Original Item: Only One Available. These are exceedingly rare on the market, especially in a sawback configuration with the original steel scabbard! These WWII German Luftwaffe Survival Machetes were issued to bomber crews on the Eastern front, as well as to pilots. Surviving in the cold climates made construction of shelter a major priority, and the sawback machete was adapt at both chopping and sawing wood.
This is a beautiful German WWII Luftwaffe Sawback Survival machete, made by the well-known firm of Alcoso Werke in Solingen, Germany. We have consulted numerous previous auctions, and it seems that almost all of the examples we can find were made by this company, so the contract may have been granted to them exclusively. Some were issued with bright steel blades, such as this example, while others were blued. Most also had smooth backs, but this example has a rare "saw back". We have also seen them with brass crossguards, but those used a different Alcoso trademark logo. The only other sawback we could find bore the same trademark as this example.
The construction of this machete matches the others we have seen, with a leave heavy "falchion" shaped machete blade, an "S" shaped crossguard, and a comfortable wooden ribbed handle. Overall the condition is very good, with some light rust peppering on the blued areas of the handle. The grip wood is still very nice, showing only light wear, with no cracks, chips, or stains.
The blade still shows much of the original factory grinding, as well as sharpening and use. There is some light oxidation in areas, and also near the edge, which looks to have remnants of plant sap on it. The sawback is still mostly sharp, showing light use and also some traces of plant sap. Many areas of the blade are still quite sharp. The blade flats has the expected wear from the runners in the scabbard.
The heavy blued scabbard still retains most of the original finish, with light rust peppering. It still shows the original factory texture from being ground clean after one side was welded together, as well as the usual rolling marks. It still has the frog button and an intact throat.
The trademark on the back of the blade is one of the trademarks that Alcoso used from 1940-1943. It depicts the scales with the firm's initials, AWS interspersed. Next to this is the firm's name in cursive script, Alcoso, and below the town of business, SOLINGEN, the legendary "City of Blades" in Western Germany.
According to J Anthony Carter's Work GERMAN KNIFE AND SWORD MAKERS, Alcoso is a trade name of Alexander Coppel & Co. KG, Stahlwarenfabrik, located in Solingen, the legendary German "City of Blades." The company was a major manufacturer of edged weapons and tools from the end of the 19th century up until the WWII period. Unfortunately, as NSDAP-control increased, brothers Carl Gustav and Dr. Alexander Coppel, the Jewish owners of the firm, were forced out. In 1936 the firm had been "Aryanized", and started using the name ALCOSO to hide the Jewish family name. By the end of 1936 the brothers were ejected from their Solingen offices, and by 1940 the brand trademark initials ACS were changed to AWS to reflect the change in ownership and name: Alexander Coppel Solingen to Alcoso-Werk Solingen. Carl Gustav Coppel committed suicide in Solingen in 1941, and Dr. Alexander Coppel was arrested in 1942 and sent to Theresienstadt Prison camp, where he died August 5th 1942. The factory itself was destroyed by Allied bombers in November 1944.
Overall an extremely rare example of a German Luftwaffe Survival machete, from a maker with a somber back story.
Specifications:
Blade Length: 16 1/8"
Blade Style: Sawback Machete
Overall length: 20 7/8”
Crossguard: 4”
Scabbard Length: 17"
