of our good mates could share some good stories about older European hunting customs, and would love to hunt your grounds with you and your sons!

Did you guys recently print a big promotional package this past year? If so, at the printing end I think I was involved in that nifty project.

A good friend of ours, Ralph Kaschi has a wonderful hunting lodge in FLorida.

Are you a fan of German edged weapons or did you think it was just a clever way of getting a free promo? grin

Best regards!

Bill Warda

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Here is my Crown Stag, Kuno Ritter, Nicker.

Maker mark is etched, not stamped and I would imagine this is post WWII.

Found on eBay in Sept. 2020.

IMG-0767.jpg (24.57 KB, 288 downloads)
Kuno Ritter
IMG-0768.jpg (34.69 KB, 286 downloads)
Kuno Ritter (etched maker mark).
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Hello C. Wetzel-20609, Kuno Ritter ("HUBERTUS Solingen") is the co writer/finisher (and I think editor) of late CarterĀ“s book. Unfortunately this complete, fully-revised edition is out of print. In this high grade reference book a knife exactly like yours is shown, same trademark, and it is stated that this advertisement is from 1939, so I highly assume that your knife is also from that time. Modern hunting knives of Kuno Ritter do wear the trademark of "HUBERTUS Solingen" since around 1950 when Ritter did aquire the J.Albert Schmidt Nachf. firm.
Regards,

355.JPG (139.43 KB, 269 downloads)
356.JPG (2.96 KB, 268 downloads)

wotan, gd.c-b#105

"Never look for sqare eggs" as a late owner of an original FHH-dagger used to say.
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Thank you, Wotan,

I have the J. Anthony Carter book and put a copy of the ad with the crown stag nicker on the cardboard storage box I made for my nicker.

My friend, Mr. Kaeshammer of Oberkirch, Germany has met Henning Ritter of Hubertus.

There are stag handle hunting knives with "Kuno Ritter, Solingen" stamped on the tang. These are not the oval or round trademark.

I have not seen a Kuno Ritter stamped nicker. I am just not sure if my knife is from the 1946-1949 production run.

I will ask Mr. Kaeshammer if he knows or if he can find out from Henning Ritter.

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You are right, I have mixed up Henning Ritter (as co author resp. finisher of the Carter book) with Kuno Ritter (blades of 1939). Mr. Henning Ritter is a very kind and helpful man so I am sure, if asking, your Mr. Kaeshammer can find out from which time frame your knife is.
Regards,


wotan, gd.c-b#105

"Never look for sqare eggs" as a late owner of an original FHH-dagger used to say.
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Hey Wotan,

Mr. Kaeshammer & friends will be away for a few days and celebrating Mr. Kaeshammer's birthday and on a "Joan of Arc" quest.

Mr. Kaeshammer's friend has about 1000 statues of Joan of Arc (1412-1431).

In the meantime, the early SA daggers are found with the oval Kuno Ritter trademark. Is it stamped or is it etched?

Early SA Dolch by Kuno Ritter 001.jpg (29.1 KB, 253 downloads)
Kuno Ritter trademark on an early SA Dagger.
Last edited by C. Wetzel-20609; 01/22/2023 10:55 PM. Reason: Changed words.
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Hello, trademarks on SA daggers are always etched, never stamped. At least I have never seen nor heard of a stamped trademark on SA daggers.
Regards,


wotan, gd.c-b#105

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Thanks Wotan,

I think Hubertus may be using the round "Kuno Ritter" trademark etch on some of their springer knives.

And some Hubertus springer knives are being copied in China.

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Mr. Kaeshammer enjoyed a wunderbar birthday celebration and sent this reply to my question about the Kuno Ritter trademark:

"Calvin, I cannot help you with the question, but I sent it to Henning Ritter. So let us see if he will answer. I let you know.
I will make some pics of my new hat during the next days and will send it to you.
I hope, I will find one more interesting knife catalog in the future".

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I have received the reply to Mr. Kashammer's e-mail to Henning Ritter of Hubertus. It is all in German.

Henning Ritter sent a 2nd e-mail with corrections in red ink, these are the images I posted.

Henning Ritter replied about my Messer: "Ich datiere das Messer auf den Zeitraum 1936 bis hochstens 1945" or something like "I date the knife to the period 1936 up to 1945".

