Wittmann Militaria - Army Officer Daggers

The German Army (Heer) first carried a dagger beginning in 1935. The weapon was worn in lieu of occasions not demanding the wear of a sword. The dagger design was quite attractive featuring silvered heavy fittings with white or colored grip. The crossguard depicted a Wehrmacht open-winged eagle clutching a wreathed swastika. The pommel depicted oak leafing around the outer circumference. The scabbard had panels of pebble designs. Later produced examples were plated with nickel, and late war-made pieces were unplated, finished in a gray color metal. These daggers are often encountered with an aluminum portepee, i.e. a decorative tassel wrapped about the grip.

AOD #28335C Late Army Officer Dagger with Hanger and Portepee

This wartime produced dagger is in choice condition probably because the original owner purchased the dagger well after the war started and did not get much opportunity to wear this piece. As we all know dagger wear was suspended for the most part after 1941. This piece has nickel-plated hilt fittings with a silvered scabbard. We often see these mixed of parts on late daggers as this was the only way some firms could complete a piece by using either existing inventory or purchasing pieces from other producers. The hilt fittings on this dagger are the generic “B” variety. Both the pommel and the crossguard are absolutely pristine showing no usage at all. The pommel has fourteen oak leaves which go around its perimeter and the upper surface is completely bright like it just came out of the box. This is the type pommel that has the stem inside for acceptance of the tang. The crossguard is identical to the example shown on page 100 in my Army book except this crossguard may be even in better condition than the book piece. The eagle has fantastic detail throughout and I particularly like this type of bird as it really has a noble look. This bird has a crisp head with eye and beak, crisp breast feathering and wing feathering, nice details to the talon, wreath and raised mobile swastika. Setting this grip off is a beautiful lemon color celluloid grip. This grip does not look like its ever been exposed to the sun. It is still its original color and almost has a candy stick look about it. Dressing up the hilt is a fine looking portepee which may or may not be original to this piece. This portepee has a little bit of fraying to the cord in one area where it goes across the grip and also in the area where the cord comes out of the army tie. I find it hard to believe that this knot is original to this pristine dagger but it was on it when I got the dagger from the consigner. The scabbard is a very choice example having full silvered finish and nice patination. In fact the silvering is not only 100% but there still are frosted areas which appear here and there and especially around the areas protected by the bands. Looking at these bands they have the slightly wider borders which are usually indicative of Pack production. The throat of this example is retained by a headless flush mount center placed screw. Attached to the scabbard is a nice set of deluxe style hangers. These army hangers have good brocade to the fronts and fairly good high pile green velvet on the backs. The backs show a little bit of wear. The upper closed clip has the “DRGM” marking on the top section and the front is covered with raised oak leaves. The ovaled buckles have oak leaves as do the slides. The push-up style deluxe lower snaps also have oak leaves and are “DRGM” marked on the reverse. Again I think the hangers were added as the dagger is in just a little bit better condition than these straps. The blade of this example is unmarked and is still mostly bright having nearly all of its original crossgraining. This blade is very near mint but does have a little bit of smudge on the surfaces. Most of this would probably clean out using a little semi-chrome and some mild effort. The original large style leather washer is in place. A very nice late army dagger here.

Near Mint. $795.00
AOD #30985C Early Army Officeer Dagger with Portepee

This Army Officer was probably made about a year or so after initial production. It is in choice condition throughout and reflects some early style parts and some later types. The crossguard is the early Eickhorn type and is identical to the example shown on page 24. The ferrule is also the early type per the same page. The pommel is the second style which was later adopted and used for the rest of the period. This pommel shows no carrying time and has a fine patination being extremely crisp. The crossguard is as nice or even better than the book piece. This crossguard has lots of frosting which remains throughout the upper areas as well as on the reverse. The reverse center area has some scratching that appears to be a tic tac toe sign or possibly a sloppy letter “H”. I do not know what it really represents. The grip is also a beauty. This grip is an extremely dark orange on the obverse being just the slightest bit lighter on the reverse. It has much eye appeal and is in perfect condition. Enhancing the hilt of this example is what appears to be the original 42 cm portepee. This portepee is in complete pristine condition matching the rest of this dagger hilt. The scabbard is a second style hilt being identical to the example shown on page 26 of my Army book, right. This scabbard is completely crisp throughout the pebbled panels and the oak leaves on the carrying bands have fine relief. The thicker style throat is retained by one center placed screw having a slightly flat head. This scabbard has 100% silvering and has much original frosting remaining throughout the upper portion where the throat is protected and also the edges. It is rare to see a scabbard in this fine condition! The blade is no disappointment. This blade is as nice as you will see. It is mirror bright having its original needlelike tip and also it has full 100% crossgraining. This blade is full mint. The reverse ricasso is darkly etched with the 1935-41 squirrel trademark. The mint blade is protected by an in place new-like brown leather washer. If you are looking for an extremely nice Eickhorn army dagger you can not go wrong with this example.

Mint. $1395.00
AOD #30999 Early Army Officer Dagger with Distributor Mark - Alcoso

This Army Officer dagger is a great example for the “type” collectors out there. It is not only equipped with the extremely rare second style Alcoso crossguard but it also has a distributor on the blade. This army dagger is identical to the example that I show on page 126 in my Army book having the same maker and same distributor. First off the mounts are extremely early brass types having rich silver-plated surfaces. They are nicely patinated and very attractive. The pommel is the style that flares out as it goes upward. It has the fourteen leaf depiction running around the outside and each and every one of these leaves has hand enhancing to the veins. The top of the crossguard shows only modes carrying time and also has great black patination. The crossguard is identical to page 21 upper. This eagle has a dramatic upward sweep to the bottoms of this wings making this bird a unique design and making it very attractive to type collectors. We very seldom see this eagle design used as Alcoso did not make many pieces with it. The firm also used this same eagle for the crossguards of their popular three quarter size army miniature letter openers. This crossguard has excellent silvering over the brass base. The head details are still good as are the open wings, the talons, the wreath and the raised mobile swastika. The center of the bird’s chest has a little rubbing to the weave but that is understandable. The ferrule is also the same as the book example. This dagger has a beautiful lighter color tangerine grip. The grip is evenly toned throughout and is most attractive. This grip is in a full mint state. An outstanding hilt here! This scabbard is also nicely patinated and exactly matches the silver tones of the hilt. This scabbard is a first style early Eickhorn type. Perhaps Eickhorn sold some of these to Alcoso early on. This scabbard is identical to the example shown on page 24. It is straight throughout and has fine crispness to its pebbled panels. The bands are the convex type having really great oak leaves with hand done veining being identical to the way the book shows except the bands of this piece are in better condition than the book piece. The throat is slightly thicker and is retained by a flathead screw in the center reverse. This scabbard is in near full mint condition. The blade is probably one of those “tapered tang” types that were used early on as this dagger is really heavy. This blade is nice and bright throughout and still retains its needlelike tip with full crossgraining. There are a couple of very minor smudge marks in the obverse and the reverse but the blade still easily grades in near full mint condition. There is no maker mark on the blade but it is obvious that this piece was made by Alcoso. The piece on page 126 of my Army Book is identical to this example. Etched onto the reverse center blade segment is the distributor, “Albert Kuhl, Münster I/W.- ESSEN”. This particular supplier had a retail shop in Essen as well as one in Münster. They no doubt made a deal with Alcoso to produce daggers for them so that they could sell them with the newly introduced German officer’s uniform. The original large sized leather blade buffer is in place. A great dagger here and an especially nice piece for the type collectors out there.

Excellent Plus, Plus. $1495.00
AOD #30718 Uncleaned Army Officer Dagger - Carl Eickhorn

This uncleaned Carl Eickhorn Army Officer has very dark patination completely over all of its surfaces and it does not appear to me as though these silvered fittings have been cleaned since the war. The mounts are the second type produced by this firm. The hilt fittings are the same as I show on page 25, 26 and 27 of my Army book. These fittings although they are deeply patinated also show some mild amounts of frosting evident here and there. The pommel shows some mild usage but there are no serious hits to the rim and the twelve leaves spaced around the pommel are all nice and crisp. The crossguard eagle is in perfect condition having a nice crisp presentation to the bird’s head, breast feathering, wing feathering, talons, wreath and raised swastika. The reverse of the crossguard has the original owner’s name lightly scratched into the center surface, “Stark”. The grip is a real beauty having turned a deep pumpkin orange color. This grip is in perfect condition and has great eye appeal. This scabbard is also a textbook second pattern type and it too has never been cleaned and has lots of frosting in the protected areas around the throat and also the edges and the tip. The bands are the typical Eickhorn type having good detail to the overlapping oak leaves. The throat is the thicker style and it is retained by one center placed flatter head screw. This fine scabbard is in mint condition. The blade is also quite nice. It is still bright throughout and is in a near mint state. It appears as though a very light cleaning was done with a piece of steel wool or something to this effect as the blade is not in full mint but it is not bad either. This blade still grades in a very near mint state. The reverse ricasso is darkly etched with the 1935-41 Eickhorn squirrel trademark. The original small brown style leather washer is in place. A nice army dagger here if you’re looking for the untouched type with nice silver fittings.

Near Mint. $1195.00
AOD #31041 Late Army Officer Dagger - WKC

This later produced Army Officer has fairly good silvered fittings but much of what is lacking is made up by the sensational grip – we’ll get to that in a minute in this description. This dagger is a textbook WKC. It has the identical crossguard as I show on page 79, lower. The pommel is the WKC variety matching this crossguard. This dagger is the same as the example I show on page 66. The pommel has some wear to the silvering and it has turned a little gray around the rim. It features the twelve standing oak leaves around the circumference. The crossguard also has a little graying to the silvered finish. The silver though appears to still be mostly there. The eagle has the “hatchet” style beak and the good close breast feathering, good detail to the wing feathering, talons, wreath and raised swastika. The ferrule is identical to the book example. The original owner’s monogram, “HG” is lightly scratched into the reverse crossguard. The grip though is really a corker. It has one of the deepest color orange tones I have ever seen – in fact it’s almost red it is so deeply toned. The reverse has a slightly lighter orange tone but it is still much deeper than the usual pumpkin color we see. This grip really makes the dagger stand out. The scabbard is a typical WKC example. It is straight throughout. It is showing some minor lifting to the silvering but not much. It still has good crisp pebbling to the panels and the oak leaf carrying bands have good detail. The throat would be retained by a flathead side screw on the right however the screw has gone to time. The blade of this example has also gone slightly gray over the years. Perhaps it would clean up some but I don’t see any crossgraining left in the surfaces. It still does retain the needlelike tip though. The reverse ricasso is etched with the knighthead trademark having the firm’s initials and location below, “WKC Solingen”. The original large brown leather blade washer is in place. This is a good starter dagger here of good for someone on a budget. Also, if someone is out there with a WKC dagger looking to upgrade the grip there would be no sin here if the two daggers were compatible with vintage as well as fit. Anyhow this dagger is priced accordingly.

Excellent Minus. $495.00
AOD #30910 Army Officer Dagger - Carl Eickhorn

This Army Officer by Carl Eickhorn is an extremely nice dagger having very choice silvered fittings. These fittings are the second type produced by Carl Eickhorn and are the same as the piece I show on page 25 of my Army book. These fittings have turned completely black and they do not look to have been cleaned in many years. The pommel is a beauty showing little to no wear and still having a crisp rim about its circumference. This pommel displays the twelve oak leaves all having excellent detail running around the pommel’s edge. The crossguard is the same as the example shown on page 26. This bird shows virtually no wear at all. The details to his eye, beak, breast feathering, wing feathering, talons, wreath and raised swastika are perfect. There is also some frosting there and there on this beautiful crossguard. The ferrule is the same as the book piece and also nicely matches the other fittings. The grip on this example is a rarely seen nice lemon yellow color. It has the look of an old-fashioned candy stick. This color is not seen very often and is probably the original color these grips were when these daggers were produced. As we all know when light is subjected to the celluloid plastic it turns the color darker. This grip is in perfect condition except for a tiny hairliner about a 32nd of an inch long just at the reverse bottom. A very fine hilt here! The scabbard is also in first rate condition. It is straight throughout having good crisp pebbled panels and perfect silvering. There is also frosting to be seen in the protected areas around the throat and the scabbard bands. These bands have outstanding detail to the overlapping oak leaves. The throat is the thicker style traditional with this producer and it is retained with a single flatter head center mounted screw in the reverse. A great scabbard here. The blade of this piece is as nice as you will see. It is mirror bright and has all of its crossgraining with needlelike tip. This blade is a quality example throughout. The reverse ricasso is dark etched with the squirrel logo of 1935 through 1941. The leather blade buffer is the small type and is in place. If you are looking for a fine Eickhorn dagger this example should please you.

Mint Minus. $1195.00
AOD #30748 Army Officer Dagger - Puma

This Army Officer is equipped with good silvered fittings which do not look to have been cleaned in many years. They have turned a black patination tone. The crossguard is the generic “B” style. This guard shows some minor wear to the bird’s head and breast feathering but the wing feathering, wreath and swastika are still in excellent shape. The matching pommel has good oak leaves which run throughout the edges and the pommel shows some mild carrying time. The ferrule appears to be the same as the Puma piece shown on page 92 of my Army book, left. The grip is a very appealing tangerine color orange having some graining in the surfaces giving it a really nice look. This grip is in perfect condition. The scabbard of this example is nice and straight and has matching patination. The panels have good pebbling and the bands are in excellent condition showing overlapping oak leaves and acorns. This scabbard appears to be identical to the example on the Puma shown on page 92, right. The screws are flush mount side screws having no heads. This scabbard probably was made by Pack as we know that Puma did not really make anything. It is also interesting to note that there is a silhouette of the wreath on the lighter part of the scabbard patination. The blade of this example is outstanding. It is completely mirror bright and has all of its crossgraining with a needle tip. The reverse ricasso is stamped with the small Puma cat head. This trademark does not have the diamond around it and is identical to the example shown on page 93, right. Beneath the cat is the firm’s name and location, “Puma Solingen”. The original new-like large leather blade buffer is in place. I took a look at the tang on this piece and it is the early tapered tang style which goes with the early trademark. I show the difference between these early tapered tangs and the later tangs with shoulders on page 16 of my Army book. If you have never looked at this you should as it is an important thing in determining vintage of a dagger. We do not see too many Pumas so this one is a good one for the type collectors out there. I brought this dagger from the family of a veteran along with a model 89 infantry sword. A pretty neat example here with a grip you will admire as well as a really fine blade.

Excellent Plus, Plus. $895.00
AOD #30713 Army Officer Dagger by Siegfried Waffen - E. Pack

This Army dagger is a textbook Pack and it appears to be identical to the example I show in my Army book on page 54 and 55. This dagger has the lighter weight hilt fittings which Pack frequently produced. The silvering usually doesn’t stick too well on these and this is somewhat the case here with these fittings. The pommel is the same as the book piece having a little bit of the silver worn out on the very top peak and also a little bit along the ridge. The oak leaves are still nice and crisp running around the circumference. The crossguard is also identical to page 55. This silvering is also thinning on the edges and the highpoints but overall it is about 98%. The bird has good detail to his eye, beak, breast feathering, wing feathering, wreath and raised swastika. The ferrule is the same as in the book. This dagger is equipped with a grip which has several tones of yellow and orange the obverse being the darker orange tone. It is pretty obvious where there once was a portepee on this grip as that area is also slightly lighter at the top and bottom. This grip is in perfect condition. The scabbard is also identical to the book example being nice and straight and having all of its silvered finish. This scabbard has good detail to the bands being the same as the book and the throat is retained by two dome head screws which are positioned fairly low –a typical Pack trait here. This scabbard is in near full mint condition. The blade is also a fine example. It has mirror bright surfaces and has all of the crossgraining. This mint blade also has a needlelike tip. The reverse ricasso is etched with the large Siegfried Waffen trademark, the same as is shown on page 54. Collectors always seem to like this trademark. The washer is in place being the smaller leather type.

Excellent Plus, Plus. $795.00
AOD #30520C Army Officer Dagger - Puma

This army officer is of highest quality silver mounts. The hilt fittings are the same as I show in my Army Book on page 92. These fittings are the type A generic variety. The pommel is in outstanding condition still having much of its original lacquer covering. The upper section of the pommel is smooth and there are no carrying signs anywhere. The twelve standing oak leaves with alternating acorns are crisp throughout. The matching generic A crossguard is really a beauty still having much of its original lacquer still in place and nice background darkening in the recesses. This choice generic A crossguard is identical to the example I show on page 79, top. The ferrule on this dagger is also the same as is shown on page 92. The grip is a very attractive example. It appears to be ivory at first glance but this is because it has toned to a very beautiful off-white color. It also has a fine sheen to its surfaces and has subtle tones of lighter and darker shades. A very beautiful grip here which may have been made by Puma as a simulated ivory type. The scabbard is also a great example. It is the type that would have been made by probably the Pack firm and it looks identical to the example shown in the book on page 92 except it has dome head screws which are located quite far down from the throat. This silvered scabbard beautifully matches the hilt fittings and is in near full mint condition. The bands have fine detail and noticeable handwork done to enhance the oak leaves. The two dome head side screws are unturned. The blade of this example is just as nice as you will find. It still has mirror bright surfaces and also has 100% of its original crossgraining. A real mint beauty here! The reverse ricasso is etched with the diamond trademark containing the mountain lion’s head with the firm’s name below, “Puma”. Below the diamond is the location city of “Solingen”. The original large sized tan leather blade buffer is in place. A very nice dagger here and if you do not have a white gripped piece I think that you will really like adding this one to your collection.

Mint Minus. $1295.00
AOD #30526C Army Officer Dagger with Deep Orange Grip - E. & F. Hörster

This army officer dagger has one of the deepest orange grips I have seen and it also has very choice E&F Hörster mounts. These mounts are the same as I show on page 41, 42 and 43 upper of my Army Book. The pommel is a real beauty having fourteen standing oak leaves with alternating acorns. This pommel is the same as the type “E” that I show on page 115. This pommel also has the letter “H” as part of the casting on the inside area. The crossguard is also a classic Hörster being the same as page 41 and also page 43, upper. This crossguard also has the “H” marking inside just like I show on page 44. Like the pommel this crossguard also has lots of original lacquer and frosted finish. It is a pleasure to see Hörster fittings this nice because usually their silvering process was not up to par and often lifted. This pommel and crossguard still have a new like look to them. Really nice! The ferrule is the same as page 42. One of the things though that really sets this army dagger off is the deep orange grip. I do not believe I have seen a more rich color than this grip – in fact it appears to be almost red it is so deeply toned. The grip is in totally perfect condition and could not be nicer. An outstanding army hilt here. The scabbard is also a beauty. It is completely straight throughout and has the identical bands that are shown in close up on page 42. The silvering is perfect throughout this scabbard and it has a thinner style throat. The throat is retained by one side screw but it is the domed type that were used by this producer. This scabbard is in mint condition. To further add to the fun and quality of this dagger is an outstanding pristine mint blade. This blade has its original needlelike tip, it has full crossgraining and it has mirror surfaces. Just a remarkable blade here and the best you will see. The reverse ricasso is darkly etched with the double ovals used by this firm. The ovals trap the firm’s name and location, “E&F Hörster Solingen”. Inside is the sword which pierces downward through a large letter “H” which also enclosed the small letters “H” and “S”. The original brown pebbled leather small style washer is in place. An extremely nice classic example here with many features seldom seen.

Mint. $1395.00
AOD #30522C Army Officer Dagger - WKC

This army officer is a classic WKC piece and is exactly the same as the example I show on page 63, left in my Army Book. This dagger was cleaned not too long ago and is beginning to develop a nice patination. The pommel is a good example having fine silvering and showing just a small amount of wear time around the rim. The twelve standing oak leaves with alternating acorns are crisp and have a fine background. The hatchet beaked eagle is a beauty having full details throughout the head, breast feathering, wings, talons, wreath and mobile swastika. The silvering shows only the slightest of age but having no lifting or problems. The ferrule is the same as the book piece. The grip is a pleasing lighter egg yolk orange yellow having slightly darker tones to the right side of the grip as compared to the center and left side. The grip is in totally perfect condition. The scabbard is a typical WKC type being straight throughout and having crisp pebbled surfaces. The bands are identical to the example shown on page 63. The throat is a fairly thick type and true to form it is held in place by a single flathead screw on the right side. The blade of this example is as nice as you will find. It is bright and has all of its crossgraining retaining a needlelike tip. This blade is in mint condition. The reverse ricasso is etched with the knighthead symbol having the firm’s initials and location beneath, “WKC Solingen”. The original large size brown leather washer is in place. A nice conditioned basic dagger here.

