There has been a marked increase in the collecting interest of these era Naval pieces. As more and more information comes to light, I predict these edged weapons will rise in price to incredible heights. They each individually represent an unbelievable period of history--from colonization of Africa and China, to the battle of Jutland--from the scuttling of the Imperial Fleet at Scapa Flow to the rise of the menacing Kreigsmarine. Plan to increase your net worth with a wise purchase now-- and feel the ocean waves as the "Lusitania" goes to the bottom!
IMPNVL #31055 1890/1902 Naval Officer's Dirk - W.K.C.
This 1890/1902 pattern Naval Officer’s Dirk is one of the best conditioned examples that I have carried from this time period. The hilt of this example is identical to the piece that I show on page 113, lower of my Naval book. It features the open crown larger style pommel which was available at extra cost. This pommel has almost all of its original gilded surfaces really making for a good look. The top of the pommel has the open finials with an orb in the center. The cross of the orb has been made flat so that the dirk does not tear the delicate wool of the officer’s naval tunic. This fine pommel has eight sections around the circumference all of which are domed and the in between section is slightly smaller. These sections also have a pearl pattern around their border. These sections alternate the depictions of the cross and the Prussian eagle. The top of the pommel which remains under the finials is beautifully diamond checkered with little dots in the centers. The crossguard has also choice gilded surfaces which rate at about 95%. This crossguard features a center block which has a fouled anchor and pebbling behind it in the backgrounds. This pebbling seems to have been done by random. Coming out of the center block are four sided quillon arms which become rounded being capstans at the end. For those that do not know what a capstan is in nautical terminology – this is the flared metal mount that we will find on a dock to which ships tied their securing lines. The upper portion of the crossguard is flared to form a neck opening to accept the grip. The grip of this example is a real beauty. It is genuine hand carved ivory having seven sections which run downward from right to left. This ivory has no cracks or chips but does have a nice grain and beautiful golden surfaces. It is a very pleasing grip! The scabbard of this example is also a fine item. This scabbard would have begun its life as a long 1890 cadet type. It has been cut down however and now measures about 11 5/8-inches overall. The cutting down of these long scabbards as something that was frequently done during the period as when the 1901 regulations allowed naval officers to also carry dirks most found the long cadet model to be unwieldy. The factories apparently had quite a few of these already made so they cut them down to reflect the shorter size dirk required by the purchaser. You can see an exact example of this dirk shown in a beautiful drawing on page 104, far right. J.P. Puype has perfectly captured the image of this particular dagger. The scabbard is equipped with a lightning bolt pattern having the palmette designs above and below the carrying bands and at the bottom area are the lightning bolts above ermine feet and pointed acanthus leaves. In this case the acanthus leaves are shorter than they were when the scabbard had its original length. One of the giveaways of a longer scabbard is the fact that the carrying bands are separated further away from each other than they would be if the dirk was shorter. This feature can be seen on the dagger shown on page 103, lower. The carrying bands are a series of overlapping ropes which go around pilings. The throat is retained by two brass side screws. This scabbard is still in complete dent free condition and also has quite a bit of gilding still on the surfaces. The blade of this example most likely was made for the length that it currently remains. This blade is double etched having the design of an imperial crown positioned over a fouled anchor which are above a sea plant in a panel on the obverse and on the reverse there is a fully rigged sailing ship floating on seas with sea plants at the lower. This blade is still bright and is in near full mint condition. There is a little bit of what appears to be sharpening toward the tip area but it has long since been removed and most likely reflected the imperial order simulating the seriousness of the German troops having been ordered to sharpen their swords and daggers. The reverse ricasso is stamped with the single knighthead logo being exactly like the one that I show on page 63 of my Navy book. This beautiful blade is protected by an in place off red felt buffer. A very, very nice imperial dagger here. If you are looking for condition and a historical piece this one should fill the bill.Near Mint. $2625.00
IMPNVL #30813 Model 1890/1902 Long Naval Dirk - WKC