I am humbled by Mr. Ritter's informative reply and very thankful for Mr. Kashammer's help in this research.

Maybe someone can post a complete translation for the members of German Daggers.com

e-mail to H. Ritter from Mr. Kaeshammer 001.jpg (117.34 KB, 201 downloads)
E-mail to Henning Ritter from Mr. Kaeshammer.
H. Ritter reply to e-mail, page 1 001.jpg (102.46 KB, 201 downloads)
H. Ritter reply to e-mail, page. 1.
H. Ritter reply to e-mail, page 2 001.jpg (115.99 KB, 201 downloads)
H. Ritter reply to e-mail, page, 2.
Last edited by C. Wetzel-20609; 01/31/2023 06:41 PM. Reason: I changed a word.
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Originally Posted by C. Wetzel-20609
Maybe someone can post a complete translation for the members of German Daggers.com

I am not a native English speaking knife enthusiast but German.
Anyway post school time I had the opportunity to improve my English language during my German Army service as officer cooperating with US Forces in Germany and some more tasks.

So please allow me to post a rough translation of the two information, which Thomas was posting:

Henning Ritter (husband of Beate Ritter, whose grandfather Kuno Ritter founded his cutlery company in 1932) updated his first response to Thomas.
While returning the paperwork being used for the first response, he noticed additional, more precise files in his archieves.

When Kuno Ritter started his own business as cutler in 1932, he could not register a trademark ā€šknightā€˜ (the English translation of the German name ā€šRitterā€˜).
Other Solingen cutlers had already such trademark rights in different variations (by mind I know Wilhelm Cluberg ā€šarmored knight holding a swordā€˜, Weyersberg Kirschbaum & Cie. / WKC ā€ša knightā€™s helmetā€˜, Ernst Pack & Sons ā€šRitterwerkā€˜).

Therefore Kuno Ritter used his complete name ā€šKUNO RITTERā€˜ in capital letters along with the location Solingen to mark knives.

Along with the introduction of Hiterjugend HJ-hiking knives (by the Reichsjugendfuehrung / State Youth Leadership) and SA daggers (by the Bureau of Control for Party Ordnance) cutlers were being assigned consecutive ā€žRZMā€œ codes.
Kuno Ritter was the third cutler and therefore being assigned by the authorities ā€šRZM 7/3ā€˜.
He was granted to manufacture and market service daggers, HJ-hiking knives, hunting knives, and boy scout knives unlimited all over Germany.

The Ritter archieves are not showing up an exact date when Kuno Ritter started to mark cutlery with the ā€šKR-monogram in an oval circle, surrounded by the name ā€šKuno Ritterā€˜ and the location ā€šSolingenā€˜.
Anyway it is supposed that he acted so, such as other cutlers did with their own trademark in an ā€šdouble oval circleā€˜ for edged weapons, in 1933.

Definitively such oval ā€šKR-logoā€˜ was being used to mark table cutlery and Bavarian Dress Knives in 1936.

Henning Ritter is dating C. Wetzelā€™s posted Bavarian Dress Knife with deer crown handle 1936-1945, possibly already in 1933.

Supply in raw material and lack of craftsmen during the war caused a stop of manufacturing ā€šcivilā€˜ cutlery and depleted stocks post 1940.

Other Kuno Ritter lines (?) of cutlery were being marked with the ā€šKUNO RITTERā€˜ name in the 1930s and 1940s.

Post WWII Kuno Ritter acquired in Solingen J. Albert Schmidt Cutler & Wholesale Company in 1951, and started to mark all lines of knives with the HUBERTUS brandname/trademark.

regards

Last edited by chevalier2022; 02/01/2023 11:04 AM.
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Thanks, Chevalier, your help is appreciated.

Dave

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I have received a 3rd & 4th e-mail between Herr Kashammer und Herr Ritter that was then sent to me.

The 3rd e-mail was something about Herr Kashammer telling Herr Ritter about my name, my knife collections and how I helped get an antique Optimo Panama hat for Herr Kashammer.

I would like to note that wotan was correct in his assumption about my Bayern-Messer dating to about 1939.

The 3rd e-mail, I would print if someone asked for it.

