Italian Fascist Youth Knife “GiF”

Fantastic condition Italian youth knife. The metal blade has almost 100% of its original blue finish left. Crude wooden handle, held in place by two rivets. The black leather scabbard has a belt loop fashioned using four metal rivets. A grey metal staple at the end. This pattern of knife was issued to members of the Italian Fascist youth movement – the Gioventu Italiana del Littorio. Daggers played an important symbolic role in Italian Fascism, as they had been much favored as weapons by the First World War Arditi (special assault troops) whose martial ethos was subsequently co-opted by the Fascist movement. This dagger shows strong similarities to trench-knives used by Italian troops during the First World War.