RARE Luftwaffe Survival Machete. Alcoso, ACS Scales TM. For information and photographs of this rare Luftwaffe edged weapon see pages 103-105 of Collecting the Edged Weapons of The Third Reich, Volume III. Blued hilt fittings to include pommel, spine and re-curved crossguard show minor wear to bluing primarily to edges of pommel. Dark brown, grooved wooden grip plates show virtually no wear with no cracks or chips and are retained by two metal screws. Broad, flat, slightly curved, single edged, matt finished steel blade measuring 16 1/8" in length grades EX+/EX++ showing light runner marks where scabbard runners have rested against flats of blade, with one tiny nick to lower cutting edge but no rust, pitting or other damage. Blade is without buffer pad and none is shown in the photographs in the above reference. Broad, flat, unadorned steel scabbard shows light wear to the black anodized factory finish with several spots of surface oxidation on lower obverse and reverse and one tiny pinhead size depression to lower obverse. Information in the 11 February 1942 edition of "Die Woche" , cited in the above reference, states that the machete was "a survival hatchet carried aboard the He 111 (Heinkel 111 Bombers) serving on the Eastern Front". Nice example of a RARE Luftwaffe edged weapon. Exc+/Exc++ (23434) $2,495.