Near Mint. $895.00
AOD #30527C Personalized Army Officer Dagger - Alcoso

This choice Alcoso officer’s dagger does not look to have been cleaned since the war and it has developed an outstanding dark patination having a fine sheen to its surfaces. The hilt is the third style used and is the same as I show on page 21, lower of my Army Book. The pommel is a typical Alcoso type with a flared out top. This pommel has a fine smooth upper surface with only the slightest signs of some carrying time. The oak leaves and alternating acorns are in outstanding condition having much hand enhancing around the pommel. The crossguard is the same as page 21. It is even in better condition though than the book piece having distinct detail to the eye, beak, breast feathering, wing feathering, talons, wreath and mobile swastika. The ferrule also exactly matches the book piece. These silver fittings are really an outstanding dark feature here. The reverse of this crossguard is professionally engraved in the Gothic style with the original owner’s name, “Gruner”. This is not too common of a name so the chances for research are pretty good here. I have not made any attempt to look up this officer so the next owner can have the fun of trying to find out this man’s career. The engraving is really stunning and is a work of art on its own. The grip of this example is also very pleasing to the eye. It is a darker lemon color on the obverse fading to a more grapefruit color on the reverse. It is nice to see a fine yellowy tone like this grip as most will normally tone an orange or egg yolk color. Beautiful grip here still in totally perfect condition. A very fine hilt! The scabbard is also a textbook Alcoso. This scabbard is identical to the example I show on page 22. This scabbard has the exact matching deep patination and it is straight as an arrow having 100% of its original silvered finish. The bands are highly detailed and the thicker style throat is retained by the two flatter head side screws being the type that have small bore. This scabbard is in mint condition. The blade of this example is also a real treasure. It is completely mirror bright and has 100% of its crossgraining still retaining a needlelike tip. The blade has the trademark used by this firm beginning in 1941. It is etched with the horizontally appearing scales having the firm’s initials, “ACS” interspersed. To the right of the scales is the firm’s name and location, “Alcoso Solingen”. The Alcoso is written in script and gives the look of ending in the letter “A” but this is just due to the extended line in the fancy signature. This beautiful blade has been protected by a large size in place brown leather washer. If you are looking for a choice textbook dagger also bearing a fine unresearched original officer’s name I highly suggest you consider this example. It is a beauty and left uncleaned in its current state it will only get more beautiful.

Mint Minus. $1495.00
AOD #30451 Army Officer Dagger - Siegfried Waffen

This Pack produced dagger does not look to have been cleaned in many years. It is a fine example having textbook Pack fittings and scabbard. The fittings are identical to the examples I show on the piece on page 54. These fittings have a fine patination throughout. The pommel top surfaces show some usage signs and a little bit of peeling in the plating just at the very top but it is no big deal. The oak leaves and acorns which go around the pommel’s circumference are very interesting to study. Each of them has had quite a bit of handwork to give them their veins and shape. The ones that fell in the area where the casting flaws occurred have almost totally been engraved by hand. There are also pebbled areas in between the oak leaves which was hand done by this in house jeweler. A great job here and something that all admirers of German craftsmanship will enjoy looking at. The crossguard is identical to the example I show on page 55. This eagle has full details to his beak, eye, breast feathering, wing feathering, talons, wreath and mobile swastika. Just about all of the silvering is still intact across this fine crossguard. The ferrule is the same as the book piece on page 55. The grip is an appealing tangerine orange color. It is interesting in that the rib areas have a little darker residue which separates them and they also have almost a serrated look in the grooves. I don’t remember seeing this look before and I must say it is quite effective if studied through a loop. An interesting grip here still in perfect condition. The Pack scabbard is identical to the example shown on page 54 and 55. It has excellent silvering throughout the surfaces and would easily clean up to full mint should someone want to do this. The bands of the scabbard are particularly nice showing lots of handwork here. The areas where the casting flaws occurred on each end of the bands has all hand done oak leafing veins. These bands are also the typical Pack type having the larger border area than most others. The throat is retained by two dome head screws also a Pack trait and true to form the screws are located lower than most others and they are the same as page 54. The blade of this example is a real killer. It is as good as you will ever see being totally pristine mirror mint and still having its original needlelike tip. The reverse ricasso has the same neat looking trademark as the one shown on page 54. It has the Siegfried Waffen lettering above and below the horseshoe arch shape which contains the firm’s details and in the center is the hammering Siegfried figure. This beautiful blade is protected by the large size in place dark brown leather buffer. A fine textbook Pack dagger here.

Excellent Plus, Plus. $895.00
AOD #30461 Personalized Army Officer Dagger

This personalized army officer, despite the fact that it has an unmarked blade, is of high quality fittings throughout. The hilt fittings are the beautiful generic “A” variety and are identical to the examples that I show in my Army Book on page 78 and 79 upper. These fittings have formed a very nice patination and do not look to have been cleaned in a number of years. The pommel is a fine example showing only minor usage around the rim. The upper plain area is still nice and smooth. The oak leaves and acorns around the pommel circumference are crisp and have a good dark background. The crossguard has a fine crisp eagle having outstanding detail to his head, breast feathering, wing feathering, wreath and raised mobile swastika. The ferrule is the same as the piece on page 78. The grip is a fine popsicle orange color maybe being just a slightly darker orange tone on the reverse. This beautiful grip is in perfect condition throughout. It has some signs of graining in the celluloid which is also nice to see. The reverse of this crossguard is professionally engraved with a very jazzy signature. The name is “Schumann”. However the name is done in signature form on a slight racy angle going upward and then on the last letter there is a downward slung line which ends in a fine curl. This is a great signature and shows the good solid ego of the officer behind it. Unfortunately Schumann is a fairly common name and it would be difficult to research this man. The scabbard is a choice matching silvered example which also is beginning to have a nice patination. This scabbard remains crisp throughout, has 100% silvering and is also straight. The bands are nicely formed having lots of handwork to the veins and the throat is retained by a single flush mount headless screw in the reverse center. A nice scabbard here. The blade of this example is also a real beauty. This blade is a quality made example having precise center segment and good formed double edges. Its tip remains needlelike and all of the crossgraining is visible in the surfaces. This blade is in full mint condition and has been protected by the in place small style brown leather washer. A really nice personalized piece here which would go great in any collection.

Near Mint. $1395.00
AOD #30408 Army General's Dagger (?)

This army officer’s dagger has a very light gilded finish which appears to be old and original to this piece. The dagger itself is produced of all generic fittings and has an unmarked blade. It is possible that one of the officers that made general rank ordered this dagger after the war started and thus the generic fittings with unmarked blade. I don’t know but just from experience the gilt is old and the fact that it is a wash rather than a plate it looks original to me. Obviously I can’t guarantee it as I have no way of knowing whether the plating is original or not but than again the dagger is priced accordingly. The pommel, crossguard and ferrule are the standard generic “A” variety. They are identical to the examples I show in my Army Book on pages 78 and 79 upper. The pommel shows little usage and there are no hits to the rim. The standing oak leaves and alternating acorns are still crisp. The crossguard exhibits the noble generic “A” style bird with excellent detail to his eye, beak, breast feathering, wing feathering, talons, wreath and mobile swastika. This crossguard is in perfect condition. The ferrule is also the same as the book piece on page 78. The grip of this example is kind of an interesting color, it’s more of a tan than it is yellow or orange and it is also slightly lighter on the front side than on the back side. This unusual looking grip is in perfect condition having some subtle looking grain also just below the surfaces. Nice looking hilt here! The scabbard is a typical generic variety being identical to the type I show on page 120 of my Army Book. This scabbard has the identical gold wash as the hilt pieces. It is in perfect condition except for a slight ripple which is about halfway down from the lower band. The bands have excellent detail throughout and the throat is the thin style having a single center placed headless flush mount screw. The unmarked blade is a good bright example having nearly all of its original crossgraining and good needle point. There is one age spot a few inches down from the reverse ricasso but other than that the blade is in a near mint state. The original leather blade washer is in place. An interesting dagger here which could very well be a general’s dagger but since there is no personalization or history to the piece there is no real way to tell. The dagger is priced accordingly.

Excellent Plus, Plus. $1495.00
AOD #30524C Personalized Army Officer Dagger - WKC

This personalized example is a classic WKC throughout and is in fine collectible condition not appearing to have been cleaned in many years. The WKC hilt mounts are identical to those that I show on page 64 and 66 of my Army Book. The pommel is in choice condition having a fine smooth top and no signs of carrying hits around the rim. The alternating oak leaves and acorns are beauties having outstanding black backgrounds. The crossguard has the “hatchet” style beak unique to this producer. This crossguard is identical to page 66. This “hatchet” eagle has perfect crisp detail to his eye, his beak, his breast feathering, the talons, wreath and also the mobile swastika. The silvering throughout this crossguard is outstanding. The reverse of the guard has the original owner’s monogram nicely engraved, “R.U.”. The letters are double script variety having nice shading in between. These letters are not fancy but they have a quality to their engraving. Obviously the initials “R.U” are not going to be enough to research this officer but they do give a nice quality to the dagger. The grip is a fine tangerine orange color. This grip is in totally perfect condition throughout. The original portepee is also in place. It is a 42 cm variety which is in good shape throughout except for a little bit of fray where the cord comes out of the original tie. If any thing though this gives character and the “fray” also “talks to you” as it is positioned exactly where the cord swings across the top of the crossguard quillon. A nice hilt here! The scabbard is the classic WKC style having one screw to retain the throat. This scabbard is the same as is shown on page 63. There are some signs of frosting clinging around the edges of the scabbard and also around the protected area of the throat. This thicker style throat is retained by the one flat screw on the right side. The bands all have hand done detail to the veins. A fine mint condition scabbard here. The blade of this example is also a beauty. It is mirror bright throughout and has its original needlelike tip. The graining is easily 100% throughout this mint blade and the reverse ricasso is etched with the knighthead logo and the firm’s initials and location below, “WKC Solingen”. The large style leather washer is in place protecting this blade. A fine personalized army officer’s dagger here.

Near Mint. $1395.00
AOD #30521C Army Officer Dagger with Issue Tag - WKC

This beautiful WKC army dagger is in untouched unissued condition having an outstanding patination. The fittings are the textbook WKC type being identical to the examples I show on page 63 and page 66. These deeply patinated fittings are in new like condition still having lots of frosting which sticks out from the patinated areas where air has gone beneath the lacquer. This is always a beautiful sight if you know what you are looking at. This pommel is a choice example having good smooth surface and frosting in the lower parts. There is also frosting around the standing oak leaves and acorns which are also crisp. The crossguard depicts the hatchet head style eagle having full detail to his eye, beak, breast feathering, wing feathering, talons, wreath and raised swastika. There is also lots of frosting around the protected area of the ferrule. The ferrule is identical to the book piece depicted on page 66. The later orange tangerine color grip is in perfect condition and has much eye appeal. The WKC textbook scabbard is straight as an arrow and has the edges with almost full frosting intact. There is also frosting at the bottom chape and around the protected throat area. This scabbard is as crisp as the day it was produced. The bands are also high quality examples having hand done engraving to enhance the oak leaves. The thicker style throat is retained by one flatter head style screw on the right edge. Attached to the upper ring is a WKC string issue tag. This tag is a gold color border having a red interior. On the obverse side it has the knighthead logo in gold color with the firm’s name and location above and below respectively, “WKC Solingen”. On the reverse is the guarantee of quality writing, “Garantie / für / Wertarbeit”. This guarantee is all in gold writing with red background. The string itself is also of a red silk like material. The blade of this example is a real killer. It is completely bright and has all of its crossgraining and retains its needlelike tip. This blade easily grades in full mint condition. The reverse ricasso is darkly etched with the knighthead logo positioned over the firm’s name and location, “WKC Solingen”. The new-like brown leather large sized blade buffer is in place. If you are looking for a mint dagger to go in your collection along with the string tag you won’t do better than this one. If you happen to have a WKC issue sack this would even add to the fun. A fine example here!

Mint. $1495.00
AOD #30523C Army Officer Dagger - WKC

This army officer has all WKC fittings except for the crossguard which is a generic “A” variety. It all looks original to the piece so apparently WKC ran out of their stock guards and must have purchased one down the street. At any rate, the hilt fittings are in excellent condition throughout having good silvered finish. The pommel shows a little bit of age underneath the silvering but it is only slightly around the rim and all the silvering is still intact. The oak leaves and acorns are crisp going around the circumference. As stated above the crossguard is the generic “A” variety and it is identical to the example shown on page 79 of my Army Book. This crossguard has outstanding detail to the head, breast feathering, wing feathering, talons, wreath and raised swastika. Above the crossguard is the ferrule which is the same as the example shown on page 66. The grip of this example is a very pretty chiffon yellow color. It is in perfect condition and has an appealing sheen to the surfaces. The scabbard is a fine WKC type still having much of the original frosted finish along both of its edges. This scabbard is in choice condition and easily rates mint. The scabbard is the same as is shown on page 63, left. The blade of this example is as nice as they come. It is in full mint condition having needlelike tip and all of the crossgraining. The reverse ricasso is dark etched with the knighthead logo which is positioned above the maker’s name and location, “WKC Solingen”. The original large size leather blade buffer is in place. A very nice dagger here.

Mint Minus. $895.00
AOD #30431 Army Officer Dagger - E. & F. Hörster

This Hörster dagger appears to be in nearly unissued condition. It has all of its plating which is unusual in itself for a Hörster dagger as normally the plating wore off very easily. These mounts are identical to the examples shown in my Army Book on page 41. Though I have never taken the dagger apart I am sure that both the pommel and the crossguard are marked with the “H” identifications internally. If they are not feel free to send the dagger back. The pommel has good detail to the fourteen oak leaf perimeter and there is slight wear to the pommel top. The same wear appears on the crossguard and the eagle is identical to the noble bird shown on page 42 and 43 upper. The ferrule is also the same as the book piece shown on page 41. The grip is a fine white example which is in perfect condition. I assume it is a plaster filled type. The scabbard is identical to the example I show on page 41. It has the late war nickel type finish which exactly matches the pommel and crossguard of this piece. The bands have good detail and the throat is retained by one single screw being a dome head type in the center reverse. The blade of this example is nice and bright throughout. It has a couple of spots but I believe that these will clean out. The blade has all of the crossgraining and it is in mint condition. The reverse ricasso is marked with the double ovals which trap the firm’s name and location, “E&F Hörster Solingen”. Inside is the large “H” with small “H” and “S” letter being pierced by a downward pointing sword. The new-like leather washer is intact. This is the first mint conditioned Hörster dagger that I remember carrying. A very nice piece here and a great one for those collecting types out there.

Mint. $1295.00
AOD #31043 Army Officer Dagger - WMW

This Army Officer dagger is equipped with generic “A” fittings, and it is identical to the example shown on page 81. The pommel has a gray finished late war silvering, but it is still in good condition having fine detail to the standing oak leaves. The crossguard appears to be a standard silver finish type but the plating is peeling on the reverse and the upper areas, but the obverse still looks pretty good. The ferrule appears to be also identical to the one shown on page 81. The grip of this example is a fine off-white color and it really has an ivory look to it. It is, however, a plaster filled type, but really has good eye appeal. The scabbard is one of the generic varieties. This scabbard has deeply toned silvering and appears to be in perfect mint condition beneath the patination. The bands have outstanding detail and the thinner throat is retained by a single flathead screw. This scabbard is the same as the one I show on page 120. It is interesting to note that there is a silhouette of the crossguard left on the upper scabbard face. This is caused by the crossguard being in place, preventing the air from oxidizing as quickly under the crossguard as around it. The blade of this example is bright throughout. It has a couple of really minor smudges, more on the obverse than on the reverse, but the blade still rates in near full mint condition, still having its crossgraining. This blade is stamped on the reverse horizontally, “WMW/Waffen”. It is the same as I show on the piece on page 82. The small style new-like brown leather washer is in place. A maker mark not seen very often. It is a shame that there is some peeling to the crossguard, but it is priced accordingly.

Excellent. $650.00
AOD #30740 Army Officer Dagger - Siegfried Waffen (E. Pack)

This Siegfried Waffen army piece is identical to the example I show in my Army Book on pages 54 and 55. Pack used a lighter weight material to produce their crossguards and pommels later on in the period. Usually, the silver plating did not stick very well to this lightweight material. This is also the case here with this dagger. The pommel has good definition to the oak leaves which run around the outside. In fact, there is evidence of hand enhancing as well as hand pebbling between the depictions. The top of the pommel shows some wear to the silvering in the center, and also on the rim. It is interesting to note that the silver is still there in between and also has its frosting on top. The crossguard also has some silvering problems. The reverse has some bubbling and wear to the higher portions, and the same is true on the obverse where there is some plating missing on the bird’s high points. The crossguard probably has about 60% to 70% of the plating. The details are still pretty good, though, to the eagle, crossguard, wings, talons, wreath, and swastika. It is the same as is shown on page 55. The ferrule is also the same and is nicely patinated. The grip of this example is a lemon color yellow and it is in perfect condition throughout. The scabbard of this example has good silvering and the shell is completely straight. The silvering is so good there is even some frosting evident on the area protected by the in-place crossguard, and also around the protected area left by the bands. Although nicely patinated, this scabbard is in mint condition. It is identical to the scabbard show on page 54, having the same two dome head side screws. The blade is a very fine example. It is completely bright and has all of its crossgraining with needle-like tip. This blade is in mint condition. The reverse ricasso has the large Siegfried waffen trademark, being the same as page 54. The inside area shows an arch which has the firm’s details, and in the center is the hammering Siegfried figure. The leather washer is in place. A good textbook example of a later made Pack dagger.

Excellent Plus, Plus. $695.00
AOD #30702 Army Officer Dagger

This Army Officer is in “as found” condition. It does not look to have been cleaned since the war. The mounts are the generic “A” variety. They are patinated with age, but they seem to still be quite sound and would clean up if someone wanted to take on this task. These fittings are the same as I show on page 78 and 78, upper. The grip is an egg yolk color. This grip is in perfect condition, but could also use some cleaning up. The scabbard is a generic variety, being identical to the one I show on page 120 of my Army Book. This scabbard seems to have good silvering beneath the patination. It is a typical generic variety having good pebbling, good oak leaves to the bands, and flush mount headless screw which holds the thin throat. The unmarked blade is still bright but, unfortunately, someone has sharpened the edges. It looks as though it was done with one of those can opener devices, so these are kind of difficult to get out. It is a shame, as all of the crossgraining is still there in the blade. At any rate, this is a good project for someone who is on a budget or somebody who enjoys cleaning and fixing up a dagger. The original leather washer is in place. This dagger also appears to be slightly ceased in place, as the pommel does not want to unscrew. The dagger is priced accordingly.

