The DLV (Deutscher Luftsport Verband) was organized in 1933, as a para-military sports organization for Germans to fly limited motor-driven airplanes, gliders and ballooning. The DLV Officers wore a very long dirk of 55cms. The dirk design was a crucible form consisting of cigar-shape ribbed wood grip, covered with blue leather. The round nickel-silver, flat-surfaced pommel and matching downswept winged crossguard were inlaid with gilded brass sunwheel swastikas on both sides. The long scabbard was a composition base material, covered with matching blue leather. There are three nickel scabbard mounts which are retained with staples. A chain hanger is affixed to the upper two mounts. The long blade is a nickel-plated example. Transitional DLV and 1st Model Luftwaffe examples exist which are shortened DLV examples, or examples having early composition scabbards and staple-held fittings. The 1st Model Luftwaffe evolved from these daggers.
The 1st Model Luftwaffe dagger, although still a fairly long weapon, was a shorter variation of the previously carried DLV Officer. In 1935, Hitler unveiled the "secret" Luftwaffe to the world, defying the Versailles Treaty. It became the third fighting branch of the German Wehrmacht, and was headed by Hermann Göring as Commander-in-Chief. Initially, only Luftwaffe Officers with flying status wore the new Fliegerdolch. Later, regulations were relaxed and other Officers were permitted to wear the "flying dagger". After 1937, Officers were required to wear the newly introduced Offizierdolch (2nd Pattern Luftwaffe dagger). The 1st Pattern, from that point on, was worn by high ranking NCO's, not officers. Initial patterns of the early Fliegerdolche were constructed using heavy solid nickel materials for hilt and scabbard mounts. Gilded brass sunwheel swastika inserts decorated the pommel and crossguard. The cigar-shape, wood-based grip and scabbard shell are covered in a rich Moroccan blue leather. A chain hanger with snap clip is attached to the scabbard. Examples produced after 1938 have aluminum fittings. Late examples were produced of nickel pot metal hilt fittings with plated steel scabbard fittings. Blades were usually quality nickel plated.
LD1 #33287C Transitional DLV/1st Model Luftwaffe Dagger - Carl Eickhorn, Early Oval Logo
This Transitional DLV/1st Model Luftwaffe Dagger is in exceptional condition. Normally when we see these daggers, they usually have seen better times. This example has fine early nickel mounts throughout with a good silvered finish. The silvering still appears to be nearly 100% throughout this fine dagger. The rims of the pommel are perfect on the back side, and on the front side there are a couple of minor carrying hits, but no big deal. This pommel has the two medallion inserts that feature fine brass sunwheels. The sunwheels still appear to have some of their gilding on them. On the crossguard center area the two sunwheels are nicely vaulted, but I don’t see much gilding here. The crossguard arms are the 3-tiered type that curve downward. I do not see any markings on the quillon ends of this example. The grip is a carved wood base and is a real beauty. It is covered with Moroccan blue leather, and not only has no scuffs or problems, but also has nearly all of its original graining. The grip is tightly wrapped with silver triple twisted wire. The center wire is of slightly larger proportion. There is also a portepee on this example that appears to be original to the piece. The portepee is the longer 42CM type and it is in perfect condition, except for a small fray caused where the cord rubbed against the crossguard end. The slide has been pushed over this fray. Also, the bullion covering is missing from the slider revealing the wood base below. The stem is in outstanding condition having “V” designs, and the lower yarn-like bullion ball is perfect with a bullion-style stuffing. A very fine hilt here! The scabbard shell of this example is the composition type. There is no metal on this shell. The composition is covered with outstanding Moroccan blue leather that perfectly matches the grip. This leather also has all of its graining and is in near perfect condition. It is very rare to see a leather in this condition on a dagger that has a vintage of about 1934/Early 1935. The scabbard mounts are fine silvered type, and they are in pristine condition. All three of these mounts are retained by larger sized matching silver staples. Attached to the center and upper mount is a fine nickel chain. The ringlets are composed of 9 on the upper and 14 on the lower. They are connected to a nicely patinated clip that is also to interesting in that it is stamped on the reverse with an open RZM circle positioned over the code “UE1”. As we would hope, the blade on this example is as nice as the outside. This blade reflects choice nickel-plated finish with fine needle-like tip. This blade shows only the slightest traces of any age and easily grades in near full mint condition. A beautiful early blade here! The reverse ricasso is marked with the early small double ovals that enclose the firm’s name and location, “Carl Eickhorn, Solingen”. Inside is a seated squirrel with a nut in his paws, having a serrated tail. The original Moroccan blue blade washer is in place. An outstanding example here of a Transitional 1st Model Luftwaffe! Even the scabbard shell has almost no runner “push-out” at all. Very rare to see an example this nice.Near Mint. $2,495.00
- LD1 #33425 1st Model Aluminum Luftwaffe Dagger
This 1st Model Luftwaffe Dagger is in extremely choice condition throughout. The aluminum mounts have fine satin finish and are very pleasing to the eye. The pommel has nice crisp rims on both sides and it has 100% of the bright gild to the sunwheel swastikas. The lower crossguard center blocks also have 100% gild to the sunwheels. The crossguard arms are in fine condition, being triple segmented with downward curve. The grip is a carved wood base, being covered with Moroccan leather. This leather is in choice condition throughout, having 100% of its original graining. The grip is tightly wrapped with twin twisted aluminum wire. It is unusual to see a piece with wire like this, but it is 100% authentic. A fine hilt here! The scabbard shell is completely straight throughout and also has outstanding Moroccan blue leather. This leather is in pristine condition and hardly shows any wear time at all. The matching aluminum mounts have the fine satiny finish and they are in perfect condition throughout. These mounts are retained by flush mount flathead screws. Attached to the upper and center ramp is a fine pristine aluminum chain. This chain still has most of its original frosting throughout the ringlets, connecting tabs, and also to the snap clip. There are 6 upper and 10 lower ringlets. The snap clip has the usual marking on the reverse, “Ges.Gesch.” and “OLC”. This fine unmarked blade is as nice as they come. It has an excellent nickel-plated finish with needle-like tip. This blade is in full mint condition. The original blue Moroccan leather blade buffer is in place. An extremely nice Aluminum 1st Model here.Mint. $1,395.00
- LD1 #33219C Personalized Early 1st Model Luftwaffe Dagger - Emil Voos
