We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. By clicking Accept, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies. You can Modify or Reject the use of the cookies. See our cookie policy.
Fascist Italy. Knife of the Opera Nazionale Balilla, the youth organization linked to the National Fascist Party (PNF) of Italy. This specimen is personalized with a piece of wire and a skull drawing with a knife in its mouth, the symbol of the Arditi, on the handle. The handle is made of wood and the scabbard is leather.
The Opera Nazionale Balilla (ONB) was a youth organization created in Fascist Italy in 1926 by Benito Mussolini’s regime. Its purpose was to ideologically and physically train children and adolescents in fascist values, combining paramilitary activities, physical education, discipline, and the cult of the Duce. Aimed at boys between 6 and 18 years of age, the ONB was militarily structured and divided by age and gender. The Avanguardisti, aged 14 to 18, carried a regulation knife.
In 1937, the ONB was absorbed into the Gioventù Italiana del Littorio (GIL), which continued its functions until the fall of the regime in 1943. In short, the Opera Nazionale Balilla was a central tool of Italian fascism to shape a new generation of loyal citizens, combining education, sport, and political indoctrination.
Original Italian knife or dagger from the 1920s or 1930s. Pugnali italiani della Opera Nazionale Balilla
Total length: 29 cm
Length without scabbard: 26.7 cm
Blade length: 16.6 cm