Good Plus. $395.00
AOD #30406 Early Army Officer Dagger - Carl Eickhorn

This early army officer dagger is a very fine dagger having the first style fittings throughout except for the pommel which is a second style. The pommel is in excellent condition showing just a little bit of wear around the rim but has good silvering throughout the smooth top surface with no hits to the rim and good standing oak leaves and alternating acorns. The crossguard and ferrule are the first type they are identical to the examples that I show on page 24 of my Army Dagger Book. The eagle on this crossguard shows only the slightest of wear. It still has full detail to his eye, beak, close checkered breast feathering, wing feathering, talons, wreath and raised out swastika. The ferrule is also the same as page 24. The silvering throughout this area is in perfect condition. The grip is a real beauty also. This grip is a very rich deep orange color on the obverse and it is slightly lighter on the reverse, a testament that the dagger has been laying face upward for many years. A very fine hilt here! The scabbard is the first style also. It is straight throughout and is the steel type. The close knit pebbling is still quite crisp on this example and the convex style bands have excellent applied detail to the veining. The throat of this example is a relatively thin style considering that it is an Eickhorn dagger but it is retained by a flatter head single screw in the reverse center. This scabbard is in mint condition. The blade of this example is an early quality type. In fact, I took a look at the tang and the blade is the early tapered tang style the same as I show on page 16, left. This blade is still bright and appears to have most of all of its crossgraining and ends with a needlelike tip. There is some very mild traces of age in the blade but they are not bad at all and are only mild stains that most blades will eventually accumulate. This blade still easily grades at near full mint condition. The reverse ricasso is etched with the 1935-41 squirrel trademark. The small style brown leather blade buffer is in place. A very nice early dagger here that has fine condition throughout and really shows well. This is the kind of dagger that is reminiscent of what people mean when they say the Germans built things with “quality”.

PNear Mint. $1,095.00
AOD #26111C Army Officer Dagger - WKC

This army officer dagger by WKC is a real gem being totally textbook throughout. The pommel and crossguard are the WKC variety. They have fine silvered finish and have patinated very nicely not having been cleaned in some time. The pommel is in nice condition throughout having no wear problems or hits to the rim and the top is nice and smooth. The standing oak leaves and alternating acorns are crisp throughout the pommel circumference. The crossguard has the fine hatchet head eagle used exclusively by this company. This bird is identical to the example that I show on page 79 of my Army book. The bird has outstanding detail to his hatchet beak, eye, close grained breast feathering, wing feathering, talons, wreath and swastika. The ferrule is the same as I show on page 64. The grip of this example is very appealing. It is still a beautiful yellow chiffon color and it is in totally perfect condition. It also has some graining in the ribs that give it an elegant effect. A very beautiful hilt here! The scabbard is also a real classic. It is the standard WKC type and as we often see with fine condition WKC scabbards the edges still have all of the frosting and the pebble patterns in the panels have a blue like tone to them. This has all of that and is very beautiful indeed. The reverse of the scabbard has a couple of black lines which look as though they were maybe caused by a rubber band but something of that nature but they will clean out if someone wanted to bother. Personally I would leave it alone as the scabbard is really toning nicely. The bands have good detail and are hand enhanced. The thicker style throat is retained by a single flat head screw in the right side. A beautiful mint scabbard here! The blade of this example is just as nice as the outside. This blade has good mirror finish with all crossgraining and needlelike tip. It is in mint condition. The reverse ricasso is etched with the knighthead trademark which is positioned over the firm’s name and location, “WKC Solingen”. The new like large style leather washer is in place. If you’re looking for a choice WKC piece this one should fill your bill.

Mint. $1395.00
AOD #29957 Early Army Officer Dagger - Alcoso

This early example has the same fittings that I show in my army book on page 21, lower. The pommel and crossguard are high quality examples having good silvered finish. There is a little bit of freckling on the reverse of the crossguard but the pommel is still in choice perfect condition. This pommel is the flared out type that we normally see produced by Alcoso. It has outstanding oak leaves amounting to fourteen in total and each and every one has hand done accent grooving. The crossguard eagle is the third type used but it is interesting to see that the eye and beak area still have the details, something which lacks on many Alcoso crossguards. The bird also has good detail to the breast checkering as well as the wing feathering, talons, wreath and raised swastika. The ferrule is the early type being the same as page 21, lower. The grip is really an attractive example. The reverse of the grip is so dark that it is almost a red color. The obverse is a pumpkin color. Many collector’s love to see these drastic color tones which happen in this early celluloid. This is a great example and it is in perfect condition throughout with no cracks or chips. A fairly nice hilt here. The scabbard is one of the early types having very fine pebbling. The later types do not have this extremely fine pebbled surface. The pebbling is the same as is shown in the top photograph on page 20. The scabbard is straight as an arrow and it has good silver plating except there is some lifting on the edges as well as the bottom chape area but the silvering is intact. The bands are also nicely hand enhanced showing outstanding oak leafing. The throat of this example is retained by two side screws being the style with small bore. The blade is a really fine example. It is an early quality blade which has the tapered tang. If you don’t know what I mean by this you can see these early tangs compared with the later tangs on page 16 of my Army Book. This early tang has rainbowed from the extensive grinding that was done to shape it to fit the grip. This is the reason that producers went to the traditional shoulder style tang as it took only a small amount of grinding. The blade of this example is nice and bright throughout having a quality polished finish. The graining is still there and this blade retains its needlelike tip and is still in mint condition. The reverse ricasso is etched with the scales trademark having the letters, “ACS” interspersed. Above the scales in an arch shape is the block lettered name of the firm, “Alcoso”. Beneath is the location town of “Solingen”. The large style leather washer is in place protecting this piece. It is difficult to find these early pieces.

Excellent Plus. $895.00
AOD #30085 Army Officer Dagger - RObert Klass

This army officer is in “as found” condition. The fittings have good silvered surfaces and all have patinated to a very dark color. The hilt fittings are the generic “B” variety. The pommel is the style which has the threaded stem in the center area. It portrays fourteen oak leaves having good detail throughout. The upper surfaces show some mild usage but no problems. The crossguard has the fine eagle exactly as shown on page 99 of my Army Book. This bird has full detail throughout his head and beak and his breast feathering has good close checkering. The wings are nicely formed as are the talons, wreath and raised swastika. The silvering is excellent throughout this guard. The ferrule is identical to the example shown on page 99. The grip of this piece is a very dark pumpkin color orange. It would be in totally perfect condition were there not just a slight crack on the lower edge. It is nothing however and would easily cover with a portepee. The scabbard is nice and straight throughout having the same dark patination to the silvering to match the hilt. The pebble pattern is crisp throughout. The carrying bands have excellent detail to the oak leafing and as we usual see on Klaas scabbards the end areas on the scabbard bands have had the casting flaw covered with an asterisk. If you don’t know what this is you can see the same thing on page 119. Apparently the same finisher worked at Klaas for a long time and his specialty were these scabbard bands. The throat is retained by two side screws. These screws are flathead style and they are located fairly far down. Nice scabbard here. The blade is also a fine example. As was often done at the Klaas firm this blade has been richly nickel-plated. The nickel plating shows a little bit of usage from in and out of the scabbard and a couple of scratches here and there but it is still bright and easily grades in near mint condition. This fine blade is marked on the reverse ricasso with the kissing cranes trademark positioned over the firm’s name and Solingen location. The brown leather small style washer is in place. A fine untouched dagger here by a producer we do not see too often.

Excellent Plus. $995.00
AOD #29959 "Hi-Lift" Army Officer Dagger - Alcoso

This army has the late “high–lift” design many collectors enjoy adding to their collection. For those of you that may not be familiar with this variation you can see a good example on page 22 of my Army Book. The hilt fittings on this piece are beginning to flake just a little bit but the flaking should be contained if the piece is kept nice and dry and looked after properly. This is a classic “high-lift” example. The pommel has the flared out style we see on Alcosos. It portrays fourteen well enhanced leaves which go around its perimeter. On the very top there are no hits but a little bit of the silvering has flaked from the center area and a little along the edges. Where the silver is in place though it is nice and patinated. The crossguard has the good flare to the top of the wings giving it a look as though this bird is ready to fly off of his perch. He has good detail to his head, breast feathering, wing feathering, talons, wreath and raised swastika. There is a nice patination throughout this design. The reverse of the crossguard has a little bit of lifting in the center are but the rest of the areas are still in good condition. The grip is a later plaster filled type and it has toned to a very beautiful ivory color. If there were graining in this grip you would swear it was a genuine ivory one. The grip is in perfect condition though and really sets this hilt off. The scabbard is a typical fin Alcoso type having good pebble design in the panels. The carrying bands are also excellent and they are the same as I show in the illustration on page 22. The throat is retained by a single center placed headless flush mount screw on the reverse. This scabbard has good plating throughout and has a nice patination. The blade of this example is mostly bright throughout. It does have a little bit of age noticeable as smudge in a couple of areas but it is not bad. The blade retains its original needlelike tip. This blade is etched with the last trademark used by this firm. It has the sideways positioned scales and the firm’s new initials, “AWS” interspersed. Next to the scales is the firm’s name in script over the city, “Alcoso Solingen”. This blade grades in excellent plus, plus condition. It is protected by a large style in place leather washer. A pretty nice example here if you are looking for the “high-lift” variation.

Excellent. $795.00
AOD #30063 Late Period Army Officer Dagger - Robert Klass

This later made army officer has the nickel-plated style generic “B” hilt fittings. These mounts are in excellent condition throughout and are the same as I show on page 100 of my Army book. The pommel cap is the style that has the threaded center stud and it features fourteen oak leaves around its perimeter. The detail is not as good as the earlier silvered pieces but it still looks OK. The upper pommel top shows a little bit of usage but no bad dings. The crossguard has the same detail as is shown on page 100. The bird looks outstanding having good breast feathering, wing feathering, wreath and swastika. The ferrule is the same as page 100. The grip is a good example being a fine tangerine color. This grip remains in perfect condition. The scabbard is a silvered version. Occasionally we see silvered scabbards mixed with later nickeled hilt parts and this is primarily because existing stores were being used up by blade companies hoping to complete pieces. This scabbard is an outstanding example having excellent silvered surfaces and good detail to the bands. There is no asterisk on this as I doubt that the Klaas firm really finished the scabbard. Chances are it was purchased from a generic firm or another blade firm down the street. The thinner throat is retained by two flathead side screws. The blade of this example is a fine nickel-plated type which Robert Klaas is famous for. This blade is nice and bright throughout and other than just the tiniest of plating lifts on the center segment of the obverse it is in mint condition. It has a good needle sharp tip. The reverse is stamped with the kissing cranes trademark over the firm’s name and location, “Robert Klaas Solingen”. The thin style brown leather washer is in place. A nice later dagger here.

Excellent Plus, Plus. $895.00
AOD #29855 Early Army Officer Dagger with Original Hangers and Portepee - Carl Eickhorn

This early army officer has never been cleaned and remains in its “as found” deeply patinated state. It is an early example. The crossguard is the same as I show on page 24. This is the 1st style crossguard used by Eickhorn. All of the details are well pronounced throughout the bird’s head, breast feathering, wing feathering, talons, wreath and raised swastika. This guard shows little to no wear. All of the silvering is intact. The matching patinated pommel top is the 2nd style used by Eickhorn. We see 1st and 2nd style parts frequently mixed with Eickhorn products. This pommel top has a little bit of usage showing on its upper surfaces and the standing oak leaves along the outside perimeter are in choice condition having fine hand enhancing. The grip is a deep yellow color and it remains in perfect condition showing a little bit of dirt gathered over the years but this is what you will see on an untouched dagger. The original portepee is still wrapped around the lower portion of the grip. It appears as though the portepee was knotted at one time and I have left it all just as I have received it. This portepee is badly frayed at the lower end and it appears as though the original slide has gone to time. Looking under the portepee I see that the Eickhorn 1st style ferrule was used being the same as page 24. The scabbard of this example is really a choice piece. It is an early all brass type and for once it is straight as an arrow with no dings or problems. These early scabbards have very fine pebbled surfaces and the bands have a convex look to them. This scabbard is the same as page 24 of my Army book. The oak leaves are beauties having hand enhancing throughout. The thicker throat is retained by one center placed screw in the reverse. Attached to the scabbard are the original-to-the-piece hangers. These hangers are especially nice as they too are very early vintage. They have silvered deluxe mounts and the silvering still appears to be mostly all there. The lower snaps are interesting as they have two raised dots on both sides of each snap. The buckles and slides have the usual oak leaf depiction and the closed clip at the top has DRGM at the upper bar and the rest of the hardware is decorated with raised oak leaves on the obverse. The brocade is in good condition on these straps and they show only mild wear on the reverse. The blade of this dagger is still mirror bright. It is one of the high quality examples having an early tapered tongue. All of the crossgraining still remains throughout the blade. Unfortunately there are a couple of small pits at the bottom of the blade where perhaps a little moisture was left in the scabbard. Also on the reverse of the blade there are a couple of stains but overall this blade still rates at excellent plus, plus. It retains its needlelike tip and on the reverse ricasso there is a deeply etched, nice and dark, 1935-41 Eickhorn squirrel. The small style brown leather washer is in place. A good untouched complete piece here.

Excellent Plus. $1195.00
AOD #29379 Untouched Army Officer Dagger - Carl Eickhorn

This army officer does not look to have been cleaned in many years. Its fine silvered fittings are in choice condition throughout and have an outstanding patination evenly spread throughout their surfaces. The hilt fittings have an early style crossguard being the same as I show on page 24 of my Army book. The pommel is the standard Eickhorn type and this pommel has no hits to the rim and twelve standing oak leaves have good detail throughout. The crossguard bird has full detail remaining to his eye, beak and closely grainined breast feathering. The talons, wing feathering, wreath and swastika are also excellently depicted. The ferrule is the 2nd style ferrule the same as page 25. The grip is a pleasing tangerine color and it remains in totally perfect condition. The scabbard exactly matches the patination of the hilt fittings. This scabbard is in full mint condition throughout. The bands have excellent detail to the overlapping oak leaves. The throat area is a little bit lighter in color to the silver where it has been protected by the crossguard. The throat itself is a very thick one typical of this producer and it is retained by one single screw in the reverse center. The blade of this piece is a high quality polished example. This blade has all of its crossgraining and retains its needlelike tip. This blade is easily in full mint condition. The reverse ricasso is darkly etched with the squirrel logo used from 1935-1941. The leather blade washer is in place within the crossguard recesses. A very nice untouched high quality army officer here.

Untouched Mint. $1,095.00
AOD #29545C Army Officer Dagger

This army officer consists of a very choice conditioned dagger with a scabbard that has some flaking to the silver plating. If someone has a generic scabbard out there in good condition this particular piece would be a very good buy. The fittings are fine silvered type and they are the generic “B” type. They are the same as I show on page 99. The pommel is in excellent condition having just a little bit of age under the plating on the top of the pommel. The twelve standing leaves and alternating acorns though are in choice condition throughout. The crossguard eagle is identical to the one shown on page 99 of my Army book. This eagle has full original detail to his head, breast feathering, wing feathering, wreath and raised swastika. This crossguard is a real beauty here. The ferrule is exactly the same as the one shown in the book. The grip is a fine off-white color. It is probably one of the plaster filled types. This grip is a slightly darker tone on the obverse than it is on the reverse but it really has a lovely ivory color. The scabbard is the same as the one shown on page 99. It is nice and straight however there is some lifting to the silver particularly on the edges and a little bit on the surfaces of the top pebble pattern and also the lower pattern on the obverse. The bands are nicely detailed having some handwork to the veins of the leaves. There is just a little bit of brass showing through on these bands. The throat is a thicker type and it is retained by two headless side screws. The blade of this example is in outstanding condition. It has all of its crossgraining and it’s still nice and bright and in full mint. It is an unmarked example as it probably represented a contract order by the army from many different suppliers. The original pebbled leather washer is in place. Once again, a very good example here if you possibly have a better conditioned scabbard.

Excellent. $675.00
AOD #29519 Untouched Army Officer Dagger - Carl Eickhorn

This army officer dagger does not appear to have been cleaned since the war. It is a classic Eickhorn having the 2nd style fittings throughout. The pommel is in choice condition having fine dark patination throughout. The rim shows no hits and the top part of the pommel is still smooth and pristine. It has the traditional twelve standing oak leaves with alternating acorns each having good hand treatment. The crossguard below is the 2nd style eagle. This bird has perfect detail to his brow, eye, beak, breast feathering, wing feathering, talons, wreath and raised swastika. Additionally there are subtle traces of frosting still in the protected recessed areas. The ferrule is also the 2nd type exactly matching the oak leaves of the bands. A beautiful tangerine grip accents these black silvered fittings and this grip is in complete perfect condition. An outstanding hilt here. The scabbard is also the 2nd style and exactly matches the patination and condition of the hilt. This scabbard is straight throughout having perfect silvering and much frosting is evident in the protected areas around the bands and the throat. The bands have outstanding overlapping oak leaves. The throat is the thicker style used by this firm and it is retained by a center placed flatter head style screw in the reverse. The blade is as nice as the rest of the dagger. This blade is in bright mirror condition having all of its original graining intact as well as its needlelike tip. The reverse ricasso is darkly etched with a 1935-41 Eickhorn squirrel trademark. The original brown leather blade washer is in place. A very fine example here in untouched condition. This would be a fine dagger to add to a collection if you do not wish to have to look for an upgrade.

Untouched Mint. $1,095.00
AOD #26064C Army Officer Dagger Presented to Afrika Korps Panzer Commander Johann Mickl - PD Luneschloss

This Army Officer’s dagger has all-silvered fittings and they are the generic “B” variety, being identical to the style I show in my Army book on Page 99. The pommel is the usual type we see with the “B” generic cross guard, being the style with threaded stem inside, and having 14 leaves running around its perimeter. The cross guard eagle is an extremely good-looking example, having noble head, excellent breast and wing feathering, fine detail to the wreath and a highly-vaulted swastika. The grip is a beautiful egg-yolk yellow type, being in perfect condition. There is a 42 cm portepee in the proper tie wrapped about the hilt. The scabbard is a standard generic variety being identical to Page 120. The blade of this example is in pristine, mint condition, having the standard sword-piercing-helmet, double ellipse trademark, used by the P.D. Lüneschlöss firm. However, all of this is of little consequence, as it is the presentation appearing between the scabbard bands on the reverse that is of astounding nature. It is interesting to note the engraver removed the pebbled surfaces of the paneled area between the bands so that the four-line engraving could be easily read. This engraved dedication is “UNSEREM KOMANDEUR/OBERST J.MICKL HERZLICHEN/GLÜCKWUNSCH ZUM RITTERKREUZ/DIE STOLZEN 155 er”. This dedication basically translates to “TO OUR COMMANDER COLONEL J. MICKL WITH HEARTFELT BEST WISHES ON THE KNIGHT’S CROSS AWARD FROM THE PROUD 155 er”. Oberst Mickl was one of Rommel’s Panzer commanders and was instrumental in Rommel’s fight against Tobruk in North Africa. He won the Knight’s Cross for his outstanding leadership, and as the Allies were soon to learn, Rommel and his Panzer generals were huge adversaries despite their smaller numbers. Mickl went on to win the oak leaves for operations in Russia on 6 Marz 1943. At that time, he was the commander of the 25th Panzer Greniedere regiment. He was later killed on 10 April 1945, while commanding the 392nd Croatian Infantry division. At that time, he had been promoted to General Leutnant and had been wounded five times. This dagger was owned by one of the great German Panzer commanders who, to this day, were responsible for the reputation which will live on through history of these fantastic trained troops. He was a career officer, having served in both wars. This is a grand opportunity to own a dagger in which a whole display could be built around. This dagger comes with a large dossier detailing Mickl’s career. It is a wonderful artifact and would make even the most advanced collectors in our community smile. This is a once in a lifetime opportunity!