This early example is equipped with solid nickel mounts throughout. The nickel is in good condition showing some modest wear to the edges, but not bad. The pommel has the medallion insert-style sunwheels and they are down to the brass throughout. There is no nickeling in between the swastika legs. The same is true of the sunwheels on the crossguard center blocks. The sloping 3-segment crossguard arms show some nominal wear signs, but no problems. The grip is a carved wood base, having excellent Moroccan leather covering. This leather is in perfect condition, still showing some grain. The leather is wrapped with triple brass wire, the center being twisted. The scabbard shell is straight throughout. This shell has good Moroccan leather, nicely matching the grip. There are some wear signs on the surfaces of the leather, but there are no nips or problems. Other than a few “bumps” to the leather surfaces, this leather is still in fine condition. The early silver scabbard mounts are also in excellent condition throughout. These mounts are retained by unusual screws, in that they are the style with heads. Most of the time we see headless screws on 1st Lufts, but then again it is very unusual to see an Early 1st Luft example by the Emil Voos factory. The nickel chain is a fine example, having 9 upper and 14 lower links. The unmarked snap clip is the nickel style. The blade of this example is nice and bright, having fine nickel-plated surfaces. There is a little bit of peeling of the plating down near the tip area, but it is not too bad and, hopefully, will not extend any further upward. The rest of the blade is a mirror finish and is in mint condition. It is interesting to note that the original owner has scratched his name and assignment into the lower segment of the reverse blade. It reads, “John – Jacob 2/K.G.H. 132.” Although I do not know what these initials stand for, it is possible that they stand for “Kampf Gruppe Hildesheim”. Either way, there is quite a bit of information here to possibly research the original owner. On a Luftwaffe dagger this early, only officers carried them. It was not until the 2nd Model came out in 1937 that NCO’s carried the 1st Model type. The reverse ricasso is marked horizontally with the snake wrapped around a stump, and to the right the firm’s name over its location, “Emil Voos, Solingen”. It is also extremely to see that the opposite ricasso is also stamped with the Voos trademark. Chances are this was a mistake as, contrary to popular belief, the German factory workers were not totally perfect. The original leather blade washer is in place. A fine example here with a rarely seen maker, and also chances for research.Excellent Plus. $1,395.00
- LD1 #33262 Mid-Period 1st Model Luftwaffe Dagger
This Mid-Period 1st Model Luftwaffe is in extraordinarily good condition. Usually these pieces tend to dissipate around the hilt fittings, as the base metal was normally a pot metal type. On this example, there is no sign of any of this. In fact, the 4 sunwheel swastikas all have a good deal of the original gild still remaining on their surfaces. This is quite unusual to see. The pommel has good crisp rims on both sides, showing only the most nominal of carrying signs. The two pommel sunwheels have nearly all of their gilded finish. The crossguard sunwheels have a good deal of the finish still remaining, being about 60% on the obverse and, perhaps, about 80% on the reverse. The segmented crossguard arms are in fine condition, gently sloping downward. The grip is a carved wood base, being covered with Moroccan blue leather. This grip is slightly unusual in that it is wrapped with dual brass wire, which is not twisted. The wire, however, is definitely original to this piece. The scabbard shell is straight throughout. This shell has remarkable original leather, still in perfect condition, nicely matching the color of the grip leather. The scabbard mounts are the nickel-plated steel type. These mounts are in choice condition throughout and are retained by flush mount headless screws. The aluminum chain has 5 upper and 8 lower ringlets. They are connected to a standard aluminum snap clip, being marked on the reverse, “Ges.Gesch.” and “OLC”. The blade of this example is a real beauty. It is a high quality nickel-plated example, having needle-like tip and absolute mirror finish. This blade is in stone mint condition. It is protected by a brown thicker-style washer, not the usual blue Moroccan. A very nice Mid-Period example here.Near Mint. $1,195.00
- LD1 #33403 Early 1st Model Luftwaffe Dagger - SMF
This Early 1st Model Luftwaffe Dagger has the heavy nickel fittings throughout and does not look to have been cleaned in many years. The pommel is in good condition, showing only a couple of minor signs of wear along the rim edges. The two sunwheels are the medallion insert type. These brass sunwheels have most of the original nickel still between the legs of the symbol. The center block crossguard sunwheels are about in the same condition. The crossguard arms show only nominal usage, both curving down nicely and being made in three segments. The lower arm of one crossguard has an etching, “GR24”. The scabbard shell is straight throughout. When we first acquired this example there was no leather on the scabbard, so we recovered it. The recovered leather looks fine and exactly matches the color of the grip. The scabbard mounts are the early nickel type, exactly matching the dull patination of the hilt mounts. These mounts are in excellent condition throughout, showing some usage. The mounts are retained by flush mount headless screws. Connected to the upper and center mount is a nickel chain. This chain has 9 ringlets at the upper and 14 ringlets at the lower. They are connected to a nickel unmarked snap clip. The blade of this example is a fine nickel-plated type, still having most of its original sheen to the surfaces. There were a few nicks in the edges of the blade, and we got most of them out with only minor traces still visible. Apparently, someone was sword fighting with this dagger. The blade, though, looks really good compared to the way it did when we first acquired it. The reverse ricasso is etched with the seated king trademark. The king holds an upward pointing sword and is resting on the firm’s initials, “SMF”. Below, in an upward arch shape, is the location city, “Solingen”. The original leather blade washer is in place with some minor age to the edges. A good dagger here for the budget minded person or for someone just getting started. It has some restoration work, but it is priced accordingly.Excellent. $995.00
- LD1 #33424C 1st Model Aluminum Luftwaffe Dagger
