German Böker Eight-Eight (8-8) Flak Damascus Collector's Dagger
- Made in Solingen / Germany -
Introduction:
Boker presents its first military-historical artillery project with the Eight-Eight (8-8) Flak Damascus collector's dagger. The 8.8 cm Flak (short for anti-aircraft gun) is considered by many connoisseurs to be the best and undisputedly most versatile gun of the Second World War. Originally developed for anti-aircraft defence, the Eight-Eight (8-8) established its legendary reputation above all in ground combat.
While anti-tank guns with 3.7 cm to a maximum of 7.5 cm were notoriously under-calibrated for the contemporary armour, anti-aircraft guns regularly had relatively large barrel diameters. It quickly became apparent that only the eight-eight was capable of reliably penetrating the armour of the heavy British Matilda II tank or the Soviet T-34, for example, and above all at greater distances of up to 2,000 metres. The pre-requisite for this was that the barrel of the 8.8 cm anti-aircraft gun could be swivelled to a negative angle of inclination - absolutely untypical for an anti-aircraft gun. This made it possible to lower the barrel below the horizontal plane in order to engage ground targets. The gun could also be swivelled 360° around its vertical axis on a column mount with four cross-shaped outriggers. Another advantage of the eight-eight (8-8) was its speed. On the one hand, this resulted from the short time in which the cross mount could be mounted and dismounted, and the gun could therefore be moved. Another was the high rate of fire. As a semi-automatic cannon with a decelerated barrel recoil, the breech was opened after each shot, the percussion piece cocked, and the empty cartridge ejected. A well-trained operating crew, usually consisting of 9 soldiers, could fire up to 20 rounds per minute. As a result, the German anti-aircraft soldiers were able to shoot down 9 out of 1,000 incoming aircraft.
This figure seems soberingly small, but it is still considered to be the highest firing rate of an anti-aircraft gun in the history of war. The 8.8 cm anti-aircraft gun also played a significant role in the legendary reputation of another weapon of the Second World War, which Boker has already used in a Damascus collector's knife. As the main armament, it was installed in the turret of the VI tank, better known as the Tiger. Proven through this use, it later also became the gun of the Nashorn (Rhino) tank destroyer.
The Eight-Eight (8-8) Flak Damascus project has been realised as a fulyl-fledged dagger with a medieval look. The centrepiece is the slender but massive 18.1 cm long blade forged from parts of the 8.8 cm Flak. The handle scroll is turned from a piece of domestically stabilised hornbeam with 16 jimpings. On closer inspection, the radii and proportions of the 5 mm thick stainless steel parrying piece discreetly form the outline of the cross-guard with side extensions folded up for transport. The silhouette of the folded-out mount is indicated on the base of the solid stainless steel end knob. The dagger is fitted with a dark brown leather sheath with a belt loop and localised reinforcement. Supplied with an elegant storage box, certificate of authenticity and a individual serial number.
Specifications:
Steel: Damascus (see description)
Blade length: 7.204“ inch / 183 mm
Total length: 12.598” inch / 320 mm
Handle length: 5.393" inch / 137 mm
Handle scales: Iron Wood
Blade Thickness: 6.1 mm
Overall weight 292 gr.
