"Marine officer dirk"
After the end of the Great Patriotic War there was adopted a new form of dirk that is with a flat steel chrome-plated blade of rhomb-shaped section. The handle has a trigger on the right-hand side that prevents the blade from falling from the sheath. Handle of tetrahedral form is made of ivory plastic. Lower shoe, head and quillon of handle are made of non-ferrous gold plated metal.
Wood sheath is faced with black leather and lacquered. Sheath device (two shoes and tip) are made of non-ferrous gold plated metal. On the right-hand side of upper shoe there is designated an anchor, on the left-hand side – a ship. The upper and lower shoes have rings for shoulder belt.
The belt has an oval fastener of non-ferrous metal with anchor. Fasteners regulating length of shoulder belt are also made of non-ferrous metal with anchors. Belt with shoulder belt are put on over the ceremonial dress so as the dirk is on the left-hand side. Duty shift and watchman service persons (officers and midshipmen) should wear dirk over a blue uniform coat or overcoat.
Dirk as an individual weapon with lieutenant shoulder-strap is given to graduates of higher navy military schools alongside with diploma of higher educational establishment and the first officer rank awarding. Dirk is worn in sheath on shoulder belt by admirals, generals and officers of naval forces of Russia, and by midshipmen during full dress and duty shift and watchman service.
In Soviet naval forces and Russian Federation Naval Forces dirk is an accessory of ceremonial dress not only of naval officers but of admirals, generals, officers, midshipmen and warrant officers of all types of forces; however only in naval forces dirk is considered an individual officer weapon. Marine dirks and dirks of other forces are differentiated by emblems at the present time in Russia.
Characteristics of a knife:
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Total length, mm - 237
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Length of blade, mm - 130
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The greatest width of blade, mm - 22
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Thickness of a butt, mm - 5,6
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Width of handle, mm - 32
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Thickness of handle, mm - 20
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Hardness of blade, HRC - 52-56
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Material of blade: steel 50Cr14MoVa, 70Cr16MoVaSi (patent RU236957C1).