This Aluminum Luftwaffe Dagger is in extremely fine condition, showing almost no usage at all. The fine aluminum pommel has perfect crisp rims on both sides. The sunwheel swastikas feature 100% of the original gilt. It is a fine bright color and is most likely the work of the Hörster firm. The center crossguard sunwheels are in the same state. These bright gilded swastikas really bring a great look to this piece. The crossguard is also still crisp and pristine with its gently sloping 3-segmented quillon arms. The carved wood base is covered with pristine Moroccan blue leather. This leather still has all of its grain. The leather is tightly wrapped with dual twisted aluminum wire. The scabbard shell is straight throughout. The original Moroccan blue leather covering is absolutely perfect with no issues anywhere. The scabbard mounts are pristine with no signs of carrying. These mounts are retained by flush mount flathead screws. The aluminum chain has 6 upper and 10 lower ringlets. These ringlets and connecting tabs still have their frosted finish. The same is true of the snap clip. This fine frosted clip is marked on the reverse, “Ges.Gesch.” and “OLC”. The blade of this example bright, having high quality nickel-plated finish. There was a little bit of age on both sides at about 3 inches down, but we were able to get nearly all of this off, and the blade is almost in full mint condition. These flaws are extremely nominal. The unmarked blade is protected by a Moroccan blue leather washer. This is a very fine conditioned Aluminum Luftwaffe that probably did not see any wear time. It is about as nice as you will find one today.Mint. $1,395.00
LD1 #32914 Untouched Early 1st Model Luftwaffe Dagger - Paul Weyersberg
This 1st Model Luftwaffe Dagger is in an untouched state and does not appear to have been cleaned since the war. The mounts are the early nickel type. The pommel, as well as the crossguard swastikas, appear to show some wear between the sunwheel legs, but there is so much patination throughout the surfaces, it is difficult to tell. The brass sunwheels, though, look pretty good against the dark backgrounds. The crossguard arms are still fairly crisp and are in good condition. The grip is a carved wood base, being covered with Moroccan leather. The leather has a couple of scrapes on some of the ribs, revealing the wood beneath. This can be easily covered with some meltonian shoe cream available in good shoe stores, or you can google them on the Internet. The leather is tightly wrapped with triple brass wire, the center being twisted. The scabbard shell is straight throughout. This shell has matching Moroccan leather and the leather is in good condition overall, showing usage signs in the surfaces. Unfortunately, the leather has pulled back a little at the upper left edge, where the seams come together. The area, though, is quite dark and, therefore, is not very noticeable. The scabbard mounts are also uncleaned and have a dark patination throughout. They al seem to be in good condition, and they are retained by headless flush mount side screws. The matching nickel chain is equipped with 8 upper ringlets and 13 lower examples. They are connected to an unmarked matching nickel snap clip. It is interesting to note that the scabbard throat is marked with the number “84”. The blade is also numerically marked with the number “5”. I do not know why the numbers do not match, but with these type of accountability numbered Luftwaffes, we often see this as the daggers were probably issued to flight candidates, and chances are the scabbards frequently got mixed with other daggers. The blade is a fine nickel-plated type. It is nice and bright and still remains in mint condition, having only runner marks in the center. The reverse ricasso is etched with the double ovals which contain the firm’s name and location, “Paul Weyersberg & Co/Solingen”. In the center is a downward pointing sword positioned between two wheat sheafs. The original blue leather blade buffer is in position. This is a good dagger for someone who likes to clean things up. In the case of this example, the patination is really not even throughout, so it wouldn’t hurt to clean this dagger if the next purchaser is of that mind. A good sound early example.Excellent. $1,295.00
LD1 #32883 Early 1st Model Luftwaffe - WKC
We do not see many early WKC produced Luftwaffe Daggers. This example is a nice one, having solid nickel mounts. The pommel and crossguard sunwheel swastikas are the brass medallion insert type, but in the case of both examples the silvering is gone between the swastika legs. They still look great, though, with their full brass surfaces. The pommel still has very crisp edges on both sides. The crossguard is all black patinated and really looks good. The crossguard arms are still quite crisp, having gently flowing downward angles. The carved wood grip is equipped with original Moroccan covered leather. This leather shows a few scuffs on the surfaces, but they are easily concealed with meltonian navy blue leather cream. The grip also still has some graining to the surfaces. The grip is tightly wrapped with triple brass wire, the center being twisted. At first, I thought that the grip was probably on backwards as the ending wires show on the top and bottom obverse, whereas, usually this is on the reverse. But, then I remembered that WKC normally placed their trademark on the obverse, so this dagger is entirely proper. The scabbard shell is straight throughout. The leather is in excellent condition, having one tiny chink on the lower edge area. It is nothing, however. This leather retains all of its graining and has a nice look to it, as age has given a reddish color tone to some of the areas. This color tone really contrasts effectively with the deep patination of the nickel scabbard mounts. These mounts are in excellent condition throughout, and they are retained by headless flush mount side screws. The chain is a silvered nickel example and it, too, has a fine matching patination. This chain has 9 ringlets at the upper and 14 ringlets at the lower. The two chains are connected to a matching deeply patinated snap clip. I like the looks of the outside of this dagger a lot. Taking the blade out of the scabbard is easier than normal as, true-to-form, the scabbard is fitted with wood runners typical of the WKC product. WKC did not normally use metal runners on their 1st Model Luftwaffes. The blade is a real beauty, which can be attributed to the wood runners. On this blade it reflects the bright quality nickel-plated surfaces throughout, not having the usual runner marks in the center segment. The wood does a good turn in this instance. This blade is in full mint condition, having a choice needle-like tip. The obverse ricasso is marked with the knighthead trademark. The knighthead is deeply stamped and is positioned over the firm’s initials, “WKC”. The leather blade washer is in place, and this washer has also turned a reddish color. A very nice untouched dagger here, which would fit well into any collection.Excellent Plus, Plus. $1,295.00
LD1 #32913 Initial Production 1st Model Luftwaffe - Carl Eickhorn