Mint Minus. $9,995.00
AOD #27179C Aristocrat's Personalized Army Officer Dagger - Carl Eickhorn

This beautiful Army dagger is a most exciting piece. It belonged to an aristocrat who may have been a Knights Cross winner as well as an Army General, but we will get to this in a minute. The dagger itself is a choice-conditioned example which rates mint throughout. The fittings on this dagger are the early 2nd style. The early 2nd style cross guard is slightly different from what I show in my Army book on Page 25, being a progression of the 1st style which is shown on Page 24. The cross guard itself depicts a choice eagle design with breast checkering, which is slightly finer than Page 25, but, yet not as fine as Page 24. This is the prime difference between these eagles. The eagle, though, is in fantastic condition and clutches a wreathed raised out swastika. Even the talons have been hand-enhanced on this bird. The pommel is a fine 2nd style type having 12 oak leaves around the perimeter. The ferrule is the 2nd type, being exactly like I show on Page 25. The grip of this example is a beautiful darker orange color and the tones are the same throughout. This grip is in totally perfect condition. Now we want to get to the engravings that present themselves on this choice dagger. At the pommel top, taking up almost the complete surface is the engraved family crest of this original owner. The crest is in a shield shape being split into four quadrants. Two of the four quadrants each depict the same scenes and are positioned opposite each other. At the ten o’clock and four o’clock quadrant are depicted what appears to be two powder horns. The backgrounds of these depictions have been nicely lined for a shaded effect. On the other two quadrants which would run from two o’clock to eight o’clock, there is a scene of a prancing stag with a good set of racks. The backgrounds here have a series of random pebbled designs to give them relief. It is quite rare to see a family crest on the top of a pommel. On the reverse of the cross guard is a beautifully engraved five-point crown. Beneath the crown are the letters “v.N-W.”. These initials and crown belong to the aristocratic family of “von Nostitz-Wallwitz”. Unfortunately, there is no first initial in this personalization, so it is difficult to determine which of the von Nostitz-Wallwitz family members owned this dagger. There has been research conducted which accompanies the dagger. The research shows five members of the von Nostitz-Wallwitz family who could have owned this piece. One of them was in the foreign service, so it probably would not be him. Two other younger members were both First Lieutenants and it is doubtful that the dagger belonged to either of these two. The two oldest members of the family “Eckhard von Nostitz-Wallwitz” and “Gustav Adolf von Nostitz-Wallwitz” were the two oldest and likely one of these was the owner of the dagger. Eckhard was a First Lieutenant in 1936 and went on in the war to be associated with a Panzer regiment. He was killed in Russia in 1943. Gustav Adolf, on the other hand, was a First Lieutenant in 1930 and became a Major in 1937. 1937 would most likely be the date that Eickhorn produced this 2nd style variation cross guard, so there is a good chance that when Gustav Adolf von Nostitz-Wallwitz achieved this rank, he purchased the dagger. After this, he became a Lieutenant Colonel with an artillery regiment in 1940 and in 1941, became a Panzer commander, winning the German Cross in gold. In 1942, he was in Russia and was involved with the Stalingrad fiasco. In 1944, he was with Panzer Artillery Regiment 89. At this time, he won the Knight’s Cross and was promoted to General Major. In 1945, he was killed on 31 May. So, there is a better than even chance here that this personalized dagger belonged to a Wehrmacht General and Knight’s Cross winner. It would be up to the next owner to conclusively prove this ownership. This is a very exciting piece, indeed. Getting to the rest of the description, the scabbard is a standard 2nd style Eickhorn example, having good pebbled surfaces. The scabbard shows just hints of frosting in the protected areas around the carrying bands and the throat area. The thicker throat is retained by a center placed screw in the reverse. The blade of this example is as nice as they come. It has a full mirror mint surface with 100% of the original graining. The needlelike tip is in place and this dagger blade easily rates in full mint condition. The reverse ricasso is etched with the 1935-41 squirrel design. The original small brown leather washer is in place protecting this fine blade. This is a grand opportunity to obtain an outstanding dagger. If the original owner was indeed the Knight’s Cross winner, this dagger could be worth far more than its advertised price. If he was not, it is still a fantastic piece which would be the highlight of most collections. It is very rare to find an Army dagger with this aristocratic family Wappen along with the crown and family name. Very rare offering here and guaranteed original dagger.

Mint. $5,995.00
AOD #23466 Late Period Army Officer Dagger – Anton Wingen, Jr.

This later produced army officer is virtually the same as the example I show on page 74 and 75 of my Army Book. The fittings are the generic “B” style exactly as the book example. The pommel is the style which has the threaded stem inside. This pommel type seem to have been produced with the “B” style crossguard. This pommel has a good crisp rim and perfectly smooth upper area. It features fourteen standing oak leaves with alternating acorns. It is in the nickel-plated version we see used during war time. The matching generic “B” style guard is also nickel and it is identical to page 74. If portrays a good-looking noble eagle having excellent detail to his eye, beak, breast feathering, talons, wreath, wing feathering and raised mobile swastika. The ferrule is identical to the book piece. The grip is a typical wartime white example. It appears to be the style which is plaster filled. It is in totally perfect condition throughout and looks good. The scabbard is a silvered style exactly as the book piece. We often see wartime nickel daggers mated with silvered scabbards as there must have been some of this product on hand. This scabbard is an outstanding example being straight throughout and having good silvering. The bands are identical to the book piece having hand enhanced overlapping oak leaves. The throat is retained by a single flush mount headless screw in the reverse. The blade is a fine example still having all of its crossgraining and needlelike tip. There is only the slightest of age in a couple of areas but I think that this would easily clean up with very little effort. This blade easily grades in near mint condition. The reverse blade ricasso is etched with the little knight trademark. Above the figure is the firm’s initials, “A.W. Jr.”. Below is the location city of, “Solingen”. The leather blade washer is in place. A good dagger for the “type” collectors out there. This dagger is still in excellent collectible condition.

Excellent Plus. $895.00
AOD #26071C Monogrammed Army Officer Dagger - Carl Eickhorn

This This Carl Eickhorn dagger is splendid in all ways. It has quality fittings throughout, being the second style produced by this firm and identical to Page 25 in my Army book. The silvering throughout the hilt fittings is in perfect condition. The pommel has nice patination and shows just the slightest of age in the pommel top, but still having a crisp edge and good standing oak leaves around the perimeter. The eagle is a beauty, being the same as Page 25. This bird has crisp, new like details to his head, breast feathering, wing feathering, wreath and raised swastika. The reverse of the cross guard has had a set of initials scribed by a master. The initials are in intertwined “HH”. These initials are staggered and really gives a most impressive effect. The letter sides almost give the look of a German “stone henge. Each letter has dual scribing and the center areas are shaded. The second “H” has slightly different shading, indicating that this is probably the surname “H”, although this is silly, since both are the same letter. The engraver, though, felt it was important in his mind to show which of the letters represented the last name. A very pleasing look here, and absolutely expert in every way. The grip is a nicely toned orange and is just the slightest bit lighter on the reverse. It is in totally perfect condition. This hilt is further enhanced by a fine 42cm aluminum portepee. The portepee shows just a hint of age and usage, but no fraying. The scabbard is a typical Eickhorn second style. It is straight throughout, having absolutely perfect silvering. This mint conditioned scabbard has crisp pebbling, nice detail to the overlapping band oak leaves and the thicker throat is retained by a center-placed screw in the reverse. There are also minor frosting remains around the throat area. The blade is a choice, bright example, having only just the slightest signs of age. There is also just a tiny, tiny nick on the lower edge near the tip, but it is really nothing. This blade still grades in near full mint condition. This fine blade is etched on the reverse with the 1935-42 squirrel trademark. The small style leather washer is in place. A real beauty here, and a great display example if you are into personalized pieces.

Mint Minus. $1,495.00
AOD #26073C Army Officer Dagger with Factory Issue Tag – Carl Eickhorn

This This Army Officer is in new like, untouched condition. It still has much of its original frosting throughout the silvered fittings. This Eickhorn dagger is manufactured with all second style fittings. These fittings are identical to what you will see in my Army book on Pages 25-27. The pommel is an outstanding example, showing no usage. The rim is completely crisp and the upper surface has no signs of wear. The standing leaves are new like in every way and have nice detail to the veins and the acorns which separate them. This fitting has patinated to a black color, but there is lots of frosted areas which still remain throughout the top surface, the backgrounds of the leaves and the lower areas around the pommel pedestal. The ferrule is exactly the same, completely matching the frosting of the pommel. This ferrule is identical to Page 25. The beautiful Army cross guard also has about 70% of the frosting still remaining. Where air has gotten under the lacquer there is black patination, making for a beautiful effect for those who appreciate the look of daggers in this condition. The Army eagle is just the best you will see, easily better than the one shown in the book. The details to the eye, beak, breast feathering, wing feathering, talons, wreath and raised swastika are spectacular. The frosted areas are beautiful the way they swirl around the cross guard quillon ends. The grip also retains its nice, natural yellow color. It is a lemon shade of yellow and is quite beautiful. This grip is in totally perfect condition. The second style scabbard is also the same as Page 25. This scabbard has about 70% of the frosting still showing throughout. Some of the pebbled panel areas have started to turn dark with patination, but they are still sprinkled with frosted areas. The bands are the best you will see, being crisp and new like with hand-enhanced oak leaves. The throat area is totally frosted. The throat is the thick type retained by a single screw in the reverse center area. Attached to the upper carrying ring is the original Eickhorn tag. This tag is missing the paper insert, but the rest of it is in good condition. The string has turned a tan color. The round, two-piece, metal tag itself is a red painted color. It shows some age and usage, but still the details are clear. It is stamped on the obverse with the 1935-41 squirrel logo. The squirrel appears in the center holding a downward pointing sword. Above is the German word, “original”, and below, is the firm’s name, location and the fact that a patent was pending on the design, “Eickhorn/Solingen/Ges. Gesch”. On the reverse is the stamping “Eickhorn/Tradition/Quälität”. As we would expect, the blade is just as nice as the outside. This blade is totally mint, having mirror bright surfaces and showing no usage whatsoever. This blade barely has runner marks! The cross graining is 100% and the tip is needlelike. The reverse ricasso is darkly etched with the 1935-41 squirrel trademark. The brown leather, small sized washer is in place. This is a great opportunity to acquire an unissued Eickhorn Army dagger. There is none better. A very beautiful thing here. Rare to encounter and always a good investment.

Untouched, Mint. $1,495.00(#060810)
AOD #26068C Army Officer Dagger

This This Army Officer is of later construction and its fittings have all completely turned black. The knowing collector will immediately identify these fittings and scabbard. As those produced by the WKC firm. These fittings are identical to the example I show in my Army book on Pages 66 and 64. The pommel and cross guard have a very dark patination throughout. They are so black that they almost look like a dull paint. It might be that this was the finish put on these pieces, as this example was definitely made late and during wartime production. Either way, the finish looks great! The pommel is the WKC style and it shows no usage at all. The top surfaces are completely free of any bumps or dings and the side perimeter has outstanding oak leaf depiction. The cross guard features the “hatchet beaked” eagle being identical to the example shown on Page 66. This bird has good detail to the head, breast feathering, wing feathering, wreath and swastika. There are a couple of areas where the patina is wearing thin a little, being at the very top of the bird’s head, the top of the wreath and a little bit on the reverse of the cross guard. If anything, these slight wear signs give the dagger a sense of reality. The grip is a pretty off-white color. It is probably the plaster-filled style and it is completely in perfect condition. Wrapped about the hilt is a fine, original Army portepee. This portepee remains perfect in all ways, showing only age and no wear whatsoever. The scabbard is also a WKC style, having the identical finish as the hilt. The pebble patterns are still crisp and the bands reflect highly detailed overlapping oak leaves. The throat has the wider opening we associate with WKC, and it is retained by one flatter head side screw on the right. A fine, mint scabbard here. The blade is also a beauty. It is brand new looking, having mirror finish and all of the original graining. The point is needlelike and this blade is easily in full stone mint condition. It is an unmarked example. The leather buffer is the larger style also used by WKC and it is in place deep within the cross guard recesses. A very fine late example here.

Near Mint. $695.00
AOD #28654 Early Personalized Army Officer Dagger - Unmarked F.W. Höller

This This Army Officer dagger, despite the fact that the blade is unmarked, is definitely of F.W. Höller pedigree. This dagger is identical to the example I show in my Army book on Pages 33 and 34. The pierce does not look to have been cleaned since the war. The pommel is an outstanding example, having the 12-leaf configuration running about the perimeter of the fitting. These leaves all have fine definition. The top of the pommel is nice and smooth, showing almost no carrying time. The ferrule nicely matches and is the same as the book piece. The Höller cross guard is a beauty, being identical to Page 33. This bird has outstanding detail to his beak, eye, breast feathering, talons, wreath and raised swastika. The wingspread is impressive on these Höller examples. This eagle shows no wear and is very, very impressive. The reverse of this cross guard has the owner’s original initial “H” engraved onto the middle area. The engraving was done by one of those machines that makes little dots. These engravings are never very impressive, but, nonetheless, it is an original example. The grip of this piece is in perfect condition, being a light orange color on the obverse fading to yellow on the reverse. Obviously, the original color was yellow and as we know, light tended to affect the color tones of this early celluloid material. The scabbard is a typical Höller also, having good straight surfaces and fine pebble pattern in the panels. The bands look to be the same as Page 34 or 35, having good detail to the overlapping oak leaves. These leaves are also hand-enhanced with veins in the center. The thinner throat is retained on this early scabbard with two flatter head side screws. This scabbard has full silvering throughout. The blade of this example is mirror mint and is as nice as you will see. It has all of its cross graining and retains the needlelike tip. It is protected by an in-place leather washer. Apparently, Höller sold this piece to perhaps a retail store who did not want the logo of the Höller firm on the blade. A very fine original early example.

Near Mint. $895.00
AOD #28553 Late Army Officer Dagger – C. Gustav Spitzer

This Army dagger by Spitzer was purchased directly from the daughter of the Veteran that brought it home. The dagger is in the late nickel finish and it has not been touched nor has it been taken apart. It is what it is, and it has some interesting qualities about it for those of you out there that study these things and are “type” collecting army daggers. The hilt fittings are the generic “A” type with the exception that the pommel is not from this same late era. The pommel appears to be the type I show as “E” style on Page 115 of my Army book. This pommel is silver finished as opposed to nickel and it does have some lifting at the center area of the top as well as around the edges. It is a 12-leaf type and does show hand-rendering to the veins and to also the areas where there were casting flaws. But, at this late period, we have to think that any pommel would have done the trick. The pommel has never been off of the dagger and this is what came with it. The cross guard and ferrule are the typical later nickel style generic “A” variety. These fittings look very much like the ones shown on Page 89 of my Army book. They are in excellent condition throughout and have no flaws. The grip is an off-white plaster filled type. It gives a nice ivory look and is just slightly darker toned on the obverse than on the reverse. A good looking hilt here. The scabbard is also done in the nickel finish and it is straight throughout and in very fine, near mint condition. This scabbard looks to be the same as the one I show on Page 89, except that the screws are dome head on this piece and were flush mount on the book piece. At any rate, the bands appear the same, having excellent detail to the oak leaves and lots of hand-enhancing visible too. A very nice scabbard here. The blade of this example is installed with the reverse side upward. This blade is in full mint condition, having beautiful cross graining throughout and needlelike tip. The maker’s mark is the 2nd style trademark used by Spitzer. It is slightly smaller than the one I show on Page 60, but still has the same depiction. This trademark has a circle which encloses the prancing lion with flickering tongue and curved tail. Around the perimeter of the circle in block capital lettering is the name and location of the firm “C. GUSTAV SPITZER SOLINGEN”. It is also interesting to note that there are two newlike brown washers which separate the blade shoulders from the cross guard. This was probably the way pieces were made at this later period as the craftsmanship to fit them nicely may not have been there and this was an easy remedy. At any rate, these two washers are in place and have not been moved since the war. A good study here of an unaltered late period army officer’s dagger.

Excellent Plus, Plus. $695.00
AOD #28396 Late Army Officer Dagger

This army officer was produced during the wartime period and has the nickel plated surfaces. The nickel has taken on a fine patination and is a desirable dull color throughout. The hilt fittings are the generic “B” type, as is shown in my Army book on Page 99. The pommel has no wearing signs along the rim and its top is perfectly smooth. The 14 standing oak leaves and alternating acorns are all there and have a good detail. The pommel is the style with stem in the center area. The cross guard is identical to Page 99. It features a noble eagle with outstanding detail to the brow, eye, beak, breast feathering, wing feathering, talons, wreath and raised swastika. The plating is still in perfect condition and exactly matches that of the pommel. The ferrule is the same as is shown in the book piece. The grip is an attractive off-white color, looking almost ivory. It is most likely the plaster filled variety but I don’t want to take this dagger apart, as it has not been disturbed since the war. The scabbard is nice and straight throughout, having exact patination to its nickel finish. This scabbard resembles the one that is shown on Page 92, right, of my Army book. The scabbard is straight throughout and still has good pebbled patterns. The bands have good detail to the overlapping oak leaf depiction. The throat is the thinner variety and it is retained by a single headless, center placed flush mount screw. The blade is nice and bright and still has its original cross graining. Other than just a few normal stains here and there, the blade is in near full mint condition. A nice blade here! The blade has been protected by an in-place, newlike brown leather small washer. This example was recently purchased from a Florida veteran and it is in completely untouched condition. This dagger has never been in a collection, nor has it been apart.

Untouched, Near Mint. $695.00
AOD #28340 Untouched Army Officer Dagger - Carl Eickhorn

This untouched army Eickhorn was recently purchased from a Veteran source. The cross guard and fittings are the 2nd style. This dagger does not appear to have ever been apart, nor has it been cleaned. These fittings have a nice patination which extends throughout the hilt and scabbard. The pommel cap is an outstanding example, showing no damage to the rim and beautiful silvering throughout. The standing oak leaves are crisp and impressive. The ferrule nicely matches. The cross guard is the same as is shown as on Page 25 of my Army book. This cross guard portrays a fine mobile eagle looking to the viewer’s left with full detail to his head, breast feathering, wing feathering, wreath and raised mobile swastika. There is a little bit of bubbling just at the left quillon, but no loss of silvering. There is also some minor freckling on the reverse of this cross guard, but again, the silvering is all in place and the very dark patination covers these flaws. The grip is an extremely dark example. This grip is as dark as a pumpkin and is in nice condition throughout. It is slightly lighter on the reverse and maybe in the areas where a once-present portepee was around the upper and lower sections of the grip. A nice looking hilt here. The scabbard is also a fine example, having perfect silvering and being identical to the ones I show on Pages 226 and 227. This fine scabbard has crisp pebbling and the bands are nicely done. The throat is the thicker variety, having a center-placed flatter style screw in the reverse upper area. The blade of this example is still bright, having all of its original cross graining and needlelike tip. There are a couple of extremely mild spots, but still, the blade easily rates in near mint condition. The reverse ricasso has the stamped 11935-41 squirrel trademark. This stamped mark is identified as 1940 wartime vintage. The blade is protected by an in-place, small style leather buffer. A nice army dagger here, and especially if you like the untouched pieces.

Untouched Near Mint. $1,195.00
AOD #28174 Army Officer Dagger with Early Oval Trademark - Carl Eickhorn

This first style Carl Eickhorn is the same as I show in my Army Book, on page 24. It has all-brass hilt fittings, as well as scabbard. The fittings have totally perfect silvering throughout. The pommel is the very early 14-leaf variety. Each of the leaves has hand enhancing, and at the areas where the casting flaws occurred, the leaves are virtually hand engraved. It is very rewarding to look at this kind of period art work! The pommel top shows a little bit of usage, and a few minor hits along the ridge, but the beautiful patination pretty much covers it. It still gives the viewer a small glimpse into this dagger’s history of wear. The crossguard is in choice condition, easily being as nice as the piece pictured in the book on page 24. The patination is also a coal black, and really gives the details of this bird a great look. The head, beak, breast feathering, wing feathering, wreath, and raised swastika are all finely detailed. The rest of the crossguard has a fine smooth surface. The ferrule is the early style, just like in the book piece. The grip is an outstanding pumpkin colored orange. It is really beautiful, having ribs that run downward from right to left. This grip is in perfect condition. It has one little period hit in the surface of the third rib up from the bottom on the reverse, but it barely shows, and again, is more of a record of this dagger’s history than any kind of a flaw. The scabbard is as straight as an arrow. It also has perfect silvering and a beautiful rich patination. It is rare to see one of these brass based scabbards in this condition, as the material is quite fragile. The pebbled patterns in the surfaces are still crisp, and on these early scabbards the pebbles per inch are much more intense than the later types. The bands are beveled, just like the book piece, and they have fine hand engraving evident throughout. The throat is a thicker variety, and it is so early that Eickhorn was still using two side screws to secure the throat. Eventually Eickhorn would go to the single reverse screw method of throat retainage. The blade of this piece is as nice as we could imagine. It has mirror-like surfaces, and all of its cross graining is still visible. The needle-like tip is there. This outstanding blade is the type that would have a tapered tang, and I’m sure the next purchaser would find this to be the case if he chooses to disassemble this dagger. To me, I would rather leave it just as it is. The reverse of the blade ricasso is etched with the early small oval trademark used from 1933 to 1935. These ovals trap the firm’s name and location, “Carl Eickhorn, Solingen”. Inside is a seated squirrel, having a serrated tail. The small style brown leather washer is in place. A truly great dagger here for the “type” collectors out there, or for someone wanting to add an early oval to a collection. These daggers are quite rare with this blade, and extremely rare in this fine condition.