This long dirk measures overall in the scabbard about 19-inches. We usually refer to these types as a “cadet dirk”, but actually it was the standard 1902 model. Most of the time officers ordered the shorter dirk but the 19-inch example was the standard. This dirk has all gilded brass mounts. The pommel is the standard type which has closed finials. The open finial tops were available at extra cost. This pommel depicts a cross on the top which has been modified by the factory so that it is smooth. The cross is positioned atop an orb. The upper portion of the crown part of the pommel is hand checkered. The crown itself has eight domed panels which alternate depictions of a cross and a Prussian eagle. The sections with the eagle contained are slightly smaller than the sections with the cross. This pommel shows fairly nice detail throughout. The crossguard below has the typical center blocks which depict a fouled anchor. The reverse is equipped with a blade release push button. Above the center block is a rounded acceptance area which accommodates the lower grip. This area has designs which go around its circumference. The quillon arms go outward from the center block and they are four sided. They become rounded at the quillon area and flare into the shape of capstans. The gild throughout the pommel and crossguard is about 40%. The grip of this fine example is a hand turned genuine ivory. It has a pleasing golden glow to its surfaces and there is also some attractive graining. This ivory is chip free and has no cracks in its edges. The long scabbard is a rarity in itself and this example is completely dent free. Because of the length of these scabbards it is rare to see one with no dents or dings. This scabbard still has good gild throughout which amounts to about 50-60%. The scabbard has a lightning bolt style engraved pattern. The carrying bands are in the shape of ropes wrapped about pilings. Above and below each band there are engraved palmettes. At the lower portion there are lightning bolts above ermine feet which rest between the points of acanthus leaves. All of this work is deeply cut and nicely done. The scabbard throat is retained by two flathead side screws. The reverse upper area is also personalized with the original owner’s surname. The name is professionally engraved, “Reinecke”. I looked this name up and there is only one officer during the imperial time serving with this surname and his name is “Karl Reinecke”. He was born February 13, 1895 and served during World War I beginning in August 1914 until June 19, 1918. Reinecke is listed as a marine Feldhilfsärzte which I think equates to some type of a field doctor. He served aboard several vessels which look to be hospital ships. The next owner can easily look up this man’s record and perhaps assemble a dossier on him. The blade on this example is a long 13-inch double etched type. The etchings are still quite nice. The obverse depicts a crown over a fouled anchor in the center and below this is a fully rigged sailing ship. Above the anchor is a crossed oar and pike and in the center is a trident. On the reverse the etch is similar with the crown and center anchor with a slightly different sailing ship depiction. Above the center area is a cannon, a set of drums and standartes. The very end of the blade has some sharpening done to it which was probably part of the “sharpening order” to symbolize the Germans commitment to World War I. This sharpening though is not bad and does not affect the etched portions of the blade which are still nice and bright. The reverse ricasso is stamped with the W.K.&C. knighthead. This stamping is identical to the example I show in my Navy Book on page 63. In fact, this piece appears to have the same blade etch as the book piece. This trademark stamping was used up until the beginning of World War I. An extremely nice researchable dirk here still in good collectible condition.Excellent Plus. $1995.00(#070810)
IMPNVL #30714C Imperial/Third Reich Naval Dirk with Personalized Damascus Blade - Robrecht, Berlin
This Imperial Naval Dirk is a very delicate piece, carried during the Imperial period as well as during the Third Reich. The original owner obviously served either the whole time or perhaps his son wore the dagger during the Kriegsmarine time. At any rate, this beautiful dagger has one of the best 1938 update pommels we have seen to date. This delicate pommel is of the same caliber and almost looks identical to the elegant example I show on page 231 of my Naval Book. The pommel of the book dirk may have just a little bit more hand embellishing but the one on the dagger has even more elegance about it. It is smaller than the normal naval pommels we see and it really goes perfectly with the diminutive appearance of this dagger. This pommel has small amounts of gilding that still remain in the recesses. The head is beautifully detailed with brow, eye and beak. Feathering has been all hand done on the breast as well as on the wings of both sides of the bird. The talons and legs are also outstanding and the wreath is a highly vaulted type with mobile swastika inside. Even the pedestal has a slightly different shape than we normally see. A very beautiful pommel here! The crossguard is the capstan type and it is small than the norm. As chance would have it I show a dagger made by Robrecht in my Naval Book on page 64. This dagger has many similar qualities. The crossguard center block depicts a fouled anchor and has lines of pebbling in the plain areas to add depth to the depiction. The tapered crossguard arms are four sided and go outward to end in capstans which flare out. These capstans are all fluted on the edges and have circular lines on the tips. There is a blade release button built into the reverse of this crossguard as well as a butt plate. The grip a very striking genuine ivory. The grip has turned a golden tone from the years and it also has some graining and small cracks