This early Carl Eickhorn dagger has the 1st type small double oval trademark, which is an indication that it was one of the first examples produced. All mounts are of solid nickel construction throughout. The pommel shows a little bit of usage marks on the obverse edge, but the reverse edge is still crisp. The sunwheels are outstanding brass inserts, and on both the crossguard and pommel all of the silvering is intact between the swastika legs. These are nice hilt mounts that would clean up greatly, if desired. The grip is a carved wood base covered with blue Moroccan leather. This leather still remains in excellent condition throughout, having much of the grain still there. It is unusual to note that the grip is wrapped with a single brass wire, which is of fairly large proportion. Normally, early daggers have triple wire wrap, but there is no question that this grip is original and untouched. The scabbard shell is straight throughout. The shell is covered with matching blue Moroccan, also having lots of grain throughout. The surfaces of this leather, though, have seen quite a bit of carrying time and there are little hits, bumps, and in some cases, some small scuffs that do mar the surfaces. There is really only one small nip where the leather reveals the metal below and that is on the lower left edge beneath the center ramp. A good coat of naval meltonian shoe cream will cure most of the problems on this scabbard leather. It is really not that bad, and considering that this dagger was originally produced in 1934, that is a lot of years of this weapon being carried. The scabbard mounts are deeply patinated, having never been cleaned. They are all in pretty good shape showing some wear signs, but nothing that is detractive. These mounts have all of the screws intact, being the headless side mount type. The matching chain is also highly patinated. It consists of 9 ringlets on the top and 14 ringlets on the lower. Both chains are connected to a matching unmarked nickel snap clip. The blade of this example is a high quality nickel-plated type. It would be in full mint condition, except for a couple of scratches noticeable about an inch or so from the tip. There is a scratch on each side of the blade, which indicates to me that someone was trying to pry something up with this blade. I don’t know why people did this sort of thing, but we do see blades used for the wrong purpose quite a few times. At any rate, if it were not for the two scratches, the blade would be in mint condition. It retains its needle-like tip. The reverse ricasso is etched with the small double ovals used from 1933 through 1935. It is very rare to see a 1st Model Luftwaffe with this trademark, as few were made. The firm’s name and location are contained within the two ovals, “Carl Eickhorn, Solingen”. There is a crisp seated squirrel inside, having a nut in his paws and fine serrated tail. The original blue pebbled blade washer is in place. An interesting dagger here, in an untouched state. This dagger comes out of a recent “motel buy”, and has never been in a collection.Excellent. $1,495.00
LD1 #32509 Mid-Period 1st Model Luftwaffe Dagger With Ostrich Covered Scabbard
This mid-period example does show some wear and age but it is a most interesting dagger because of the original scabbard covering. We will get to this later on in the description. The hilt mounts are the typical mid-period type, being a silver plated pot metal base. If there was gild on the sun wheel swastikas it has long gone, as these raised sun wheels exactly match the silvered finish of the rest of the mounts. The pommel is still nice and crisp around the edges. The center block swastikas also are in good, crisp condition. The cross guards are nicely formed with the three downward flowing segments. The grip is a carved wood base and is covered with standard original Moroccan leather. This leather shows some usage but overall it is still in excellent condition throughout, showing usage commensurate with the rest of the dagger. The grip is wrapped with a single silver twisted wire. The scabbard shell is straight throughout. As indicated above, this covering is actually leather produced from ostrich skin. The grain of the ostrich skin is much larger than that of the baby goats used to produce Moroccan. We see ostrich skin being used occasionally on German weapons. In fact, I remember once having an SA with full Röhm inscription having an ostrich covered scabbard shell. This example was purchased directly from the family of a veteran and it is in an untouched state exactly as it came back from the war. The ostrich leather is still in good condition, showing only age but no cuts or problems. The scabbard mounts are the standard silver plated steel type that we see used on mid-period pieces. These mounts show some age in the silvering but overall, they are still in pretty good condition with no dings or problems. These mounts are retained by flathead, flush mount screws which are all present. Attached to the scabbard is an aluminum chain. This chain is equipped with 5 upper ringlets and 7 lower ringlets. This combination is slightly unusual, but the chain has not been shortened or lengthened; this is the way it was brought back. The matching aluminum clip is marked “ges. gesch.” and “OLC”. The unmarked mid-period blade appears to be a style which was polished rather than plated. The graining is still visible in the surfaces throughout the blade. There are a couple of mild age stains in the blade’s surfaces but overall it is still in good condition, easily rating excellent plus plus and still having its needlelike tip. The original leather blade washer, which is standard Moroccan, is still in place. One of the edges is slightly bent over, but it is still all there. An interesting 1st model Luftwaffe here and a nice piece for those of us out there that enjoy non-standard features.Excellent. $995.00
LD1 #32819 Aluminum 1st Model Luftwaffe Dagger - Emil Voos
This aluminum 1st Model Luftwaffe Dagger is a nice example. The mounts throughout are recognizable as Eickhorn vintage. Emil Voos was primarily an assembler and did not produce any of their own fittings. We also see this to be the case on the 2nd model Luftwaffe daggers. The aluminum mounts throughout still have a good look to them, showing some usage and a few scratches here and there but nothing that is unexpected. The pommel is the more rounded edge type typical of Eickhorn’s production. The rim edges are mostly crisp but do show a couple of hits. The sun wheel swastikas still have about 95% of their original gild. The gild is more of a muted type on Eickhorn production. The center block sun wheels are in a little better condition than the pommel but they, too, show some minor usage and carrying scratches. The gilt, though, is about 98% throughout. The cross guard arms are still crisp with good gently flowing downward action. The grip is a carved wood base covered with dark blue Moroccan leather. This Moroccan is in perfect condition throughout, not showing a lot of grain but not much wear either. This grip leather is tightly wrapped with dual aluminum wire with the larger wire being twisted. The scabbard shell is straight throughout. This shell has near perfect original leather on the obverse and the reverse has a couple of scuffs, but nothing serious and still looks to be in good condition. There is one bump just below the upper fitting on the rear. The matching aluminum scabbard mounts have the same satin finish as the hilt fittings. These mounts show mild usage but with this aluminum they also seem to appear ageless. These mounts are retained by flush mount headless screws which appear unturned. The chain assembly is the aluminum type. It is interesting to note that both assemblies have 6 ringlets instead of fewer ringlets at the top assembly. Apparently, this was the fashion used by Voos, as all of these links appear original to this piece. The chain assemblies are attached to a matching aluminum snap clip being “OLC” and “ges. gesch.“ marked on the reverse. There is a nice belt loop attached to the snap clip. It is of a darker brown leather color retained by a rivet. The “D” ring is a steel variety being slightly more delicate than we see, but it appears completely original. The blade of this example has a high quality mirror nickel plated finish. This blade would be in full mint condition were it not for a couple of nicks that are on the upper edge. The bright condition of this blade makes up for a lot though and these nicks maybe can be overlooked in this case. A beautiful blade here! The reverse ricasso is stamped with the logo of this quality firm, being a snake wrapped around a stump. To the right is the firm’s name and location “Emil Voos Solingen”. The original blue leather washer is in place. A nice dagger here with a couple of flaws and some mild wear, but still a real looker.Excellent. $1,195.00