Mint. $1,495.00
AOD #27157C Personalized Army Officer Dagger with Dedication - Robert Klass

The cross guard of this example shows much hand-enhancing. It is the same as the one pictured at the lower on Page 47. It is obvious to me that the same in-house artist did both of these eagles. The feathering throughout the open wings has been hand-cut and the breast feathering and legs of the bird have had very close work performed for the cross sectioning of these parts. The head has a fine eye and beak design and the wreath itself also has hand done engravings. It nicely accents the raised out mobile swastika which has lots of black patination behind it. It is always fun to examine these highly embellished cross guards. It is rare to see one with this much hand work. Obviously, the chisler knew it was going to have a dedication also so he did his best to add his expert influence. The reverse of the cross guard has the three-line dedication all in capital letters “ZUR BEFÖRDERUNG/Z. LEUTNANT/GEW.V. 2. ZUG”. This dedication would translate to “A GIFT FROM THE 2ND PLATOON FOR YOUR PROMOTION TO LIEUTENANT”. Obviously, the officer “RP” was promoted and received the dagger from his underlings, who must have been proud of him. The ferrule is identical to the same shown on Page 47. All of these mounts have fine black background patinations. The grip is a deep egg-yolk yellow color. It is in perfect condition throughout and is evenly toned. The scabbard is a typical Robert Klass example. It has all of its silvering and nicely matches the patination of the hilt fittings. The pebble pattern is crisp and the oak leaves of the carrying bands are nicely done. These oak leaves also have hand-enhancing, and as is the usual for this in-house engraver, the asterisk design has been added to the end portion of both of these bands. This design can be seen in my Army book on Page 119. The thicker style throat of this example is retained by two flatter head side screws. The blade of this example is a mirror bright, nickel plated type. It has all of the mirror plating on the obverse and on the reverse, the plating is just beginning to thin a little on the center blade segment. It is minor, though, and if the blade is kept out of the dagger from now on, it should not get any worse. Other than this minor thinning, the blade remains in mint condition. The reverse ricasso is stamped with the kissing cranes trademark. Beneath this is the firm’s name “Robt Klass/Solingen”. The small leather blade buffer is in place. A very fine example here, and difficult to find Army daggers with not only a dedication, but the recipient’s initials on the pommel also.

Excellent Plus, Plus. $1,495.00
AOD #27775 Double Etched Army Officer Dagger

This is the double etched variety that, if you can’t afford the Voos type, the unmarked blade variety is what you want. This is a classic example throughout and is of highest quality and choice condition. The fittings are early silver type and they are the generic “A” variety, the same as used by Voos. You can see these fittings on Page 132 of my Army book. The pommel has a fine upper area with good, crisp circumference around the top with no hits. The 12 standing oak leaves are all crisp, separated by upward pointing acorns. The backgrounds of the leaves have good patination, as does the upper portion of the pommel. The cross guard is the generic “a”, featuring a fine looking eagle with good, crisp definition to his brow, eye, downturned beak, breast feathering, wing feathering, talons, wreath and raised mobile swastika. This bird is every bit as detailed as its counterpart shown on Page 78 of my Army book. The ferrule is the matching type and is also the same as Page 78. The grip of this example is an appealing lighter orange color on the obverse, fading just slightly on the reverse, but not much. As an added touch, there is some beautiful graining which appears in the lower rib sections of the obverse grip and runs up a little higher on the reverse grip. This graining gives the grip a look of ivory. It was caused by something natural though, as we don’t see it in most celluloid grips. This grip is in perfect condition throughout and has much appeal with this dagger. The scabbard is a good example, having excellent silvered surfaces throughout and also has fine pebbling throughout the panels. There are good looking carrying rings which have oak leaves running toward the rings rather than away. Sometimes we see this technique, and it is interesting to notice it when it occurs. The oak leaves are in choice condition throughout and have deep hand-done veining enhancement. The throat is a fairly thick variety and it is retained by two flathead style screws. These screws appear unturned, having a little bit of old cleaning polish still clinging to their sides. There are also signs of this old polish around the cross guard and pommel areas. People used to use a product called “glass wax” to clean things and quite often we see residue still left from this cleaner used years ago. This scabbard still is in near full mint condition and is straight as an arrow. The blade of this example is quite beautiful. It is of quality nickel plated construction and it is still mirror bright. The raised portions of the double etch are really spectacular because of their crispness. The frosting is also 100%, which adds to the fine creation of relief. The blade is laid out with a center panel on the obverse, having floral designs flanking it. The center panel features a raised out art-deco style eagle which shows no feathering and grasps a plain wreath with mobile swastika inside. The bird has sprigs of oak leaves under each wing. An absolutely beautiful design here, being identical to the blade etch I show on page 135 of my Army book. With this particular etch, the arrow ends the last panel but then there are two droplets which continue past the point. The reverse of the etch eliminates the center panel and is covered with the floral designs. This blade is in full mint condition and is guaranteed to bring a smile to the face of even the most advanced collectors. There is no sign of any lifting of the nickeling here, which often we do see on these unmarked or Voos marked pieces. The blade has been protected by an in-place brown leather washer. The tang of this example is the style with the thicker type threads. I show this style tang in my Luftwaffe book on page 237. We only see this thicker style thread used on double-etch blades. The Luftwaffe blade with this style large thread also has the droplets after the point at the end of the etch. This is an outstanding textbook dagger of investment quality. If you have been looking for one that you don’t want to have to upgrade, this one should fill the bill.

Mint Minus. $3,995.00
AOD #26800 Early Army Officer Dagger - Carl Eickhorn

This is a very fine Army Officer dagger produced probably about 1936 or 1937. It has all first style mounts and scabbard, with the exception of the pommel, which is the second style. The fittings throughout have a very fine patina and they also have lots of frosting noticeable almost everywhere. The pommel cap shows little to no usage around the rim and the upper surfaces. This second style cap features the standing oak leaf and acorns, being the same as I show on Page 26 of my Army book. The matching cross guard is the first style, being identical to that shown on Page 24. This bird shows no wear at all, having beautiful detail to his eye, beak, breast feathering, wing feathering, wreath and raised out swastika. The frosting still evident throughout this cross guard must be about 85%. The matching first style ferrule is the same as Page 24. The grip is a most beautiful orange color, being quite deep and even colored throughout. There is a tiny chip at the upper portion of the reverse grip, but this would easily cover with the addition of a portepee. A very fine hilt here! The first style scabbard is the same as Page 24. This scabbard is a steel base type and it is in choice, mint condition. It also has frosting evident throughout the surfaces and shows little to no wear. This scabbard is in mint condition. The carrying bands are the convex variety, having nice detail. The throat is the fairly thick variety and it is retained by a single flatter head screw in the reverse center. There is also lots of lighter colored frosting in this area. The blade of this piece is mirror bright, having choice needle tip. This blade has easily 100% of its cross graining. The reverse ricasso is very deeply etched with the 1935-41 squirrel trademark. The rodent holds a sword pointing downward. This mint blade has been protected by an in-place brown leather small style blade washer. An extremely nice dagger which would rate mint were it not for the minor chip in the grip.

Near Mint. $1,195.00
AOD #26739C Army Officer Dagger - Carl Eickhorn

This Army Officer dagger is completely textbook in itself. The scabbard, however, appears to be a WKC. Although it is impossible to tell whether the scabbard was switched over the years, this would be an easy fix if someone wanted to exchange a WKC scabbard with another collector who has an extra Eickhorn available. At any rate, the scabbard is identical to what I show in my Army book on Page 63, left, and the dagger itself is identical to the second style design of Eickhorn shown on Page 25. The hilt fittings of this example have a nice patination. The pommel shows little usage and still has a crisp rim with good standing oak leaves. The cross guard matches exactly, also having perfect silvering and a deep patination. It features the second style eagle with outstanding detail to the head, breast feathering, wing feathering, wreath and raised out swastika. The matching ferrule is the second type and is the same as Page 25. The grip is an egg yolk yellow color and it is the same tone on both sides. The recesses of the ribs have a slightly darker look to them. As stated above, the scabbard has the same fine early pebbling as an Eickhorn shell and, in fact, looks like an Eickhorn shell. The bands, however, are the WKC style and the throat is retained by a single flathead screw on the right. This scabbard is in mint condition and more than likely is completely original to this piece. It is also interesting to note that the throat is a thicker type, as used by Eickhorn. The blade of this example is as nice as you will see. It is mirror bright and has all of its cross graining with its sharp needlelike tip. The reverse ricasso is deeply etched with the 1935-41 squirrel holding a downward pointing sword. The leather washer has gone to time. A fine looking dagger here and a good one for those out there who like to ponder the different constructions and usages that we see. This dagger also comes with a set of fine deluxe hanging straps. These straps are in good condition throughout, showing only modest wear and they feature deluxe hardware with oak leaved DRGM marked clip at the top and push-up style snaps with oak leaves at the bottom. A good looking package here.

Mint Minus. $995.00
AOD #26779 Army Officer Dagger - Carl Eickhorn

This choice Army Officer is in an uncleaned state and remains in perfect condition throughout. The fittings are a very black tone from patination and there is also lots of frosting to be seen in the recessed areas. I recently purchased this dagger from a Detroit based Homeland Security officer. Chances are, he relieved a passenger of it. I don’t know, but it sure is a nice dagger. The second style fittings are the same as I show in my Army book on Pages 25-27. The pommel is in good condition, showing just the slightest signs of usage around the rim, but, overall, it still has good, crisp oak leaves and acorns. The cross guard is the second style, having nice detail to the eagle’s head, breast feathering, wing feathering, wreath and raised out swastika. The ferrule is also the same as Page 25. The grip is one of those egg-yolk yellow types. It is slightly lighter at the top area and also the bottom area, as, at one time this grip must have sported a portepee. There is also some nice grains which appear in the surfaces if you really look closely. A nice hilt here! The scabbard is also the second style and it is nice and black throughout. The area which is protected by the in-place cross guard still has all of its frosting, providing a fine contrast with the coal black patination. The second style carrying bands show little to no usage and good, crisp oak leaves. The throat is the thicker type and it is retained by a single placed, flatter head screw in the center reverse. This scabbard is easily in full mint condition. The blade of this example is as nice as they come. It is mirror bright, has its needlelike tip and has all of its cross graining. This choice, mint blade is darkly etched on the reverse ricasso with the 1935-41 squirrel. The animal is holding a downward pointing sword. The smaller style brown leather washer is in place. This is a fine, uncleaned, near full mint example.

Uncleaned Near Mint. $1,195.00
AOD #26755 Untouched Army Officer Dagger - Carl Eickhorn

This untouched Army Officer is patinated all black throughout the second style fittings and scabbard. These fittings have a very pleasing sheen to their surfaces and have much appeal. The pommel cap shows only the most modest signs of usage ad the blackness extends throughout the top smooth areas. The standing oak leaves with alternating acorns are in choice, newlike condition, but hard to make out they are so dark! The cross guard is a most beautiful second style, being identical to Page 25 of my Army book. The eagle’s head, breast feathering, wing feathering, wreath and raised swastika are still crisp. There is a tiny “x” mark made on the reverse cross guard just to the left of center. It is a scratch marking and most likely was put there by the original owner as the method he used to identify his dagger when it got checked, prior to seeing the Führer! The ferrule is also a beauty, being identical to Page 25. Setting these nice dark patinated fittings off, though, is a beautiful yellow candy stick-like grip. The yellow has just a little bit of darker tones in the bottom of the ribs which really gives the downward turning grip a striped look. This grip is in totally perfect condition and is the same even tone throughout. A most beautiful hilt here! The scabbard of this example is also a textbook second style Eickhorn. It is easily in mint condition and is deeply toned. The scabbard bands are nice and crisp and are slightly darker than the pebbled panels. The throat is the thicker type, having just a slight amount of frosting evident. This throat is retained by a center placed, flatter head screw in the reverse. The blade is just as nice as the outside of the dagger. It is mirror bright, has its needlelike tip and still has 100% cross graining. This blade is in mint condition. The reverse ricasso is darkly etched with the 1935-41 squirrel. The rodent holds a downward pointing sword. The leather washer is in place, being slightly larger than we usually see them, but the pressure from positioning on the throat easily has outlined this washer as original to this piece. An extremely nice, uncleaned, untouched example.

Uncleaned. Mint. $1,195.00
AOD #26999 Army Officer Dagger - F.W. Höller

This Army example has a great look about it, as do most Höller pieces. I personally think that their cross guard is the best looking of all the different designs. This example is the same as I show on Page 33 of my Army book. The pommel has exceptional silvered finish, having a good, black patination. At the smooth surface of the top it is also possible to see the frosting below the blackening. The 12 standing oak leaves are in choice condition, also having good black background. The cross guard eagle is very regal, looking to the viewer’s left and having great detail to his beak, brow, eye, breast feathering, wing feathering, claws, wreath and raised out swastika. Like the pommel, this cross guard also is loaded with frosting - in fact, it covers the entire reverse area. Beautiful fittings here! The grip is a fine example being a lighter tangerine color throughout. It is in totally perfect condition. This dagger is equipped with what appears to be its original officer’s portepee. This portepee is in the 1st style tie and has just a tad of fray where the tie comes out of the knot, but otherwise is choice, perfect condition. In fact, if anything, this knot really talks to you of the times it swung at the side of its Officer / owner. The scabbard exactly matches the fine silvering of the hilt fittings. This scabbard also has lots of frosting clinging on the edges of both sides. There is a minor flaw at the middle of the lower portion where it looks as though a dent was removed at one time. This looks like a professional job and may have been sent back to Solingen to have been done. At any rate, you have to look hard to see the flaw at all. The scabbard still remains in near mint condition. The scabbard bands are the same as the book piece on Page 33, having good detail. The throat is a thicker variety and it is retained by one center placed headless flush mount screw. The blade of this piece is as nice as they come. It has all of its cross graining and has a mirror finish with needlelike tip. This blade is in mint condition. The reverse ricasso is etched with the double oval trademark. The trademark traps the firm’s name and location “F.W. Höller Solingen”. Inside is a thermometer having too many digits to ever count. The newlike large style brown leather blade buffer is in place. A very fine Höller dagger here. This dagger is in exceptional condition.

Near Mint. $995.00
AOD #27156 Personalized Army Officer Dagger - Robert Klass

This choice Army officer is the early type produced by Klass and is identical to the example I show on Page 47, lower, of my Army book. The pommel and cross guard both have excellent silvering throughout. I do not see any lifting here. This is unusual on early Klass fittings, as they had a lightweight aluminum base which normally did not hold up well. The pommel features a 14 oak leaf section running about the perimeter. Each and every oak leaf has some hand work noticeable and the ones which fall on the casting scenes have been virtually hand formed. (It is always fun to study this kind of thing.) The upper portion of the pommel features an all-black patinated surface with no hits to the rim. A nice pommel here. The cross guard is highly detailed, all done by hand. The bird head has hand-done eyes, beak and nasal area and also features the breast feathering, which is identical to the piece depicted in my book. The open wings have tremendous detail, all hand-done to each and every feather. The bird grasps a wreath which has a mobile swastika. Looking at this work, one would have to admit that these in-house chiselers were really top notch craftsmen. It must have taken a long time to insert all of these renderings. To make it even better though, on the reverse of this choice, 100% silvered cross guard, is the monogram of its original owner. Beautifully done are the initials “FB”. Both of these initials have been done in double-spaced letters and there is shading in between to give them a deluxe appearance. Both letters also have rounded periods after them. A great look here and very desirable by collectors. In my opinion, these Third Reich engravers were artists unto themselves. The ferrule of this example is the same as Page 47. The grip is also a beauty. It is a dark yellow color, being slightly lighter on the obverse than the reverse. This grip remains in totally perfect condition. The scabbard is straight throughout and is a classic Robert Klass type. The pebble patterns are crisp and the bands have fine hand-rendered oak leafing. As is usually the case, there are asterisk figures placed over the casting marks on the ends of both bands. These markings can be seen on the example I show on Page 119 of my Army book. The throat is retained by two flatter head side screws. There is also frosting which remains around this throat area. A fine scabbard here! The blade of this piece is one of the Robert Klass high-quality nickel plated examples. In this case, the plating is still 100% intact and is mirror bright. This blade is equipped with good tip and fine quality segments. It is in mint condition. The reverse ricasso is marked with the kissing cranes trademark. These birds are positioned over the firm’s name and location “Robert Klass Solingen”. The small style brown leather blade washer is in place. A very fine Robert Klass dagger here that just has everything!

Near Mint. $1,295.00
AOD #26982 Army Officer Dagger - Alcoso

This Army officer does not look to have been cleaned since the war. It has a fine, dark patination throughout and also is a classic textbook Alcoso dagger. The cross guard is identical to the example I show in my Army book on Page 21. This cross guard features a good looking eagle still having some detail remaining to his head and breast feathering. The detail is about the same as is shown in the book piece. The details are good to the open wing feathering, wreath and raised out swastika. The ferrule is also the same as the book piece. The pommel is the typical flared outward type which is well known by this producer. The standing oak leaves which run around the circumference are all highly detailed with acorns separating each of these 12 leaves. The rim of the pommel has little to no wear and the top is also in good condition. The grip of this example is a egg-yolk yellow color. It is in totally perfect condition and looks nice against the darkness of the fittings. The scabbard is also a classic Alcoso, being the same as is shown on Page 22, upper. This scabbard is straight as an arrow and has good pebbled panels. The bands are well-detailed and the throat is retained by two flathead side screws having the small bore dimensions. The blade of this piece is as nice as they come. It is mirror bright and has 100% of the original cross graining. The tip still remains needlelike. The reverse ricasso is etched with the trademark used from 1937-39. This trademark consists of the scales having the firm’s initials “ACS” interspersed. Above the scales in an arch shape, in block lettering, is the firm’s name “Alcoso”. Below this is the location town of “Solingen”. The large style leather blade buffer is in place. A fine dagger here.

Near Mint. $895.00
AOD #27175C EARLY Army Officer Dagger

This early Army officer, despite the fact that it does not have a maker mark on its blade, has all E. Pack fittings. These fittings are the same as I show in my Army book on Page 55. The fittings of this example have all of their silvering and have taken on a fine, dark patination throughout. The pommel cap is a beauty, being one of the types with 14-leaf configuration. Each and every leaf has hand accenting to the veins. Additionally, the backgrounds behind the leaves have all been hand-pebbled with extra attention given to the areas where the casting flaw marks would have occurred. The cross guard features a tremendous noble eagle with grand detail to his head, breast feathering, wing feathering, wreath and raised out swastika. He looks identical to the book piece, but perhaps in just slightly better condition. A beautiful cross guard here! The ferrule is also the same as the book piece. The grip is a most attractive deeper orange color being just slightly lighter on the reverse. This fine grip is in totally perfect condition. The scabbard is also a beautiful example. It is straight throughout and has 100% silvering with very fine pebbled surfaces. It is an early style scabbard. The bands have outstanding detail to the oak leaves. This scabbard is fitted with a thinner style throat and has a center placed flush mount headless screw in the reverse. This scabbard is easily in mint condition. The blade itself is a mirror bright example of highest quality. This blade still retains its needlelike tip and has a slightly wider center segment than we usually see. It is a very good looking example, being in mint condition. The original small style leather blade buffer is in place and has done a fine job protecting this blade over the years. A very fine dagger here in top-notch condition.