in the surface to further tease the eye. There is a small chip in the upper reverse segment but it is mostly covered by the in place original portepee. This portepee is a gold toned silver bullion type. It is still in its original tie and other than some fraying where the cord comes out of the knot the portepee is in good condition. The slide and stem have the usual “V” designs in their weave. The lower ball is of silver bullion and has a cat’s anus stuffing consisting of a gray style thread. An extremely captivating hilt here. The scabbard of this example is thinner than most and also is more delicate. It has a hammered finish but along with the finish there are also engraved oak leaves which are done at the lower portion of the upper carrying band and also on both sides of the center band. The lower area of the scabbard is finished off with hand done oak leaves and acorns featuring three centered acorns which separate the leaves. An attractive combination here. The lower chape also has engravings which appear to be little acorns running around the base circumference. There are some carrying signs throughout the brass of this scabbard but no real dents per se. The portion of the scabbard above the upper band on both sides has the engravings of a rope which is tied in a bow like knot. The bands themselves have a plain surface and there are stamped oak leaves and acorns which decorate the center area. The eyelets are triple serrated and they are identical to the eyelets shown in the piece on page 64 and 65. Like the book piece there is one screw also missing from the throat on the left side while the right side is intact. The rings of this example are cut with a roped design. The blade is a small thin style having double fullers in the naval tradition. The blade is of hand forged Damascus and it has a beautiful maiden hair style pattern which at one time must have been very elegant. Much of the original Damascus pattern is still visible throughout this blade. Unfortunately there is some pitting where moisture must have gotten into the scabbard. The moisture has covered about 70% of the obverse of the blade and maybe 50% of the reverse. It is not deep however and it would be possible to rub out the pitting as the pitting is not deep and than this blade could be reetched and would look as good as new. I know this is scary stuff but I have seen it done before and the results are really spectacular. The other alternative is to leave the blade the way it is as there is certainly nothing to lose as it is still very beautiful despite the aging. The obverse ricasso has the original owner’s monogram raised out, “G.W.”. The first thing that comes to mind of course is that George Washington must have worn this dirk while sleeping on the Kaiser’s yacht, but of course that is not the case. I would think that a search through the imperial rank list and possible some of the rank lists from the 20’s and 30’s could reveal at least a number of possibilities as to whom the owner originally was. This is the kind of fun though that can be reserve for this next owner of this dirk. The blade still has the original off red felt buffer. A very beautiful thing here and as most collectors are aware imperial naval daggers with Damascus blades all but impossible to find anymore. A great piece here with exceptional possibilities for restoration of the blade. Incidentally, I took a look at the blade tang and one side of the blade is deeply stamped, “272”. There is no stamping as to the original smith but it looks as though when the blade lock was installed anything stamped into the tang surface was ground out. At any rate, a fine delicate dirk here with great possibilities.Excellent. $6,495.00
IMPNVL #16896 1919 Naval Dirk with Provisional Reich Naval Stampings
This original
dirk is a complete example of a rarely encountered weapon. The
1919 Pattern was introduced for wear by all cadets and officers
after the catastrophe of WWI and the scuttling of the German fleet
at Scapa Flow. The dirk was mostly worn by new personnel, as older
Kaiserzeit officers remaining with the new Reich Provisional
Navy, chose to wear their unaltered Imperial dirk. The new, somewhat
morose, M1919 dirk reflected the bad times caused by the lost
war and the resultant punishing reparation payments mandated by
the Versailles Treaty. The hilt design of these dirks was a return
to the 1848 round pommel design worn during better days. A brand
new crossguard design accompanied the old round pommel, replacing
the capstan style used for half a century. A black grip was utilized,
some say to symbolize the "mourning" feeling of the
times. The scabbard was a black color, initially having dual carrying
methods enabling the wearer to either carry the dirk in a frog
or from one suspension hanger. Later the frog method was abandoned,
and most dirks were produced with the single ring suspension.
The pommel of this dirk is a beauty, produced of quality brass
and showing fine detail to the cattail and reed depiction. These
marine plants rest upon a series of detailed cresting waves. The
blade's tang comes through the pommel top stem where it is peened
to secure the dirk. The new-style crossguard was to be used with
only slight changes on all subsequent dirks to appear through
WW II. This example features a fouled anchor center block on the
obverse. The reverse center block has a diamond shape with floral
backing. The blade lock is drilled through the diamond center.