LD1 #32170 Early / Mid-Period 1st Model Luftwaffe Dagger – Emil Voos
This 1st Model Luftwaffe Dagger is lighter weight than the earlier types and examining the fittings it is probably an early mid-period piece rather than an initial production piece. I say this as the scabbard mounts are a steel base and the hilt mounts are not as heavy as the nickel types but they appear to be this at first glance. The pommel shows some usage along both edges but there are no hits or problems. The swastikas appear to be an inlaid medallion type and on the obverse they still have the original bronze plated finish. There is just a hint of the copper flash coat that appears on about the three o’clock and four o’clock portions of the sun wheel swastikas. On the reverse most of the original brass or gilt finish is gone and the majority of the sun wheel is down to the copper. There is a little bit of brass though that remains at maybe 5%. The crossguard swastikas on both sides look fine having full brass finish throughout with no wear to the in between legs. This dagger is heavily patinated and has never been cleaned. The crossguard is an excellent mount showing good downward flow to the crossguard arms. The wood based leather grip has fine Moroccan blue black leather covering. The leather is still in perfect condition showing most of the original grain. The scabbard shell is apparently produced of aluminum or some other non magnetic lighter weight metal. The shell is covered with matching Moroccan leather which is also still in excellent condition showing a few normal wearing bruises but there are no cuts, nicks or problems going through to the metal. As mentioned above the scabbard mounts are a steel base and they have been silver plated. The silvering is still all there although there is a little bit of lifting around the center ramp but no plating is missing. These fine scabbard mounts are retained by headless flush mount side screws. The chain is an aluminum example. This aluminum has also patinated quite a bit and matches the dagger quite nicely. The aluminum ringlets have six on the top and ten on the lower. The two chains are attached to an OLC marked clip which is also marked, “Ges. Gesch.” on the reverse. A good aluminum chain assembly here. The blade of this example makes up for any short comings on the dagger’s outside. This blade is absolutely the best you will see having a full mirror mint finish consisting of finest nickel plating. The blade still retains its needlelike tip. This blade is stamped on the reverse ricasso with the familiar snake around tree trunk logo and to the right of the logo is the firm’s name over the location, “Emil Voos / Solingen”. It is also interesting to note that instead of a blue leather buffer the blade buffer on this example is a blue felt. The felt shows a little mild age but it is still all there. A nice dagger here for those out there collecting Luftwaffe “types”.Excellent Plus. $1,095.00
LD1 #31091 Transitional 1st Model Luftwaffe Dagger – E. & F. Hörster
This early dagger is the transitional type that we see occasionally. These daggers have a scabbard shell which has no metal in it and is made of a composition material, we’ll get to this further down in the description. The hilt mounts are solid nickel and the edges of the pommel show some mild wear with one small hit at about the ten o’clock area of the reverse. The swastikas are the medallion insert type and the sun wheels have a fine brass surface. All of the plating appears to be still intact between the legs. One of the reasons for this is that the brass swastikas are raised out quite a bit on this example. The same is true of the sun wheel swastikas on the crossguard. The crossguard arms are nicely formed and are still crisp. The grip is a wood base having Moroccan leather covering. The leather is still in perfect condition showing some wear to the graining but nevertheless still intact. This grip is wrapped with triple brass wire, the center being twisted. The scabbard shell, as mentioned above, is a composition material. It is covered with a matching Moroccan blue leather. This leather shows some bruises and quite a bit of usage but there are no bad cuts in it and it still is mostly intact. Sometimes these composition scabbards will have quite a bit of runner push out caused by the pressure of the blade against the runners but this scabbard looks pretty good. If you have a copy of my Luftwaffe book you can see an example that looks quite a bit like this on page 39, right. The scabbard mounts are solid nickel. They are retained by large matching nickel staples which are installed on the rear of the mounts. Connected to the center and upper mount is a fine nickel chain. The upper chain has eight ringlets while the lower example has thirteen. Both chains are connected to a matching unmarked solid nickel snap clip. The blade of this example is still bright showing a little bit of age from about the halfway point down. A lot of this though could be fairly easily removed with a little rubbing with some semi chrome. The tip on the reverse also has a slight ripple but it is not bad. Overall this blade grades at about excellent to excellent plus but as I say could be made to look a lot better. The reverse ricasso is stamped with the early waffen amt being the style eagle used up until about 1937. This bird has a numeral “5” stamped into his belly. Above the waffen amt is the trademark. It consists of double ovals which contain the firm’s name and location, “E&F Hörster Solingen”. In the center is a large letter “H” and within the “H” are two smaller letters, “HS”. These letters have a downward pointing sword coming through them. This blade is buffered by a matching blue grain leather washer. An interesting dagger here which is not anywhere near mint condition but it still is what it is and was worn probably during most of the 1930s decade. A fine example if you are collecting “types” or just want an initial production dagger.Excellent. $1,595.00
LD1 #31346 Transitional 1st Model Luftwaffe Dagger - Puma
