WW2 German Jagdmesser

[Unclebob]

This is another wartime bring back; This time, I understand this was bought back by my Brother in Laws Grandfather, who was in the Green Howards and then transferred to the Army Commandos, during WW2. It was found in a box, along with some other Nazi items, when my B.I.L cleared his Uncles property.
I have 'tongueriver' to thank for the name Jagdmesser, which, translates as 'Hunting Knife'? It has PUMA Solingen, with the Pumas' head trademark, on the blade. Would this marking help to date the knife?

[rangerbluedog]

That's a beauty unclebob!

The term jagdmesser refers to the generic "hunting knife". Your knife is probably more accurately called a "jagdnicker".

"The term "Jagdnicker" refers to a hunting technique, when the knife is used to stab an animal into the neck to sever the nerves running from the brain through the spine, to kill it immediately. The vertebra directly under the skull base in German hunting jargon is called a "Nicker" (from the word nicken-to nod), the process is called "abnicken". The prefix "ab-" refers to a terminating action in this case.
This technique was always employed to ease an animal´s pain..."

The above quote is taken from the fimbulmyrk blogspot.
http://fimbulmyrk.blogspot.com/2017/03/ ... icker.html

[tongueriver]

Blue, I don't know how you found that site, but it is an incredible fount of information; I will spend time there, assured! Thanks so much!

[kootenay joe]

Using a short blade to stab a down but still alive animal in the tiny gap between skull & C1 vertebra is both dangerous & very difficult to do.
The link with this description of how a 'Nicker' was used historically is some guy's "thoughts on". I doubt this is how any hunter used a 'nicker'. There are "Long Hunters" which are a bit like a short sword that were used to finish off wounded game by stabbing in the neck or chest. The length of the blade allowed the hunter to stand a safer distance away and death of animal would be from blood loss not from severing the spinal cord above C1.
kj

[Unclebob]

I was told that my WW1 one of these knives was called a 'knicker', but didn't realise what this term entailed!
Excellent website link, cheers.

[tongueriver]

Using a short blade to stab a down but still alive animal in the tiny gap between skull & C1 vertebra is both dangerous & very difficult to do.
The link with this description of how a 'Nicker' was used historically is some guy's "thoughts on". I doubt this is how any hunter used a 'nicker'. There are "Long Hunters" which are a bit like a short sword that were used to finish off wounded game by stabbing in the neck or chest. The length of the blade allowed the hunter to stand a safer distance away and death of animal would be from blood loss not from severing the spinal cord above C1.
kj

Or as Abraham Lincoln once said, "Don't believe everything you see on the internet." I think (and I have no evidence beyond dumb horse sense) those nickers or Knickers were just standard side knives, as we might have ourselves for everyday use. I have done enough dismantling of skulls and vertebrae of game animals to suggest to me that this theory is pure horseradish. But that website is awesome anyway; some good stuff there!