Here is a really rare knife. I don't know much about it except I have only seen TWO in over 50 years of looking. Grip is bakelite-blade is a beauty. Under Horstator on the grip it says B. G. M. and Patent Pending. I suspect it is very early post war but am not certain since there is no mention of West Germany-US Zone, etc.

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Wow, interesting knife Houston, I love it. I've never seen one.

John

Horstator, was formerly a product group of the Horster house in Solingen.

R.J. Richter was a maker of post war HJ style hiking knives.

Houston,

I believe the B G M initials stand for Bundes Gebrauchs Musterschutz - meaning that the design of the item is registered and protected under the legal system of the Federal Republic Germany.

fjs

Houston,
thanks for the post. Found exactly the same terrific Horstator knife 4 years ago on a stall held by an US guy on the War&Peace show in Beltring/UK. Was asking him, if other gravity knives beside the Bundeswehr models displayed were hidden beyond his table. Then, after some talks, he went to take a Hostator from his trailer. Was quite estonished to see such a beautiful and simple made grav-Knife of just 6 parts and was keen to buy it. First, he wasn´t inclined to sell it but after a couple of days, a lot of german beer and sympathisation effect, he finally left it for 40 BP.
The seller said, the Horstator was originally a knife submitted by german manufacturer for US military evaluation tests in the fifties...but finally not a successful design.

Fact is: here in germany this knife is totally inexistant. Must be a test model or a unique US export.
Cheers,
Frank

Thanks for the info.