This transitional 1st model Luftwaffe is in “as found” condition and has never been cleaned. If you like a dagger with all the war as well as the post war years shown in its patination this example should really be for you. It is an initial production 1st model Luftwaffe having the transitional scabbard type with no metal shell and fittings retained via staples. If you do not know what these daggers look like this example is almost a dead ringer for the one that I show on page 39, far right. The hilt fittings are of all solid heavy nickel material. They are fully patinated but you can see that the rim of the pommel does not have a lot of carrying time but does have its share. The sunwheel swastikas are the medallion type and they still appear to have the nickel surfaces between the legs. This is a good point. As these surfaces were easily worn away to the overall brass base. The same is true of the crossguard sunwheels. They are in the same good condition. The quillon arms both spread downward and are in three segments. I don’t see any waffen amts or markings on the ends of these crossguards. The grip of this example is a wood base type having been covered with blue Moroccan leather. Although most of the grain seems to be gone from the leather there are no cuts or problems with this grip. In fact it looks quite well. The grip is tightly wrapped with triple brass wire the center being twisted for contrast. A good looking hilt here if you know what you are gazing at! The scabbard shell is the type which has a composition base. The base is covered with Moroccan blue leather which exactly matches that of the grip. The lower portion of the scabbard shell has a little bit of runner push out which is pretty normal for these pieces. Obviously there is no metal shell so the runners themselves after years of being pressed upon by the blade from the inside, begin to push out the leather slightly. This push out is very similar to the examples you can see in my book on page 39 or page 40. Like the grip though this original leather is still in pretty good condition having no cuts or problems. In fact there is still quite a bit of the original grain still appearing in the surfaces. The three scabbard mounts have matching dark patination exactly the same as the hilt fittings. These mounts are still in excellent condition and they are retained by the large style staples. These staples are also the same as the pieces shown in my book. The chain is a matching deeply patinated nickel type. It is attached to the scabbard via “S” clips. These clips can be seen on page 38. There are seven upper ringlets and ten lower ringlets. Both chain assemblies are attached to an early unmarked matching nickel snap clip. The blade of this example is really nice. It is a high quality nickel-plated example and it has really no flaws. This example is nice and bright and looks very impressive as it comes out of these old patinated mounts. This blade is in mint condition. It features a small style diamond logo which contains a mountain lion’s head over the firm’s name, “Puma”. At the bottom outside of the diamond is the location of “Solingen”. Below this is an early stick bird with a number “5” in his belly. The original blade washer is in place. Oh, I almost forgot to tell you that underneath one of the crossguard arms there are some old deep scratchings which appear to be “3/26/H.28”. I can’t be sure of the “H” letter but that’s what it appears to be to me. Perhaps there is something here that could be researched? A really nice example here and if you’re collecting Luftwaffe things it would be a great look on your wall to have an early 1st model transitional Luftwaffe next to a conventional one and perhaps an aluminum one.Excellent. $1695.00
LD1 #31345 Untouched 1st Model Luftwaffe Dagger - F. & A. Helbig
This 1st model Luftwaffe is of early quality with fine heavy fittings throughout. It has never been cleaned and has taken on a very dark patination. If you’re looking for a dagger that reflects the usage of the period as well as the years it has been in storage this example could be for you. The pommel has a fine dark patination throughout and it has the sunwheel swastika medallion inserts. The sunwheels are quite high off of the surface and the dark colored brass really looks great against the toned silver background. The silvering between the legs of these sunwheels is still in perfect condition. The same look is apparent on the crossguard sunwheels and these also have perfect between the legs silvering. Back to the pommel for a moment though, and that is to say that the edges of the pommel on both sides still remain crisp which is a good sign that this dagger has not been abused over the years. The crossguard arms are the three section type and they flow downward gently with a nice effect. The grip is a wood base type and it is covered with blue Moroccan leather. This leather shows some usage in the surfaces but overall it is still in excellent condition with no bad problems. There is still a small amount of graining that is apparent. This grip is tightly wrapped with triple silvered wire, the center being twisted for contrast. A fine hilt here! The scabbard shell is a heavy steel type. It is exactly straight on the reverse and has maybe just a tiny ding on the obverse which you can only really see from the side. It is nothing however. The shell is covered with original blue Moroccan leather exactly matching the grip. This leather shows some signs of usage on the obverse and reverse and on the top lower edge there is a small chink that has come out of the leather just below the upper mount. From straight on though this does not show so if you are displaying the dagger this is not a problem. The scabbard mounts are matching heavy base nickel with highly patinated silver surfaces. These mounts are in good condition throughout, the lower example showing some usage but no abuse. The mounts are contained by headless side screws which are all present. The matching nickel chain is a fine early example being the type that has the flat style rings. If you are not familiar with this chain variety you can see an example on page 57, lower middle. This fine chain exactly matches the patination of the overall dagger and it has nine upper ringlets and fourteen lower ringlets. These chain assemblies are connected to an unmarked early matching snap clip. The blade of this example is a fine quality nickel-plated type. The plating is still bright throughout showing the usual runner marks in the center. This blade though is still in mint condition. The reverse ricasso has the etching of the firm which is done in a ellipse shape. It is etched, “F&A Helbig Steinbach (Kr.M)”, and in the center is the word “Saefler” which I still do not know what this means and I’m always hoping some collector out there will tell me the meaning of this word. At any rate, the light etching is typical on Helbig examples and if you want to look in my Luftwaffe book on page 70 you’ll see another Helbig example which looks identical. This blade is also waffen amt with an early style stickbird having the number “5” in his belly. This fine blade is protected by the original blue leather washer which is in place. A good untouched 1st model Luftwaffe here. I always think that these untouched examples have lots of appeal and hope that you will agree. Remember, these 1st types like this were only worn by Luftwaffe officers.Excellent Plus, Plus. $1295.00
LD1 #31145C Early 1st Model Luftwaffe Dagger - Carl Eickhorn, Early Oval Logo
