CUSTOMS #33260 Land Customs Official's Dagger – Carl Eickhorn

This Land Customs official’s Dagger is a very fine example. The beautiful cast aluminum hilt mounts have all been hand enhanced to show off the details. The pommel cap has a nice smooth rim and good smooth top. It features the standing pointing oak leaves typical of the customs pieces. The oak leaves that have fallen on the cast lines have all been hand cut out. The ferrule has the same matching pointed oak leaves with hand cut veins. The crossguard features a fine customs eagle having tipped wings on each end. The bird has hand done eye and beak as well as cross checkering to the breast and talon area. The claws are well done as is the enhanced wreath which they are clutching. The wreath depicts a raised out mobile swastika in the center. The reverse of this crossguard is nice and smooth with very few signs of usage. The grip is a wood base covered with green leather. The grip features eleven sections which run downward from right to left. These sections are tightly wrapped with a silvered wire. There is no damage whatsoever to the grip leather and the grain is still present throughout. The steel scabbard shell is straight throughout. It is covered with matching grained green leather. This leather is in very choice condition also showing almost no signs of usage. This shell is a real beauty! The shell is fitted with aluminum coated mounts. These mounts feature decorative lines which run along the borders of the obverse only. The aluminum coating is 100% but does show just the slightest of age signs on the obverse upper and lower but it is very nominal. The upper and center scabbard mounts are equipped with rounded style eyelets and matching rings. The throat is built into the upper mount. These mounts are retained by flat head flush mount side screws only on the left edges. The blade is a real beauty being in full mint condition. Its mirror surfaces have full graining throughout with a needlelike tip. This blade is as nice as you will see them. It is etched with the 1935-41 squirrel trademark. It features a squirrel sitting to the left holding a downward pointing sword. Above the squirrel is the word, “original” and below the animal is the firm’s name and location, “Eickhorn Solingen”. The original blade buffer is a tan color in new-like condition. If you are looking for a fine Land Customs dagger this example should look very well in your collection. These Land Customs daggers are becoming very difficult to come by and prices have been steadily increasing. I was fortunate enough to have this dagger walk up to my tables at the MAX show. I am very pleased to add this example to my inventory and I’m sure the next purchaser will enjoy its ownership also.

Near Mint. $3,995.00

 CUSTOMS #33414 Land Customs Official - Clemen & Jung

As a rule, the firm of Clemen & Jung did not make a lot of edged weapons, but they were fairly prolific with Customs Daggers. This example features early silvered fittings throughout. The pommel is fairly clean across its upper surfaces, still having a good crisp rim. The standing pointed style oak leaves used by the Customs are hand enhanced throughout. A very nice pommel here. The matching crossguard has a fine eagle featuring tipped wings. The bird shows a little bit of modest wear to the head and the breast feathering and talons, but the eye is still there, as is the cross checkering that was hand done for the breast feathering. The bird clutches a raised mobile swastika in a wreath. This mount is also a fine silvered example. The matching ferrule above features pointed oak leaves around its perimeter, also having hand enhancing. The grip is a carved wood base, having eleven ribs. The grip is covered with a green leather that still is in very fine condition. Some of the graining still shows in the surfaces. This grip is tightly wrapped with twisted silver wire. The scabbard shell has a steel base and is covered with green leather. The leather shows quite a bit of wear to the surfaces and some old carrying signs here-and-there, but basically it is still all there. The original green color has started to turn a darker tone, but we do see this with Land Customs shells. The shell is fitted with silvered steel mounts. These mounts have decorative lines running across the edges of the obverse only. The eyelets are the type that were applied to the mounts and they are equipped with matching silvered rings. The mounts are retained by headless flush mount screws, all on the left side of the fittings. The blade of this example is a typical Clemen & Jung. The grain shows running toward the tip rather than horizontal. This is an anomaly we see with this company and I have noticed it many times in the past. This blade shows some age and some mild usage, but it is still in pretty good shape being mostly bright. The tip has just a little bit of a ripple towards the end, but it is not bad. Overall, this blade grades at excellent to excellent plus. The obverse ricasso is deeply stamped with the shield, having a crown over the top with a “Z” in the center. The reverse ricasso is stamped in two lines in capital letters, “CLEMEN & JUNG/SOLINGEN”. The original washer is also in place. This washer has a slight green tone to the leather, but it may be just my imagination. A good original piece here that shows wear of the period, but it is still all there and is priced accordingly.

Excellent. $2,795.00