This crossguard reflects outstanding detail. In fact, both the
pommel and crossguard show little wear, remaining very crisp.
The black grip is probably a horn material. It has shiny, ribbed
surfaces, (there are seven ribs), and it is in perfect condition.
The grip is wrapped with a single twisted brass wire. The blade
is a plain, unadorned type with double-fullered construction.
It is fairly short, measuring only 7 3/4 inches. The polished
type finish shows some minor age smudging, but no pitting or other
problems. The reverse ricasso is stamped with the rare Reich Provisional
Marine proofing used from 1919 to 1921. It consists of an "M"
over an unfouled anchor. This same proof mark can be seen on the
M1919 example shown on Page 185 of my Naval Book. These scabbards
are found with both blued and painted finish. This example is
the latter. This black painted, tube steel scabbard is most interesting.
Other than the paint (these are usually crudely sprayed, as this
one is), this shell is an unadorned plain ovaled tube having traditional
Naval end button and separate throat fitting. There is a bayonet
lug having the standard two sets of twin decorative lines on the
surfaces. Beneath the lug is a riveted piece of spring steel.
This spring applies pressure, acting to retain a single, removable
Naval carrying band. The band is removable by applying downward
pressure. This dual carry set-up is nearly identical to the example
shown on Page 185. The only difference is the removable band on
this example is a standard overlapping oak leafed type, while
the example in the book is a figure-of-eight variety. It is possible
this band could be an old replacement, but if so, it is impossible
to discern. The band shows little wear and appears to be the identical
color brass as is seen on the hilt fittings. The scabbard throat
is a steel variety being retained by two domehead side screws.
These M1919 examples are extremely rare, as the unpopular black
scabbards were discarded by many carriers in 1921, when once again,
the brass decorative scabbard was resurrected for wear by Naval
officers. Many officers opted to retain only their original 1919
dagger, purchasing the new brass scabbard. You will look a long
time to find one of these dirks.Excellent Plus. $3,495.00(#082310)
IMPNVL #22890 1919 Reich Provisional Naval Dirk
This is a choice
Naval Dirk, which is extremely rare and should be desirable. It
is similar to the examples I show in my Naval book on Pages 182-183.
This example has a ball top with the new crossguard design having
quillon ends with fluted designs. The ball top has the reeds and
cattail motif with cresting waves at the base. It is a fine, brass
fitting showing fairly good detail, most of which is attributed
to period hand enhancing. This pommel is peened over preventing
a takedown status. The fine crossguard has good detail to the
Naval fouled anchor center block on the obverse. The reverse has
the little flower design and there is a blade release button drilled
through the center area. This crossguard would be one of the first
examples we see of the final design the German Naval crossguard
would take. The grip is the black celluloid-over-wood variety.
This grip is in totally perfect condition having a fine sheen
to its surfaces. It has seven ribs running downward from right
to left. These ribs are tightly wrapped with a silvered, springy
wire. Nice hilt here! The tube-style, black scabbard is straight
throughout and is finished in a blued surface. The bluing is still
in perfect condition and the ending button at the chape is in
brass as is the throat assembly. This contrast between the two
colors is quite effective looking. The upper portion of this blued
scabbard is fitted with a bayonet-style lug. This is the only
fitting that was ever present on this example, so it would have
always been carried vertically. The brass throat is retained by
two matching steel side screws. Attached to this fine, rarely
seen, scabbard is a slim line, delicate brown leather hanger.
This hanger has a loop at the bottom, which nicely goes under
the scabbard lug. There is a belt loop built-in design, and a
grip-retaining loop with strap. This fine, rarely seen, accouterment
is in the same choice condition as the rest of this Dirk. The
blade is one of the common, cheaply made styles we see on these
1919 pieces. It is a double-edged variety having a short ricasso
forming a “V” design to the blade center ridge. This
blade appears identical to the one shown on Page 83. It has a
good, nickel-plated surface and remains nice and bright. In fact,
this blade is in mint condition. It has a release block as indicated
above and is also protected by a tan, felt blade buffer showing
some age and wear. This buffer is original to the piece. This
is a very fine, authentic example, which would be a key piece
for the early Naval collector.Near Mint. $3495.00