The fittings of this fine Eickhorn Luftwaffe are of earliest vintage. They are a nickel base metal having a light silver plating. The pommel rim shows a couple of very minor usage signs but no real hits. The pommel has the medallion style insert sunwheels and they have fine brass surfaces. The obverse sunwheel still has most of the silvering between the legs whereas the reverse sunwheel is mostly worn to the brass. Either way it still looks good! The crossguard has faired a little bit better regarding the sunwheels and the silvering still appears to be intact between the legs of both of them. These brass swastikas also look great. The quillon arms extend gently downward and they have the fine crisp three segmentations. Wrapped about the grip in the 1st model Luftwaffe tie is the original portepee. It is rare to see original portepees still on these early Lufts and it is even rarer to see them tied in the proper crisscross method which was laid out in the Luftwaffe manual. Most collectors just twirl the knot around the grip in the same manner as the 2nd officer example is tied and this is incorrect for 1st model Luftwaffes. Anyhow, this knot shows some age and usage but absolutely no fraying. The grip of this example is the usual wood base type. It is wrapped with fine Moroccan blue leather being original throughout and having no cuts or problems. Most of the grain is worn from the leather but the surfaces are still all there. This grip is tightly wrapped with triple brass wire, the center being twisted. It is also interesting to note that this grip has the ribs running downward from right to left instead of downward from left to right as later examples were made. Eickhorn did this for awhile as exemplified by the example I show in my Luftwaffe book on page 98. This example is of the same vintage as the book piece and the grip looks identical. A very interesting fine looking hilt here! The scabbard shell is nice and straight. This shell is covered in the original blue leather. The leather shows a few hits in the obverse surface as well as the reverse surface and there are a couple of minor nips along the lower section of the upper edge. These are not bad though and given the age of this example is something that most collectors can live with. There is no metal that shows through just the surfaces of the leather being scuffed out. The grain is still mostly all there and overall, in my opinion, this is good leather all things considered. The scabbard mounts are in choice condition being the nickel base having patinaed silver plating. The upper mount has a tiny hit just to the left edge but it is nothing to be concerned over and does not devalue the piece. These fine mounts are retained by headless flush mount screws. The matching silvered nickel chain is attached to the carrying rings. There are nine upper ringlets and fourteen lower ringlets. Both chains are connected to a matching unmarked silvered nickel snap clip. A very fine outside throughout! But as nice as the outside of this dagger is the blade is one of the best I have seen. This remarkable blade still is completely mirror bright and is in stone mint condition not even showing the runner marks. The tip is still needlelike and the surfaces remain unscratched. A really high quality nickel plating job here. The reverse of the beautiful blade is etched with the seldom seen logo used from 1933 through 1935. This logo consists of the small double ovals which retain the firm’s name and location, “Carl Eickhorn Solingen”. In the center of the logo is a seated squirrel having a serrated tail. This logo is identical to the early example I show on page 98. The original blue leather blade washer is in place. If you are looking for a choice early untouched example with a premier maker I can’t imagine that you’ll find a better one than this.Excellent Plus, Plus. $1695.00
LD1 #31257C 1ST Model Aluminum Luftwaffe Dagger belonging to Iron Cross Winner - SMF
The wearer of this beautiful dagger was Oberleutnant Rudolf Schmidt. He was a German cross winner and was a pilot in KG 76. The authenticity of this dagger being the property of Schmidt is attested with a guarantee by Ditlev Niemann which accompanies this dagger. The dagger is a most beautiful aluminum example. On the outside it is nearly new-like in every way. The pommel has outstanding edges showing very little wear time and the sunwheel swastikas on both sides have 100% of their original bright gild. The crossguard has the same fine satin finish perfectly matching the pommel. These sunwheels also are 100%. This crossguard shows little to no usage. The grip is a wood base covered with Moroccan blue leather. This leather is totally perfect and has all of its original graining in the surfaces. The leather is tightly wrapped with triple aluminum wire, the center being twisted for contrast. The scabbard shell is straight throughout. The original scabbard leather is also in complete pristine condition. There are not cuts, bruises or any problems with this leather. The scabbard mounts also match the satin aluminum of the hilt. They are perfect in every way and all mounts are retained with headless flush mount side screws. There is an accompanying matching aluminum chain. This chain hanger has nine upper ringlets and eleven lower ringlets. They are gathered together to an aluminum snap clip. The clip is stamped on the back, “Ges. Gesch.” and “OLC”. The original brown leather belt loop is attached to the snap clip and it is complete with a pebbled aluminum “D” ring. The “D” ring is also in choice mint condition. The blade of this example is a quality nickel-plated one just like all SMFs will be. Unfortunately there has been some water or moisture that got to this example and it has left some stains mostly on the reverse. There are also some modest stains on the obverse. I tried to clean these stains out but unfortunately they do not come off so they are in the metal itself. This is really a shame because this dagger is stone mint except for the flaws in the blade surfaces. The reverse ricasso is marked with the seated king trademark and the king is positioned over the firm’s initials, “SMF”. The location of “Solingen” is below. This blade is waffen amt with a stick bird having the number “5” in his belly. The original matching blue leather washer is in place. A beautiful outside here with a blade that will have to be lived with or perhaps another SMF blade could be acquired. By keeping the original blade however with the dagger the new owner would have the benefit of a very beautiful example throughout and still retain the authenticity of the piece. It is suggested that the next owner look up the record of Schmidt and I’m sure that a nice dossier could be assembled on this man as there are no papers other than the Niemann guarantee that come with it. A good opportunity to have some fun here with your collection and also do a worthwhile research project.Near Mint. $1995.00
LD1 #31007 Early 1st Model Luftwaffe Dagger - F. & A. Helbig