The 4th e-mail is very interesting, and Herr Henning Ritter has very generously taken the time to send a page of "Trachtenstiletts" from the 1936 catalog. Note that my Crown Stag, Kuno Ritter Bayern-Messer is Kuno Ritter Nr. 632 / 10 cm Ro.

My thanks to Chevalier for his translation of the 2nd e-mail

IMG-0785.jpg (93.37 KB, 168 downloads)
4th e-mail from Herr Ritter of Hubertus.
IMG-0786.jpg (86.77 KB, 168 downloads)
4th e-mail from Herr Ritter of Hubertus. pdf file of the 1936 Kuno Ritter catalog.
Last edited by C. Wetzel-20609; 02/01/2023 05:20 PM. Reason: Corrected spelling of surname.
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I have found the 1st pictures of this thread posted by Pitbull63 on Apr. 13, 2012, by doing a search on Bing.

Search: "Kuno Ritter Nicker-Your new forums", and click on "image", there are two pictures, probably copyrighted.

The Kuno Ritter Nicker pictured is the fancy "Weidmannsheil" model, showing the fancy sheath mounts. Too bad the pictures were removed from this thread.

The Kuno Ritter "Weidmannsheil" Nicker is basically the same as the Puma "Weidmannsheil" Nicker model.

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Originally Posted by C. Wetzel-20609
... The Kuno Ritter Nicker pictured is the fancy "Weidmannsheil" model, showing the fancy sheath mounts. Too bad the pictures were removed from this thread.

The Kuno Ritter "Weidmannsheil" Nicker is basically the same as the Puma "Weidmannsheil" Nicker model.

I may have a Kuno Ritter "HUBERTUS" brand marked dress knife with such fancy "Weidmannsheil" sheath monts in my collection. If of inrterest I can check and make photoes in detail.

"... basicly the same " nicker made by Kuno Ritter and Puma (and even additional Solingen cutlers with their brandnames/trademarks is no surprise:
the blade blanks were offered by the independant Solingen forges which ued their own dies for drop forging to the competing cutlers, and the fittings such as sheath mounts and other parts were made by different local suppliers and offered for sale to every customer.

Last edited by chevalier2022; 02/03/2023 10:40 AM.
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Chevalier,

I would like to see your Kuno Ritter, HUBERTUS brand "Weidmannsheil" Bayern-trachtenstilett (Bavarian-traditional dagger), also called "Nicker".

To find the HUBERTUS catalog, search "Hubertus Solingen :: Products", then "Bavarian dress knives", then "Illustrated catalog".

See: Pages 28 through 32 for many variations of "Bavarian dress knives".

Note that the 1936 Kuno Ritter catalog page I posted from Herr Henning Ritter, has Nr. "614 / 10 cm Ro." at the top of the page and I believe it is the fancy "Weidmannsheil" model.

Last edited by C. Wetzel-20609; 02/03/2023 04:35 PM. Reason: Spelling correction & added more information.
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I have acquired another "Kuno Ritter, Nr. 632 / 10 cm RO" Nicker.

Right away I noticed when comparing the two knives that the 2nd knife has a longer guard.

The 1936 Kuno Ritter catalog shows the long guard and the 1939 Kuno Ritter ad. shows the short guard.

The reason may be that different companies supplied the drop-forged knife blades to Kuno Ritter.

The 1936 Kuno Ritter catalog does show, in the bottom right of page, a short guard on a nicker.

The 1930 PUMA catalog shows both short and long guards were used on the PUMA Nickers.

The last picture of the drop-forged blade is from https://www.europeanblades.com/hubertus-schneidwarenfabrik-solingen/

IMG-0941.jpg (57.34 KB, 87 downloads)
Kuno Ritter, 632 / 10 cm RO
Kuno Ritter, Nr. 632, 10 cm, Ro, 1939 und 1936 001.jpg (67.74 KB, 87 downloads)
Kuno Ritter, Nr. 632, 10 cm, Ro, 1939 und 1936
Hubertus, Kuno Ritter, Drop forged blade blank 001.jpg (128.1 KB, 87 downloads)
Hubertus, Kuno Ritter, Drop forged blade blank
Last edited by C. Wetzel-20609; 05/05/2023 09:05 PM. Reason: added additional information.

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