Mint. $995.00
AOD #27068 Army Officer Dagger - Carl Eickhorn

This Army Officer has the 1st style cross guard used by Carl Eickhorn along with the 1st style ferrule. The pommel and scabbard are the 2nd style. Both of these types can be seen in my Army book on Pages 24 and 25. These fittings throughout are of absolute highest quality and are in extremely choice condition. All of the fittings to include the pommel, ferrule, cross guard and scabbard have matching silver frosting seen beneath the patination. The cross guard is identical to the one I show on Page 24. It has a good noble head to the eagle, showing no wear at all. The chest breast feathering is also nicely done with close checkered cuts. The wing feathering is outstanding, as is the detail to the eagle’s claws, wreath and raised swastika. The silvering is absolutely perfect throughout this cross guard. The pommel is the style with 12 oak leaves and alternating acorns which run throughout the perimeter. The rim shows no use at all and the upper portion is in nice condition, having frosting around the lower areas. The outside of this pommel also has frosting throughout the neck section. The ferrule also nicely matches. The grip of this example is in perfect condition and it is a nice grapefruit yellow color. This is a sign that the dagger has been put away somewhere all these years, not exposed to light. This would also account for the fine condition of the silvering. The choice scabbard is totally straight and still has crisp pebbling. There is frosting throughout the silvering, but it is particularly noticeable around the throat area and the edge areas and especially around the bands where the frosting is protected. The throat is not a real thick variety; a good indication this is an early made 2nd style scabbard. The throat is retained by a single placed flatter head screw in the center reverse. An outstanding scabbard here. The blade of this example is as nice as you will see. It is still factory fresh, having its needlelike tip and easily 100% of the cross graining is visible in the surfaces. This mirror blade is etched on the reverse with the 1935-41 squirrel trademark. The trademark is nice and dark also. The small size leather blade washer is in place. An outstanding, untouched dagger here for those out there who demand the best. A very fine Eickhorn, having everything we all like about this producer’s product.

Uncleaned Mint Minus. $1,195.00
AOD #27032 Army Officer Dagger - Alcoso

This Army officer, despite the fact that it has an unmarked blade, is definitely an Alcoso product. It is a classic Alcoso throughout, to include the hilt fittings and the scabbard. The cross guard is the same as I show in my Army book on Page 21, lower. The pommel is the flare-out style typically seen with this producer. This pommel portrays the standing oak leaves throughout its perimeter, each one having fine, hand-done vein enhancement. The silvering is beginning to wear along the edges of the pommel and around the rim. The top of the pommel, though, still has all the silvering intact. The cross guard also shows some minor surface wear to the silvering, but it is just on the sharp edges. Overall, the silvering is still about 95%. This bird shows good detail to his head, breast feathering, wing feathering, wreath and raised swastika. The ferrule is the same as the book piece on Page 21. This grip is a pumpkin color orange on the reverse. On the obverse it is a slightly lighter tone orange. The areas at the top of the grip also are light, which is usually an indication of a once present portepee. This grip is very nice looking and is in totally perfect condition. The scabbard of this example matches perfectly and is the same as the one I show on Page 23. The Alcoso scabbard is readily identified, as it is slightly thinner than most other producers and it usually has the two flatter head, small bore side screws. This one has all of this. The details to the pebble panels and to the oak leaves of the bands are excellent. This scabbard shows just the slightest of age in the silvering but, all in all, it is still in excellent condition, being nice and straight throughout. The throat is a thinner type and as stated above, is retained by the two side screws. The blade of this example is a choice, unmarked type. It is mirror bright and has 100% of the original cross graining with a needlelike tip. This blade is in mint condition and has been protected by the large size leather washer. A good, solid dagger here showing some mild age, but also having some extra nice features.

Excellent Plus. $695.00
AOD #27217C Early Army Officer Dagger with Hangers in Post-War Case - Anton Wingen, Jr.

This Army officer is of earliest production and is equipped with the desirable brass based fittings having silver plated surfaces. The cross guard is identical to the one that I show on Page 50 in my Army book. This early cross guard is attributable to the E. Pack firm. The example shown on Pages 53 and 54 by E. Pack is also equipped with the same fittings as this dagger. The pommel is a fine early brass example reflecting 14 well-defined leaves positioned around its circumference. Each and every one of these leaves reflects hand-enhancing and, on the casting flaws, there is extra work done to cover this defect. The pommel shows little to no wear, having fine, crisp rim and nice black patinated upper smooth area. The cross guard is in the same condition on the reverse area as the top. The eagle shows a little bit of wear to the surfaces and the beginnings of the brass color are starting to show. Nevertheless, the eagle still has good detail to his head, open wing feathering, wreath and raised swastika. The breast feathered area shows some surface wear to the checkering. The ferrule is the same as the book piece and this nicely matches all of the other fittings. This dagger is equipped with a choice “slant” grip. This beautiful grip is a very dark orange color and is most impressive. An almost exact grip can be seen on the early Anton Wingen example I show on Page 69 of my Army book. The scabbard of this piece is also a Pack made one and is identical to Page 69. The scabbard shell is nice and straight throughout, having good silvering, but showing just a little bit of age in the lower panels of both sides. Nevertheless, the silvering is still about 98% throughout. The carrying bands are the style that have a distinctive borderline on each side. The pebble patterns are excellent and the throat is retained by two dome head screws, exactly like the book piece on Page 69. The blade of this piece is a very early type, having the tapered tang style which I show on Page 16. These tapered tangs are always on the “slant” style grips and frequently appear on only the earliest of Army daggers. This blade is a quality example, still having mirror finish throughout and reflecting 100% of its original grain. The tip is still needlelike and this blade easily grades in full mint condition. The reverse is etched with the little knight trademark. Above the trademark is the firm’s name “Anton Wingen, Jr.” and below is the location of the factory “Solingen”. This blade has been protected by an in-place large size leather washer. Coming with the dagger is a nice set of Army hanging straps. These straps have silvered pot metal hardware having the push-up style deluxe lower snaps. The brocade shows some minor usage and the velvet on the reverse also shows minor usage. Overall, though, these hangers grade at excellent plus. The box that contains this dagger is a post-war made example having black leatherette covered surfaces. The inside is recessed to accept the dagger and is a fine red velvet color. The dagger looks very nice displayed in this box. The box shows little to no wear, probably produced in the 1980s. A great looking combination here and a rarely seen trademark on an initial production dagger.

Excellent Plus, Plus. $1,495.00
AOD #25474 Army Officer Dagger - Carl Eickhorn

This Army Officer is a classic example, having the Second style fittings and scabbard. The hilt fittings are the same as I show on Pages 25 and 26 of my Army book. These hilt fittings have choice silvering throughout, and they are developing a pleasing patination across their surfaces. The pommel cap is a fine example having a couple of signs of usage around the rim, but the top area is smooth and crisp. The standing oak leaves have good blackening behind them, giving great relief to their detail. The cross guard is identical to Page 25, having perfect features to the noble eagle’s head, breast feathering, wing feathering, wreath and raised swastika. The ferrule nicely matches, and is identical to the book example. The grip is a darker color orange, being just slightly lighter on the reverse. It is in perfect condition throughout and is the color that everyone seems to want to add to their collection. The scabbard is the standard Second pattern, having matching patination and perfect silvering throughout its straight surfaces. The bands have good detail to the overlapping oak leaves. This scabbard is in a Full Mint condition. It is equipped with a thicker throat, which is retained by a center-placed flathead screw in the reverse. A perfect, outstanding outside here. The blade is still nice and bright and does have all of its cross graining in the surfaces. It also retains its needlelike tip. There is a bit of smudge which appears mostly on the lower half of the blade. With a little work, some of this could probably be cleaned out, as, without the smudge, the blade would be in a Full Mint state. It rates now at about Excellent Plus Plus. The reverse ricasso is darkly etched with the squirrel trademark used from 1935-41. The original small style leather washer is in place. A fine Eickhorn dagger here which, with a little blade work, could be a Mint example. It is priced accordingly.

Excellent Plus, Plus. $795.00
AOD #25531 Army Officer Dagger with "Over-The-Shoulder" Logo - Carl Eickhorn
This Army example is a classic 2nd style Eickhorn. The fittings throughout retain 100% silvering to also include the scabbard. There is much frosting which is spread throughout all of the fittings and scabbard. The lacquer still remains throughout this dagger and there are some areas where the silver has patinated due to air getting underneath the lacquer. This dagger has what we call the “palomino effect” in that it has frosted areas and darkened areas evenly spread throughout. This dagger is completely untouched, recently coming out of the woodwork. I personally purchased it from the son of the New Jersey Veteran who brought this piece home. The hilt fittings are identical to the examples I show on Pages 25 and 26 in my Army book. The pommel top has a complete, crisp rim with no carrying signs anywhere. The top surfaces are also in perfect condition having almost a half-moon look to the way the frosting and patination are placed. The standing oak leaves are also crisp throughout and the collar area beneath is frosted. The ferrule is also the Second style, the same as Page 25. It, too, is frosted. The cross guard is as nice as you will see, featuring the noble Paul Casberg developed bird. This bird has perfect detail to his brow, eye, beak and mouth areas. The same holds true to the breast feathering, wing feathering, talons, wreath and raised swastika. You will not see a better cross guard, and this guard is also graced with much frosted area. The grip is a egg yolk yellow type which is darker in the ribbed areas and also has a graining effect in the rib depths. A great looking grip here, which is easily in perfect condition. The Second style scabbard could not be any better. It has crisp, pebbled panels and outstanding overlapping oak leaves within the carrying bands. The edges of the scabbard both are nearly 100% frosted. The thicker throat is retained by one flatter style screw in the reverse. Instead of exactly in the center, it is slightly placed to the left which could be an indication of later construction. We know many of the Eickhorn employees were drafted into the war at the time this piece was made. As further proof of this, the blade has the seldom-seen mark of an over-the-shoulder squirrel. This logo was not used until 1941, and it is rarely seen on an Army dagger. Unfortunately, although the blade is still bright and does have the cross graining, there are a few rough spots in the finish. I have not tried to clean them off. It does look like a lot of these spots would come out, as they are still on the surface. Some of it, though, surely has penetrated the surface, marring this blade. It is still a good example, however, having needlelike tip and still retaining most of its brightness. This over-the-shoulder blade is in Excellent Plus condition. The original, new-like tan leather blade buffer is in place. This is a great dagger for the “type” collectors out there. Once again, it is a rarely seen variation and is Mint other than the few spots on the blade. Priced accordingly.

Excellent Plus, Plus. $995.00
AOD #26467 Army Officer Dagger - Umarked Alcoso

Despite the fact that the blade is unmarked on this Army Officer, all fittings and scabbard are textbook Alcoso. The silvering throughout the hilt fittings is excellent. The pommel cap is the style which is flared outward, typical of this producer. This pommel cap has a few wearing signs along the rim edges, but it is not bad. The standing oak leaves are nicely done and have fine, pronounced veins and acorns in between. The cross guard is the third type used and is the most often seen. This cross guard appears on Page 21 of my Army book. As is often seen with this guard, most of the details are worn from the head of the eagle. The breast feathering, though, still remains as does the wing feathering, wreath and raised swastika. The ferrule nicely matches and is identical to the book example. The scabbard is the same as is shown on Page 121, far left. It is the thinner style used by this firm. The pebble pattern is still very crisp throughout the panels. The overlapping oak leaves are well done and have good hand-enhancing. The throat is retained by two flatter head screws, the type of which have a very small bore. The blade of this piece is nice and bright. It has all of its cross graining and would be in full mint condition were there not just a little bit of a ripple sign at the very tip. Other than this, though, this is a very attractive unmarked blade. The blade is protected by a large size leather washer. This dagger is absolutely all Alcoso and probably was produced for a specific run for the German army, thus the no maker mark.

Excellent Plus, Plus. $695.00
AOD #26738 Army Officer Dagger with Small Double Oval Logo - Carl Eickhorn

This Army Officer dagger is of initial 1935 production. The hilt fittings are in extremely fine condition, having a beautiful black patination across them. The pommel is the very early style, being a brass base. It features fourteen oak leaves with alternating acorns running about its perimeter. Considering the age of this piece, it is amazing that the rim of the pommel is also nearly flawless. The upper part shows little to no wear. This pommel is the same as the style “I” as I show on Page 116 of my Army book. The cross guard is a matching beauty, also having all of the silvering and choice dark patination. It is the same as Page 24. This cross guard eagle has outstanding cross-checkering across its breast, and its eye and beak also appear to be hand-done and still all there. The outstretched wings, talons, wreath and swastika are as crisp as the day they were made. Outstanding first style fittings here! The ferrule is also the first style, the same as Page 24. This grip is an extremely pretty dark orange color. It is even darker on the reverse. The grip is in perfect condition, and very pleasing to the eye. There is a very fine portepee wrapped around the hilt in the early style tie. This portepee is a fine original, most likely being the one that was worn with this dagger. This portepee is in mint condition. The scabbard of this example appears to be a WKC type, as the throat is retained by one flatter style side screw. The scabbard itself, though, is a choice silvered example and has exact patination matching the hilt fittings. It does appear that this dagger has always been with this scabbard. The bands very much resemble the type that are shown on Page 65. They have outstanding, overlapping oak leaf depiction and have been hand-enhanced to the veins. This choice scabbard, although technically not the correct one, looks great with this dagger! Attached to the scabbard rings is a fine set of Army hanging straps. These straps have good, bright brocade fronts and high-pile green velvet backs. The top clip is a plain style closed box clip. The ovaled buckles still have their silvering with fine raised out oak leaves. The slides have the same oak leaves, but have lost most of their silvering and the push-in style pebbled snaps at the lower, have signs of the original silvering, but most of it is gone. Make no mistake, though, this is a fine set of hangers and they go nicely with this dagger. The blade of this piece is still nice and bright, has its original needle pointed tip and has all of its cross graining. There is a slight amount of very light smudge which appears around the center area of the obverse and a tiny bit at the lower area on the reverse. With a little work, this could be polished out, as the rest of the blade is easily in a near full mint condition. The reverse ricasso is darkly etched with the 1st trademark used on Third Reich Army daggers by Eickhorn. This trademark is the double small ovals which enclose the firm’s name and location “Carl Eickhorn Solingen”. In the center is a seated squirrel having a serrated tail. The small style brown leather washer is in place protecting this fine blade. We do not see many Army daggers bearing this early double oval trademark, as it was almost immediately changed to the 1935-41 example normally seen. This is a fine dagger for the “type” collectors out there.

Near Mint. $1,295.00
AOD #26343 Early Army Officer Dagger - Unmarked WKC

This Early Army Officer, although having an unmarked blade, is definitely the work of the W.K.C. firm. The dagger has never been cleaned and has an all-black patination throughout. In fact, the dagger looks like it just came out of someone’s closet or cellar. The pommel is the early style, being a brass base type. It has fourteen oak leaves which run around its perimeter and there is lots of hand-enhancing to be seen on the veins of these leaves. The rim and upper surfaces of the pommel show some mild usage, but no serious defects. The cross guard is the same as the example I show on Page 65 of my Army book. This cross guard features a good-looking bird with very close-grained breast feathering. The detail is still there throughout his head, breast, wing feathering, wreath and raised out swastika. The silvering is also completely intact throughout this cross guard. The grip is one of the slant types. It looks very similar to the grip I show on the W.K.C. dagger on Page 64, right, or 63, right. This beautiful slant grip is a deep orange pumpkin color and could not look better. It is in totally perfect condition. Gracing the hilt of this nice piece, is the original portepee. This portepee is completely set in place in the Army tie. It shows some usage signs, but no fraying. The aluminum at the lower bullion knot is nice and tight and of good quality throughout. Nice portepee here! This is a very attractive early hilt! The scabbard is the same as I show on Page 63, right. This scabbard, though, has never been cleaned and therefore is quite dark. It has excellent silvering and finely grained stippled panels. The oak leaves on the scabbard bands also show hand-enhancing. The throat is at the thicker style and, like the scabbard on Page 64, right, it has two screws which retain it. Other than a tiny pinch at the very bottom of the chape, the scabbard appears in perfect condition. The blade of this piece is also a beauty. It is of high quality throughout and has choice 100% of the cross grain remaining. It has needlelike tip and great, bright finish. This blade is mint. It has the original tan colored new-like large style leather washer in place. A really great Early dagger here, despite the unmarked status.

Untouched. Excellent Plus, Plus. $795.00
AOD #26084C Personalized Army Officer Dagger - SMF

The SMF firm produced a lot of Luftwaffe etched weapons, but their Army production was very small. No one seems to know the reason for this, but it is a fact, and most collections are missing this particular brand. This dagger is identical to the example I show on page 56 and 57. It has some very nice extra work, which has been rendered throughout the crossguard bird, but I’ll get to that in a minute. The pommel is the early brass variety, having fine oak leaves running around the perimeter. There are 14 of them, and many of them show hand enhancing. The silvering is just beginning to thin a little over the upper areas, but at the lower points the silvering is fine. This pommel top also shows some mild usage. The crossguard bird is the same as page 57, with the exception, the tops of the wings (where they border) have hand done feathering. This is a nice touch, and gives a deluxe look to the bird. The unique bird has a very pointy beak, and the details to his head, cross-checkered breast, wing feathering, wreath, and raised swastika are still excellent. The reverse has been professionally engraved with the original owner’s surname. Unfortunately, it is quite a common name negating any research on this officer. It is, “Müller”. The lettering is the Gothic type, and is beautifully rendered. The grip is a pretty orange popsicle color. It is the early “slant” type, which we seldom see. The grip is nearly perfect on the obverse, having a hairliner, which runs down from the top along the right edge, and a little bit into the 4th and 5th rib. This hairliner is hardly noticeable, however. There is also a small one at the lower right edge, down by the ferrule. But from the obverse, none of this shows. The scabbard is also a textbook SMF type, being the same as page 56 and 57. The scabbard is straight throughout, but does have some mild age in the surfaces. The silvering is showing some wear, particularly along the edges. The oak leaf bands have good hand rendering throughout. The throat is retained by two flush-mount headless screws. The blade of this example is still mostly bright. It shows a little bit of smudge in the surfaces, which someone has mostly removed a while ago. The needle-like tip is still there, and all-in-all, the blade grades at about excellent plus. The reverse is marked with the well known seated king trademark. The king holds a sword pointing upwards, while he sits on the initials of the firm, “SMF”. Below, in an arch shape, is the location town of, “Solingen”. The large style leather washer is in place. A pretty nice example here, of a rarely seen Army type, and the personalization also makes it nice.
Excellent, Plus. $995.00
AOD #26079C PERSONALIZED Army Officer Dagger - Carl Eickhorn

This good looking Army Officer example has the early style hilt fittings, all having good silvering throughout. These fittings are the same as I show on page 24 of my Army book. The pommel cap is the style having 14 leaf depiction. Each and every leaf has good hand enhanced veins throughout. The pommel top shows some usage around the edges, and a few taps into the surfaces, but if anything, it gives it a sense of realism. The crossguard is in perfect condition. It is the same as page 24. It has outstanding detail to the early bird head, close checkered breast feathering, wing feathering, wreath, and raised-out swastika. The reverse of the crossguard is nice and smooth, and new-like, having a fine patina finish. The grip still has a nice yellow look to it. It has a couple of lighter spots, where it has been protected by the in-place portepee. There are a couple of hairliners at the top right area, and also the reverse center area, but they are not threatening and are very small. The ferrule is the early type, the same as shown on page 24. The portepee is an aluminum 42cm variety, having just a little bit of slight fray, but hardly any at all. It is the thicker cord style, and is still in the Army tie. The scabbard of this example does not appear to be an Eickhorn type to me, but rather it is the Robert Klaas version, as it has the well-known asterisk carved into the ends of the bands. These bands really look neat, as they have well veined oak leaves, but the plating has worn from them, exposing the brass base underneath. It contrasts nicely with the silvering of the scabbard. The scabbard is nice and straight throughout, having a fine pebbled finish. The throat is the thin type, and it is retained by two flush-mount headless screws, however, one screw is missing on the right. (If you want us to put one in for you, please let us know, and we will do so for a small fee.) This Robert Klaas scabbard is similar to the ones I show on page 48. The blade is a mirror-bright example, having nice needle-like tip, and fine crossgraining in its surfaces. There are a couple of very tiny smudges in the surface, but they are not enough to keep it from its full mint rating, and I’m sure these would clean out with minor work. Scratched into the center segment of the blade obverse, is apparently the owner’s name and his original profession. It is engraved, “Otto Kahle Waffenmeister”. Apparently, Herr Kahle was a weapons maker, prior to being drafted into the Army. The scratching is very nicely done, but not particularly professional, but certainly neat and precise, considering the hardness of these blades. The reverse of the blade is etched with the 1935 through 1941, squirrel trademark. The small leather washer is in place. A fine example here, with some research possibilities.
Near Mint. $1,295.00
AOD #27466 Army Officer Dagger - Carl Eickhorn

This Army Officer does not look to have been ever cleaned and it has a very choice dark patination across all of the silvered fittings. It is the 2nd type fittings and scabbard and is identical to the example I show in my Army book on Pages 25 and 26. The pommel has one tiny usage sign around the rim, but the upper portion is perfect and flawless. The oak leaves which run around the circumference are crisp and shiny black. The same is true of the ferrule below. The Type 2 cross guard is a real beauty, having great definition to the bird’s head, eye, beak, breast feathering, wing feathering and wreathed swastika. The reverse of this cross guard shows just the slightest of freckling in the surfaces, but the patination covers it for the most part. There is also frosting evident in the areas around the ferrule. The grip is a very beautiful light orange color. This color is just the slightest bit darker on the reverse. This grip is in completely perfect condition. The 2nd style scabbard is also a beauty. It has 100% silvering, crisp pebbling and is completely dent-free. The overlapping oak leaves on the bands are crisp. The thicker style throat is retained by a center placed, flatter head single screw. Beautiful scabbard here! The blade of this choice example is as nice as you will see. It is mirror bright and has all of the cross graining. It is in mint condition and is darkly etched with the 1935-41 squirrel. This squirrel holds a downward pointing sword. The leather washer is in place. An extremely nice, untouched Army Officer dagger.

Mint Minus. $1,195.00
AOD #26090C Uncleaned Army Officer Dagger

This outstanding Army Officer dagger has choice early silvered finish, which does not appear to have been cleaned since the war. The hilt and scabbard have developed a fine dark even patination. The hilt fittings are the generic “B” type, and are identical to the ones I show on page 99, in my Army book. The pommel cap is the style having 14 oak leaves around the perimeter, and the interior is the threaded-stem variety. The oak leaves have outstanding definition throughout. The crossguard portrays the mobile generic “B” bird, exactly like the book piece. The details to this bird are outstanding to his head, beak, breast feathering, wing feathering, talons, wreath, and raised-out swastika. Beautiful hilt fittings here! The ferrule is the same as the book example. The grip is still the original nice lemon-yellow color. It has hardly experienced toning at all. It would be in perfect condition, except for a hairliner at the top obverse, and also at the reverse. They are nothing, however, and are mostly covered by the in-place 42cm portepee. This portepee is still in fine condition, remaining in its original tie. There is no fraying, and this knot looks very good, being the thinner cord variety. The scabbard is the same as the one I show on page 99. The pebble panels are still crisp, and the bands are outstanding, showing good handwork to the oak leafing. This mint conditioned, nicely toned scabbard is a pleasure to gaze upon. The throat is the thinner variety, and it is in a natural metal tone. This throat is retained by two domehead side screws, which are unturned. The unmarked blade is as nice as you will ever see. It is mirror bright, having beautiful needle-like tip, and full factory pristine graining. A mint conditioned example here! This blade has been protected by an in-place, larger style leather blade washer. A very nice, high-quality, dagger here.

Mint, Minus. $795.00
AOD #25188 Army Officer Dagger

This Army Officer is equipped with generic “A” fittings. These hilt fittings are identical to the examples I show on Page 78 of my Army book. The pommel and cross guard have outstanding silvering and they are beginning to develop a nice patination. The pommel top is perfect, as are the edges of the rim. The oak leaves running about the perimeter are finely detailed, and have a nice black background giving good accent. The cross guard is in outstanding condition, having perfect detail to the noble eagle’s head, checkered breast, wing feathering, wreath and raised out swastika. This cross guard is a beauty. The ferrule is identical to the one shown on Page 78, and this fitting also matches perfectly. The grip is a beautiful candy stick-looking type, having a darker egg yolk color but also having some brown subtle swirls in the tones. The grip is slightly darker on the reverse than the obverse, and, I must say, it is quite beautiful throughout. Other than two very tiny hairline cracks at the obverse left and reverse right, this grip is in pristine condition. A fine hilt here. The scabbard is the typical generic type, being identical to Page 120. This scabbard is straight throughout and has good silvering with only the most modest of age visible anywhere. The pebbling is still crisp. The bands feature good looking oak leaves and the throat is a thinner type, having a center-placed flush mount headless screw retaining it. The blade is nice and bright, having a needlelike tip. This blade is a high-quality example, having a bright nickel finish. The plating is perfect, and the blade easily rates in mint condition. It is protected by an in-place leather washer. It is the type of washer that is too big for the blade shoulders. (We see these, for some reason, used all the time). The age and pressure against the leather apparently keeps it in place against the recessed cross guard. I am sure Army type collectors have also seen these type of original leather washers. A fine example here, and a good one for someone looking for a nice display dagger.

Excellent Plus, Plus. $695.00
AOD #27336 Army Officer Dagger - Richard Herder

This is a classic wartime produced Richard Herder dagger. It is identical to the example I show in my Army book on Page 31. This example is textbook in every way. The hilt fittings are the late wartime nickel plated type. They are the generic “b” variety, being identical to the cross guard I show in full length on Page 100. The pommel is in good condition having intact plating throughout. It has one wearing hit on the rim edge, but it is nothing. This is the 14-leaf variety pommel that we normally see with the generic “b” cross guard. It is a style that has the threaded separate stem in the center inner area. The ferrule nicely matches the plating and texture of the pommel. The generic “b” cross guard is as nice as the book example. There is some minor age evident under the plating of both of these fittings, but this is almost a normal sight on these late-made fittings. The details are all there to the mobile bird’s head, breast feathering, wing feathering, talons, wreath and raised mobile swastika. Contrasting with these nickel fittings is a fine dark orange grip. This grip is as orange as a pumpkin on the obverse, turning slightly lighter to that of an orange fruit on the reverse. This grip is in totally perfect condition and really looks great. The straight scabbard is the generic variety, being identical to the one shown on Page 31. The late nickel plating exactly matches that of the hilt. The pebble pattern is still nice and crisp. These scabbards were the ones that the Spanish copied exactly on the army daggers made as reproductions in the 1970s. The bands on this example are in excellent condition; the upper one retaining all of the plating while the lower one has most of the nickel plating gone and is down to the gray metal. The detail, though, is still all there and this is something we see quite a bit on late produced pieces. The blade of this example is nice and bright and has all of its graining. This blade still has its needlelike tip and is in mirror bright, mint condition. The reverse has the double oval trademark, the same as is shown on Page 31. The ovals trap the firm’s name and location “Rich.Abr.Herder Solingen”. Inside is the diamond shaped logo used by this producer. The brown leather washer is the large type and it has a pebbled finish. A nice example of a late-produced, hard to find maker.

Excellent Plus, Plus. $795.00
AOD #22304 Army Officer Dagger

This Army officer is equipped with fittings that we seldom see. I’m not sure of who actually made them but I do show the crossguard style in my Army Book on page 40. In the book, this crossguard is fit to a Hörster dagger, but the Hörster company also bought many parts from other producers. Whatever the pedigree of this crossguard, it is a fine example and a definite “must” for those out there collecting by “type”. The pommel is also a beauty being very similar to the Pack styles we see. This pommel looks identical to the one shown on page 51, except it is finished in silver plating which has patinated to nicely match the crossguard. This pommel has fourteen oak leaves which run around its base, each and every one being hand-enhanced. There is also dot patterns put into the plain areas above the leaves. The top of the pommel shows just the most nominal of usage and all silvering is intact. The crossguard features a vulture style head on the eagle. The details are quite good and the breast feathering is finely checkered. The wreath has good detail and the swastika is nicely raised out. This bird, as indicated above, is identical to page 40. The ferrule is also the same as is shown on the book piece. The reverse of the crossguard has the original owner’s initials lightly scratched into the reverse. They are, “WH”. The grip is a beautiful darker yellow type which is lighter on the reverse. It is about the color of an egg yolk. This grip is in totally perfect condition. The scabbard looks identical to the example shown on page 41 with the exception of the throat screws. This scabbard has the same style carrying bands and pebble patterns. It is straight, except for just a tiny carrying sign at almost the bottom obverse. It is nothing, however. The silvering has just the slightest bit of under-the-surface movement on the edges, but none is missing. The throat is a thicker style and it is retained by two dome head screws. The blade of this piece is a real beauty. It is completely bright throughout having outstanding factory graining visible throughout its surfaces. It still retains its needlelike tip. This blade is easily in a mint condition. The large size brown leather blade buffer is in place. A fine dagger for the “type” collectors out there. I do not remember having these fittings since the piece I featured in my Book some ten years ago.

Excellent Plus, Plus. $750.00
AOD #26082C Army Officer Dagger with Simulated Ivory Grip

This beautiful Army Officer dagger is of high quality construction throughout. The fittings are the generic “A” variety, identical to the examples I show on page 78 and 79, of my Army book. The fittings are beautifully patinated, and do not look to have been cleaned in many years. The pommel is the 12-leaf standard variety, we see with generic “A” crossguards. The leaves are nicely detailed, with good black backgrounds. The pommel top shows little usage, and good crisp rim. The crossguard is also a beauty, being the same as page 79. This beautiful bird shows no wear and has outstanding detail to the head, breast feathering, wing feathering, wreath, and raised-out swastika. The ferrule above is the same as page 78. The off-white grip is very beautiful, being the identical color of ivory. It has simulated graining, which runs evenly throughout its surfaces. If you did not take the grip apart, you would swear it was a real ivory example. Unlike many of these plaster-filled grips, there is no tell-tale molding line along the edges. A very beautiful hilt here! The scabbard is the generic variety, being identical to Page 120. This scabbard is highly patinated and exactly matches the hilt fittings. This scabbard is in completely perfect condition and easily rates mint. The scabbard has a thinner throat and it is retained by a headless flush mount single screw in the center reverse. The blade is as nice as they come. It is an unmarked variety with mirror bright finish. This full mint blade easily has all of the cross graining in its pleasing surfaces. The blade is protected by a large type black leather blade buffer. A very beautiful dagger here, and these simulated ivory grip types should be part of every advanced Army “type” collection. This one is a real killer!

Mint. $995.00
AOD #27500 Army Officer Dagger - Rudolph Büchel

This army officer is of most likely wartime construction, as it reflects both silvered parts as well as a nickeled cross guard. It comes from a Veteran source, so it is what it is. The pommel is a fine silvered example showing nearly all the plating except for the sharp areas around the rim where a little bit of the white metal base shows. The top of the pommel has all silvering and the standing oak leaves are in excellent condition, having good blackening around the surfaces. The entire pommel is nicely patinated and matches the finish of the silvered scabbard. The cross guard is the nickel plated generic “b” variety being identical to the Büchel piece I show in my Army book on Page 102. The ferrule is also the same as the book piece. The grip of this example is a very rich, deep colored orange on the obverse. It has a pleasing sheen to the surfaces. The reverse is also quite lovely, having a slightly lighter color orange, but not yellow. This fine grip is in perfect condition. The scabbard, as mentioned above, has a good silver finish. The pebbling is nicely done and the scabbard is straight throughout. The bands have excellent overlapping oak leaves and acorns. In fact, this scabbard is identical to the one that I show with the Büchel piece in my book on Page 102. The throat is a fairly thick variety and it is retained by two dome head screws which are located fairly far down, just like the book piece. It is also interesting to note that the screw on the right edge is slightly lower than the example on the left edge, also the same as the book piece. This is a nice scabbard here! The blade is also a beauty. It is mirror bright and has 100% of its cross graining. It shows virtually no age and has good needle point. This blade is in mint condition and is a pleasure to gaze upon. The reverse ricasso is etched with the oval trademark of this company. The firm’s name and location is in block letters around the circumference, “Ruldolph Büchel Solingen - Merscheid”. Inside is a series of geometric figures, all within each other. There is an oval, a diamond and a 4-pointed star grouped together and in the center is a large “b” letter with the letters “r” and “s” on either side. The original large size brown leather blade buffer is in position. A nice army dagger here for those out there collecting “types”.

Excellent Plus, Plus. $995.00(#081210)
AOD #27835 Wartime Army Officer Dagger

This army officer was built during wartime and thus, has the nickel plated generic “a” fittings. These fittings are the same as I show on Page 87 of my Army book. The pommel has excellent detail throughout the standing leaves and the perimeter shows little carrying wear. The cross guard is a generic “a” variety, the same as Page 87. It has good plating throughout the obverse, with just a hint of age on the reverse, but nothing that wouldn’t come out. The ferrule nicely matches the hilt parts. The grip on this example is a solid off-white type which does not appear to be the plaster filled variety, as it looks very solid from the outside. This is a very fine grip, being in perfect condition showing some signs of age, fading and lightening in the finish. The generic scabbard is the same as the pictured example. This scabbard has perfect nickel finish with the traditional generic style carrying bands. The scabbard is in a full mint state. The throat is a thinner type being retained by a headless, flush mount screw in the reverse. The unmarked blade is as nice as you will see. It has mirror finish with 100% of the original cross graining. It is nicely formed and has fine, needlelike tip. This blade is in full mint condition. The washer is a lighter tan color and appears newlike. This dagger has never been apart. It was recently purchased from a gun dealer who found it in with a collection he purchased. This is a nice, good quality wartime piece.

Mint Minus. $795.00
AOD #27729 Early Army Officer Dagger

This is a high-quality, early produced army officer having the generic “b” style fittings. These fittings are the same as I show in my Army book on Page 99. The pommel and cross guard have never been cleaned and have a fine, black patination. The pommel has good formation throughout, showing little carrying time to the edges. The standing oak leaves are the 14 variety type and this pommel is the style which will have the threaded stem in the center. This style pommel seemed to always come as a set with the generic “b” cross guard. This guard is as nice as the one that is shown in the book. It has outstanding detail to the bird’s noble head, breast feathering, wing feathering, wreath and raised swastika. The silvering is perfect and nice and black. The ferrule is the same as the book piece, also having good patination. Contrasting beautifully with these dark fittings is a tangerine color orange grip. This grip is in perfect condition throughout and is just a tad lighter on the reverse. A beautiful, high-quality hilt here. The matching scabbard also has all the silvering and it appears as though whoever produced this piece purchased this scabbard from Carl Eickhorn. This is a 2nd style Eickhorn scabbard, but since the black patination exactly matches that of the hilt, there is no question the scabbard has always been together with the dagger. The pebble pattern is still crisp and the scabbard shell is straight as an arrow. The throat is the thicker style and it is retained by one center-placed reverse screw. A mint scabbard here. Taking the dagger out of the scabbard is also a treat, as the blade is a high-quality nickel plated type. This blade has a mirror finish throughout with needlelike tip. It is easily in full mint condition. It is most impressive and has been protected by an in-place, small size tan leather washer. A fine quality army dagger here, despite the unmarked blade.

Uncleaned Near Mint. $850.00
AOD #27830 Army Officer Dagger - Carl Eickhorn

This army officer has all 2nd style Eickhorn fittings and scabbard, being the same as I show on Page 25 of my Army book. The pommel and cross guard are outstanding. The pommel still has the original frosted finish at the upper top area and there are no hits around the circumference. The standing oak leaves are in excellent condition, having black backgrounds. The cross guard also has choice silvering. There is a little residue from the old “glass wax” polish that was used by our mothers to clean windows and silver. This residue is throughout the recesses of the eagle as well as the under qullion areas, but it could be cleaned out easily enough if someone wanted to do it. I personally think it gives some nice character to the dagger. The ferrule is also nice and dark, being the same as Page 25. The grip, though, really sets this dagger off. The obverse is an extremely deep pumpkin color. It has very rich tones to it, being just the slightest bit lighter at the top and bottom where, apparently, there was a portepee worn with this example. The reverse is just a slightly lighter color orange but still a good, deep tone. The scabbard is straight throughout, having excellent pebbled finish. The scabbard bands have the overlapping oak leaf configuration. This straight scabbard is in mint condition, having patination matching the hilt fittings. The thicker style throat is retained by a center placed flathead style screw. The blade of this example, when I acquired it from the son of a Veteran, had lots of old, dried up grease on the surfaces. At first, I thought the blade was in mint condition, and it is all the way down to the tip area, but, underneath the old, hardened scum, there was some deterioration to the blade surfaces. These look as though they were water droplets or some type of moisture. Unfortunately, it spoiled the blade a little, but, still, 85% of the blade is in perfect, mint condition, being mirror bright and having all of the graining. The needlelike tip is also still there. The reverse ricasso is dark etched with the 1935-41 squirrel trademark. This blade is protected by a small style leather washer. A nice Eickhorn army dagger here, not being perfect but it is priced accordingly.

Plus. $895.00
AOD #25745 Army Officer Dagger
This Army Officer dagger is in nice condition, having very fine silvered fittings. It features the generic "A" style fittings and these are the same as I show on Page 78 of my Army book. The pommel and cross guard are deeply patinated and perfectly match. This pommel has almost no wearing signs to the upper surfaces and has good detail to the standing oak leaves. The cross guard is an outstanding example, having perfect silvering The ferrule is the same as is shown on Page 78 and has matching patination. The grip of this example is a pleasing yellow color, being exactly like that of a grapefruit. The tones are even colored throughout the obverse and reverse and this grip is in perfect condition. The scabbard is one of the generic types also. This scabbard has perfect silvering and nicely matches the patination of the hilt fittings. It is straight throughout and has crisp, pebbled panels. The bands are particularly nice, having outstanding hand-enhancing to the oak leaves. This hand-enhancing is very well done and extremely noticeable. The silvering to this scabbard is in mint condition. The throat is retained by a single flush mount, center placed screw in the obverse. (Sometimes we see period obverse mounted screws on later scabbards.) A nice scabbard here! The blade is a fine, bright example, having all of the original cross graining. This blade is about as nice as you will see and it is in mint condition. It has been protected by an in-place large style leather washer. A fine dagger here.

Uncleaned, Mint Minus. $695.00
AOD #25813 Personalized Army Officer Dagger - Alcoso

This Alcoso Army Officer is a textbook example and has been meticulously cleaned by the previous owner. The dagger is identical to the type I show on Pages 21 and 22 of my Army book. The silvering throughout these hilt fittings is perfect. The pommel cap is the flared out upward type. It has beautiful standing oak leaves which are separated by acorns running about the perimeter of the pommel. At the top area, it shows only the most modest of wear. Beautifully and professionally engraved at the upper pommel surface is the original officer’s monogram, “A.L”. These letters have been enhanced with double-spacing and the areas in between the double scribing have been perfectly shaded. Although there is not enough here to do any research, this monogram certainly does give a good look to this dagger. As most collectors know, pommels with initials are quite rare to encounter. The cross guard is the third style used by this producer, being identical to Page 21, lower. The guard features a bird looking to the viewer’s left, but still having the detail to his eye and beak area (this is often missing on Alcoso cross guards of this vintage). The detail is also still there to the breast feathering, wing feathering, wreath and raised out swastika. The matching silvered ferrule is the same as Page 21. The dagger is equipped with a fine looking, deep orange grip. This grip is about the shade of a pumpkin. It is in perfect condition throughout. The matching Alcoso scabbard is the traditional type, being the same as Page 23, right. This scabbard is straight throughout and has perfect silvering with no lifting or problems. The pebbled panels remain crisp. The oak leaves to the carrying bands show good hand-enhancing. The throat is retained by two flathead side screws, being the small bore variety used by this producer. The blade is a beauty. It is bright and mint throughout, retaining its needlelike tip and full cross graining. The reverse ricasso of this mint blade is etched with the scales trademark. The scales have the firm’s initials, “ACS”, interspersed. Above the scales in an arch shape, is the block-lettered name of the company, “Alcoso”. Below is the location of the firm,” Solingen”. The blade has been protected by a large style brown leather washer. A very fine dagger here in top condition.

Mint Minus. $1,095.00
AOD #25766 Army Officer Dagger with "Hi-Lift" Crossguard - Alcoso

This Army Officer is the desirable “hi-lift” guard style. It is identical to the example I show on Page 22 of my Army book. The fittings throughout this piece reflect 100% silvering and really look good. The pommel is the typical flared style used by this firm. The upper areas of the cap show little usage. The sides reflect the standing oak leaves and acorns in relief. Each has deep accent veining. The cross guard features the bird with the upper wing area vaulted outward. It gives the look that the bird is about ready to take off from its position guarding the cross guard. This bird has excellent detail remaining to his head, breast feathering and open-wing feathering. The wreath shows a little bit of wear and the swastika is okay. The bird is identical to the depiction shown on Page 22. The ferrule also matches the photograph. This dagger is equipped with an off-white grip. The grip is in perfect condition throughout and is the type which is plaster-filled. The scabbard is nice and straight with the exception of a tiny stone type ding near the bottom. It is very minor, however. The silvering is perfect throughout the scabbard. The bands are the same as is shown on the piece on Page 22. The thinner style throat is retained by a reverse screw. There is no groove in the reverse screw as apparently it was removed when the factory originally fitted the dagger to this scabbard. The blade is nice and bright throughout, having a needellike tip. It also has all of the cross graining. There are a couple of small scars on the center blade edge where the runners were pressed up against the blade. Other than this, the blade is in full mint condition. The reverse ricasso is etched with the sideways style trademark. This was the last trademark used by this company. It features a set of scales with the firm’s initials interspersed “AWS”. To the right of the scales is the firm’s name written in script “Alcoso” over “Solingen”. A large style leather washer is in place. A nice example here of a “Hi-Lift” dagger.

Excellent Plus, Plus. $795.00
AOD #23491 Army Officer Dagger - WKC

This early Army officer is of initial production, the fittings and scabbard being of brass base silver-plated finish. The silvering still remains perfect throughout this piece and, in fact, there is even some frosting remnants here and there around the crossguard. The beautiful pommel shows a little bit of true wear time, but not much. It is the early fourteen-leaf type identical to the example I show in my Army Book on page 61. This choice pommel is nicely patinated and has hand-enhancement to each and every one of the oak leaves. The oak leaves which fall along the two casting flawed areas are both works of art. The plain areas above the leaves have been hand peened. A great pommel here! The patination exactly matches that of the crossguard and the scabbard. This crossguard reflects the initial eagle motif used by this prestigious company. It is identical to page 61 having all details to the intricate breast feathering, eye, beak and head areas of the bird. The vaulted swastika looks great within the hand rendered wreath. The crossguard silvering is 100% and has the initials of its original owner lightly scratched into the reverse, "WD". The fine grip is a deep pumpkin orange type being in perfect condition. This beautiful deeply toned grip is just the slightest bit lighter on the reverse. There is an original 42 cms aluminum portepee which looks like it has always been with this piece. It is in the Army tie and other than just a little fraying where the cording comes out above the left crossguard arm, it is perfect. The scabbard is nice and straight throughout showing just the slightest of usage signs. Given that it is a brass-based type, though, it is remarkable it has survived in this fine of a condition all these years. This choice scabbard is the same as the one I show on page 61. It has very fine pebbling which is different from the later vintages. The throat is retained by two flathead screws as WKC did in the beginning. (Later they went to just one.) The bands also reflect handwork to the oak leafing. A great scabbard here! The blade is the best you will see. This early blade has mirror bright surface and easily 100% crossgraining. It retains its needlelike tip and is mint. The reverse ricasso is deeply etched with the knighthead over the firm's initials and location, "WKC Solingen". The original large style brown leather washer is in place protecting this great artifact. A very choice early WKC and perfect for the Army type collectors out there.

Near Mint. $895.00
AOD #23652 Army Officer Dagger - Carl Eickhorn

This example does not appear to have been cleaned in some time. It is a textbook Carl Eickhorn piece showing some wear from the period, but no abuse. The second style fittings are the same as I show in my Army Book on page 25, 26 and 27. The hilt fittings have good dark patination evenly spread throughout. The pommel shows a little mild wearing time, but its rim edges are still fairly crisp. The oak leaves surrounding its perimeter are in excellent condition. The crossguard is the second style being identical to page 25. It has fine silvering throughout and has excellent detail to the bird's head, beak, breast feathering, wreath and raised out swastika. The ferrule is also the second style matching nicely. Contrasting with these darker toned fittings is a choice deep colored orange grip. This grip is about the color of a pumpkin and is just the slightest tone lighter on the reverse. The grip is in perfect condition. The scabbard is also a matching second style being straight throughout. The silvering is still near 100% having just a tiny bit of age noticeable in some of the pebble pattern between the carrying bands and a little further down. This could easily be erased however with a mild cleaning. The bands are good and crisp and the throat is the thicker variety associated with this producer. This throat is retained by a reverse mounted center placed flat head screw. The blade remains nice and bright having 100% of its crossgraining. The needlelike tip is also perfect. The etched 1935-41 squirrel logo is very dark. Other than some slight in and out marks this blade remains in mint condition. A good sound conditioned Eickhorn here.

Excellent Plus. $750.00
AOD #27532 Army Officer Dagger - F.W. Höller

This army officer example is a rarely seen Höller version which is identical to the piece that I picture on Page 35 of my Army book. The cross guard is identical to the pictured piece. All of the hilt fittings have outstanding silver and they have developed a good patination. It does not appear as though this piece has been cleaned in many years. The pommel is as style which has 12 standing oak leaves, but each one has hand-enhancing to the veins as well as the outside perimeter. Also, there is some nice pebbling in the backgrounds. This is a very fine pommel here. The ferrule is also a choice example, being identical to the book piece. The cross guard eagle has outstanding detail to the bird’s head. There is hand-done enhancing to the brow, eye and beak area as well as hand-checkering to the breast area. It is obvious to me that the same jeweler worked on this piece as well as the book piece. The bird clutches a wreathed raised out swastika showing lots of detail. Setting off these fine silvered fittings is a most appealing orange grip. This grip has turned a dark pumpkin color on the obverse fading slightly to almost an egg-yolk color but still a little darker than that on the reverse. This beautiful grip is in completely perfect condition. The scabbard of this piece is also identical to the book piece on Page 35. The pebbling is very close-grained and the scabbard is straight as an arrow. The carrying bands are treated with detailed oak leafing which has hand-enhancing to the veins. The thinner throat is retained by one center-placed, headless screw. This scabbard is in mint condition. The blade of this example is also quite nice. It is bright throughout, showing only the most modest signs of in-and-out wear but still grading easily in near full mint condition. It retains its needlelike tip. The reverse ricasso is etched with the double ovals which trap the firm’s name and location “FW Höller Solingen”. Inside is the thermometer trademark having too many digits to ever count. The larger size leather washer is in place. A very fine dagger here for the “type” collectors out there, or just for someone who wants to add a nice piece to his collection.

Near Mint. $895.00
AOD #27519 Army Officer Dagger - Carl Eickhorn

This army officer’s dagger was recently Vet purchased by me and it does not appear to have been cleaned since the war. It is equipped with the 2nd style fittings and scabbard. This dagger is the same as I show in my Army book on Pages 25 and 26. The silvering beneath the patination is in first rate, 100% condition. The pommel is still nice and crisp with its standing oak leaves running around its perimeter. There are no wearing hits to the edges. The cross guard is also in great condition. The eagle is crisp, having perfect details to his eye, beak, brow, breast feathering, wing feathering, talons, wreath and raised swastika. The ferrule is also the proper matching variety, being the same as Page 25. These dark shiny fittings are set off by a most beautiful color. The grip is a beautiful lemon yellow color, being in totally perfect condition. This color almost looks like stick candy, having much appeal. The scabbard of this example is the 2nd variety. Its patination and silvering exactly match the choice condition of the hilt fittings. This scabbard is straight throughout and is in full mint condition. The bands have excellent detail to the overlapping oak leaves. The throat is the thicker type and it is retained by a center placed flathead screw. The blade of this example is nice and bright throughout and has all of its cross graining. There are a couple of extremely minor age stains in the surfaces but I am sure they would clean out easily enough with a little semi-chrome. The blade still remains in mint condition with its needlelike tip. The reverse ricasso is dark etched with the trademark used from 1935 - 1941 featuring the squirrel with downward pointing sword. The blade has been protected by an in-place leather washer. A very fine army officer dagger here and if you are only going to buy one piece, this one should suit you fine.

Uncleaned Mint. $1,195.00
AOD #27181C Army Officer Dagger - Carl Eickhorn

This army officer is in top condition throughout and is a textbook example. The dagger displays the 2nd style hilt fittings and scabbard, being the same as I show in my Army book on Pages 25 and 26. The pommel shows no hits along the rim and the upper area is also still in choice condition with full silvering. It features the 12 standing oak leaves which run around its perimeter. The cross guard is a beauty throughout. The silvering is perfect and there are frosting signs which are clinging about the ferrule area and also in the recesses protected by the swirls of the quillon arms. The cross guard eagle is in choice, crisp condition with fine detail to the brow, eye, beak, breast feathering, wing feathering, talons, wreath and raised out swastika. The ferrule features the crossed oak leaves identical to Page 25. This dagger is equipped with an appealing grip, being the color of a butterscotch candy stick. This grip has slightly deeper tones in the recesses of the ribs, giving this candy-like look to the surfaces. A very fine hilt here which has a deep patination across its surfaces. The 2nd style scabbard matches the patination exactly. The silvering is totally perfect throughout and this scabbard also has frosting apparent around the edges, around the throat and also on the areas protected by the bands. The bands have excellent detail to the overlapping oak leaves. The thicker throat is retained by one center placed, flathead screw. A fine, mint scabbard here. The blade is also as nice as you will ever see. It is mirror bright, having fine needlelike tip. This blade has 100% of the original cross graining still in its surfaces. The reverse ricasso is darkly etched with the trademark used from 1935-41. It features the squirrel holding a downward pointing sword. The small style leather washer is in place. If you are looking to buy just one army dagger, this one should fill the bill. It really has everything!

Mint. $1,295.00
AOD #26158 Army Officer Dagger - WKC

This Army Officer is a fine example, being nicely patinated throughout and almost looking in unissued condition. There is lots of frosting still throughout the scabbard and hilt fittings. This is a classic WKC piece and is identical to the examples I show on Pages 64 and 66. The pommel rim is still crisp, and the upper part is in full silvered condition, having about 80% frosting. The standing oak leaves are crisp, having good black backgrounds. There is frosting evident throughout the pedestal of this pommel. The cross guard is the hatchet beak eagle, exactly as per Page 66. This bird has newlike, crisp detail to its head, eye, breast feathering, wing feathering, talons, wreath and raised swastika. There is about 70% of the frosted finish remaining throughout this bard. The ferrule is the same as Page 66 and this also has frosting. The grip is a pleasing lighter orange color. There is a tiny sliver that is missing from the upper obverse segment, but it is nothing and is hardly noticeable. A portapee would easily cover this minor flaw. Other than this, the grip is in completely perfect condition. The scabbard is a textbook WKC. This scabbard has at least 95% of the original frosted look in the silvering. The panels are perfect and the bands are nicely detailed. As is the case with WKC scabbards, the throat is retained by a single flatter head style screw which is positioned on the right side. The blade is as nice as you will see. It has a mirror finish with needlelike tip and 100% cross graining. This blade is in mint condition. The reverse ricasso features the etched knight’s head logo beneath which is the firm’s initials and location, “WKC Solingen”. The larger size bound leather washer is in place. A fine dagger here for someone looking for something untouched and in the best of condition.

Mint. $995.00
AOD #26171 Army Officer Dagger - E. & F. Hörster

This Hörster dagger is fitted with the classic mounts being the same as those seen on Pages 40-43 of my Army book. As was often the case with Hörster, the silvering is not as good as it could be and there are areas throughout the mounts and scabbard where there is some gray metal showing where the plating wore off. The pommel has approximately 40% to 50% of the original plating. The upper area has a crisp rim, but it is mostly gray on the top portion. There is also some gray appearing on the raised lines around the pedestal. The oak leaves have most of the silvering and still look good. The cross guard has the style which very much resembles the Eickhorn type. It is not though, it is the Hörster, and it is the same as Page 43, upper. This eagle has outstanding detail to his head, breast feathering, wing feathering, wreath and swastika. The silvering is probably about 80% on this cross guard, beginning to thin on some of the higher areas. The ferrule is the same as Page 42 and this does have all silvering. The grip is a fine, off-white example. It has a nice appearance to it, having the wider style segments. Taking a look inside, it is the plaster-filled type but the outside celluloid has a thicker coating than is normally seen. A fine looking hilt here! The scabbard is the generic variety and is identical to Page 120. Apparently, Hörster did the silvering on this example, too, as there is a little bit of gray metal which shows through on the high points of the oak leaf bands. The scabbard shell, though, still is in perfect condition throughout, having good silvering. The thin throat is held by one reverse placed center-positioned screw. The blade is a beauty. It is nice and bright and has all of its cross graining and is complete with a needlelike tip. This blade is mint. The reverse ricasso is etched with the familiar logo of this company. It consists of two ovaled circles which contain the firm’s name and location “E & F Hörster Solingen”. Inside is a large “h” letter with smaller “h” and “s” letters being pierced with a sword. The leather blade washer is in place. A fine textbook Hörster dagger here. These are not all that common to find.

Excellent Plus. $750.00
AOD #26092C Army Officer Dagger with Glass Grip - Carl Eickhorn

This Army Officer is a traditional Eickhorn piece, having the Second style fittings. They are the same as is shown on Pages 25 and 26 of my Army book. The pommel is in outstanding condition, having good, crisp rim and little use shown at the top area. The standing oak leaves which surround the pommel are crisp and have excellent black backgrounding. The Second style cross guard is as nice as the book piece shown on Page 25. The eagle has perfect detail to the head, breast feathering, wing feathering, wreath and raised out swastika. The ferrule is the same as is shown on Page 25. The interesting part about this dagger is the fact that it has one of the rarely seen “glass” grips. This grip is the exact color of amber and is extremely beautiful. This grip is about as perfect as you will ever see with this material. There are a couple of tiny flecks missing just where the pommel sits on the grip upper portion. The rest of the grip is totally perfect - this is very unusual to see. This is also very desirable! The scabbard on this example for some reason is not an Eickhorn version. It appears to be a WKC; however, this scabbard appears to have always been with this piece. This scabbard is nice and straight and has a good patina in the backgrounds. The panels have crisp pebbling and the overlapping, oak leafed carrying bands have excellent hand-applied detail to the veining. The throat is retained by a single flathead screw at the right side. The next owner may want to swap this scabbard out with someone who has a matching Eickhorn example, as there would be no harm done here and, perhaps, two pieces could be put totally right. On the other hand, it is possible that this scabbard has always been with this dagger and came back from WWII this way. Either way, the choice is up to the next owner. The blade of this example is in choice, bright condition. Most of the graining is still visible, and the needlelike tip is perfect. This blade shows only the most modest of age and still grades at near mint condition. The reverse ricasso is etched with the 1935-41 squirrel trademark. The brown leather washer is in place. An interesting dagger here, and very rare with this fine glass grip.

Mint Minus. $995.00
AOD #26170 Army Officer Dagger with "Hi-Lift" Crossguard - Alcoso

This is a fine, classic “high-lift” Alcoso Army dagger. The pommel is nicely patinated and has excellent detail to the oak leafing. The rim shows a couple of minor carrying signs, but the top is still in perfect condition. The cross guard is taking on a patina and it features the “high-lift” wings on the bird. This bird is the same as I show on Page 22 of my Army book. The detail is fairly good to the bird’s head and breast feathering, but is better to the wings, wreath and swastika. The patination of this fitting gives an interesting effect to the swastika, as it almost looks gold as it nestles within the wreath with dark backgrounding. The ferrule is the same as Page 22. The grip is a fine, deeper orange color, being just the slightest bit lighter on the reverse. This grip is in complete, perfect condition. The scabbard is a fine example, being nice and thin like the Alcoso pieces usually will be. It has nice patination and good, sharp pebbling. The scabbard bands are the same as those shown on Page 22, however, they are a brass color, contrasting nicely with the complete silvering of the scabbard shell. The throat is retained by a single, center-placed headless flush mount screw in the reverse. Nice scabbard here! The blade is still nice and bright and has most of its cross graining visible. It retains its needlelike tip. This blade is in mint condition. It is marked on the reverse with the last trademark used by this company. It features the sideways placed scales having the interspersed initials of the company “AWS”. To the right of the scales is the firm’s name written in script over a block-lettered location town “Alcoso Solingen”. The large size leather washer is in place. A fine example here.

Excellent Plus. $795.00
AOD #23465 Army Officer Dagger - Alcoso

This is a textbook Alcoso piece and is identical to the example I show in my Army Book on page 21. The crossguard is the third type used by this firm. This guard still has fairly good detail but like most of them it does show some wear to the head details as well as the breast feathering. The wreathed swastika, though, is still nice and crisp. I tend to think that this depiction was probably not very crisp when these crossguards came out of the mold. All of the silvering is there, however, and the guard has taken on a nice patination matching that of the rest of the dagger. The pommel is the typical flared out type being the same as those shown on page 23. This pommel has good silvering throughout which is maybe thinning a little along the rim. The oak leaves are very precise and there is good blackening in the areas between and above them. The ferrule is the same as is shown on page 22. The grip is a fine orange example which is in perfect condition. It is a little darker orange on the reverse than it is the obverse. There are also signs of lighter coloring at the upper and lower portions of the grip, an indication that it once had a portepee on it. Also, this grip most certainly was a yellow color when it was originally produced. This scabbard has 100% silvering and a matching patination. It is straight throughout having fine pebbled patterns. The throat is a thicker type and is retained by two side screws. It looks identical to the example on page 23, right. The oak leafing to the bands is nicely done with lots of hand-enhancing. Two small bore flathead screws retain the throat. A very fine scabbard here. The blade of this example is still nice and bright and has 100% crossgraining. This fine blade retains its needlelike tip and is in mint condition. The reverse ricasso is etched with the trademark that was used from 1940. This logo consists of the scales having the letters, "ACS" interspersed. Above the scales in an arch shape is logo in the script style. Below is the town, "Solingen". The original large size leather washer is in place and has nicely protected this fine blade. A choice textbook Alcoso dagger.

Good. $695.00
AOD #23496 Army Officer Dagger - Waffenfabrik Max Weyersberg

This fine example is the same as I show on page 80 and 81 of my Army Book. The hilt fittings are a generic "A" variety and they both reflect outstanding silvering which appears to have been uncleaned for many years. The silvering is totally intact throughout this crossguard pommel and ferrule. The pommel rim shows very little carrying time and the standing oak leaves are nice and crisp. The eagle is a very noble type which you can see a close up of on page 78. This bird has great detail to his head, beak, breast feathering, wreath and raised out swastika. The ferrule is the same as is shown in the book examples. These fine fittings are highlighted by a beautiful deep orange grip. This grip is about the color of a Popsicle and would be in totally perfect condition were it not for just the slightest hairliner on the reverse upper fitting and also a tiny one on the right side upper area. These flaws are almost too little to even acknowledge but there they are. The scabbard is also a beauty. It has fine black patination across its silvered surfaces. It appears to be mint beneath the surfaces. It is probably a Pack made scabbard as it seems to have the style bands with the wider borders. These bands have outstanding hand accented veins to the oak leaves. The throat is retained by two domehead screws. The blade is as nice as you will see. It is mirror bright and really looks to be full mint at first glance. The crossgraining is still there but it is just slightly thinning. All in all, though, this blade is very close to full mint having its needlelike tip. The reverse ricasso is stamped with the firm's name, "WMW Waffen". This stamping is done horizontally across the center blade surface. This fine blade has been protected by a large size brown leather washer. This is a nice example in very collectible condition.

Near Mint. $895.00