This early 1st model Luftwaffe has never been cleaned since the war. It shows some usage and age but overall it is still in a collectible state. This dagger has highest quality solid nickel hilt parts. These hilt parts have patinated to a dull yellowy color. The sunwheel swastikas at the pommel and the crossguard are the brass medallion types which are soldered into place. The medallions are completely down to the brass and I do not see any plating left between the sunwheel swastika’s legs. Nevertheless the fittings are still in good condition, the circumference around the pommel still being crisp and the same is true to the three stage sections of the downward tipping crossguard arms. The grip is a wood base. It has sections which run downward from left to right. The grip has the original Moroccan leather covering. The leather shows some scuffs and there is also a small piece missing at the lower ring but we colored it in a little bit with some dark marker and it is almost invisible. This leather is tightly wrapped with triple nickel wire, the center being twisted. The scabbard shell is straight throughout. The leather on this shell also shows age and usage but quite honestly there are no bad cuts and it still looks pretty good. This leather nicely matches that of the grip. The shell is fitted with matching highly patinated nickel mounts. These mounts are still in good condition throughout. The reverse of the upper mount has an inscription which was most likely done by the GI who liberated this piece. Neatly scratched into the surfaces is “Frank and Jo Foxx”, then “World War II / 1945 / Cologne, Germany”. Since this personalization was done on the reverse it does not show if the dagger is going to be displayed. These mounts are secured with all in place headless side screws. The chain is of matching nickel and it is one of the seldom seen flat ring types. If you are not familiar with this type of chain you can see it in my Luftwaffe Book on page 57 in the center lower photo. This chain is the same as the example in the book. It is fitted with eight upper ringlets and ten lower ringlets. They are connected to a matching unmarked solid nickel clip. The blade of this piece is still nice and bright. It has some in and out marks but it still remains in excellent condition easily grading excellent plus, plus. The maker marking is quite faint on this blade but there is enough there to see that it was produced by the F&A Helbig firm and that word that appears in the middle of their ellipse logo, “Saeffer” is still readable. There is also just the slightest remains of a waffen amt which was stamped below this. The blade leather washer is in place. A good Luftwaffe dagger here for someone on a budget and also an opportunity to look up the record of an American war veteran.Excellent. $995.00
LD1 #30986C Early 1st Model Luftwaffe
This 1st Model Luftwaffe reflects earliest construction. The hilt parts are all of solid nickel base material and are very heavy. The pommel shows a few modest signs of wearing time but it is still in good condition, having a fine brass medallion sunwheel insert on both sides. There are signs of just the slightest of thinning on the nickeled areas between the legs of the pommel sunwheels. The brass sunwheels of the crossguards have no nickel left between the legs. The crossguard arms are gracefully done with downward flowing. Underneath the crossguard arms there is a professional engraving which is Roman numeral “I” “FLAK regt. 10”. This engraving indicates that this 1st Model Luftwaffe was owned by a Flak Regiment. With this information, it should not be difficult to do some research on this particular regiment. The grip of this example is the standard wood base. It is covered with Moroccan Blue leather which shows some wear to the surfaces, but there are no real breaks or problems. This leather is tightly with triple nickel wire that has a twisted center example. The scabbard is straight throughout. This scabbard shell is covered with matching Moroccan Blue leather. The leather shows some minor bumps and age, but there are no cuts or nips in this leather. Even most of the original grain is still there. The nickel scabbard mounts exactly match the dull patination of the hilt fittings. These mounts are in fine condition throughout, and they are retained by headless flathead side screws. The matching nickel chain is in position. This chain has 9 upper ringlets and 13 lower ringlets. They are connected to an unmarked matching nickel snap clip. The blade of this Early 1st Model Luftwaffe is as nice as they come. This blade is mirror bright and reflects outstanding quality nickel plated surfaces. Other than the usual runner marks, this blade is in full mint condition. The reverse ricasso is etched with the well-known logo of the seated king holding an upward pointing sword. The king sits on the firm’s monogram, “SMF”. Beneath is the name of the location, “Solingen”. The blue leather blade washer is in place. The scabbard throat of this example is marked “69”. A very fine researchable 1st Model Luftwaffe here.Excellent Plus, Plus. $1,695.00
LD1 #30600C Transitional 1st Model Luftwaffe Dagger
This transitional Luftwaffe is the style that has the scabbard shell with no metal inside. Unfortunately this dagger is not in good condition so it can either be parted out or if someone would like to try their skills at restoration there may be some saving graces for this dagger. The hilt fittings are the early nickel type. Both the pommel and the crossguard have the medallion sunwheels which are inserted and held in place with solder. The pommel of this example has some hits especially to the top of it where it is slightly flat. The rest of the pommel also shows some usage but it is commensurate with the dagger. The crossguard is in nice condition throughout showing age but really no abuse or bad hits. The sunwheel medallions are also in good condition here still having most of the silvering between the swastika legs. The grip is a wood base having a Moroccan leather covering. There are some scuffs throughout the leather and a small missing piece up at the pommel area but overall these could be easily covered with a little Meltonian navy blue shoe cream. This leather is tightly wrapped with a single twisted brass wire. As mentioned above the scabbard shell of this example is a composition base having no metal inside. This base is covered with matching blue Moroccan leather. This leather shows quite a bit of age an a lot of scuffs and bruises. The leather though is still mostly all there and the Meltonian would also clean this up quite a bit. There is a little bit of runner “bulge out” at the bottom of the scabbard and this is caused merely by the blade pressing up against the runner which of course forces the leather outward also. This is common to see on these transitional NDVL style scabbards. The two upper fittings of this example are the standard nickel type. The upper mount has been used as a hammer on the left side and unfortunately has received quite a bit of damage from the blows. It would be possible though to fix some of this by exerting pressure from the inside. The center mount is a fine matching example and this one is in excellent condition. These two mounts are retained by small copper staples. Unfortunately the lower mount appears to have gone to time and someone along the line has substituted a bottom fitting from what looks to be a turn of the century bayonet. Perhaps an early lower fitting could be located to properly replace this incorrect example. Attached to the two upper mounts is a really great chain. This chain is of all nickel construction and it is the style that has the flat rings. If you are not familiar with these type of rings you can see them on page 57 of my Luftwaffe book in the center of the picture. This chain has nine upper rings and fourteen lower rings. I notice that the lower chain is twisted which indicates that more than likely this chain is not original to the piece and someone put it on without first straightening all the ringlets to make sure it was properly aligned. This, of course, is an easy fix – just a matter of removing the lower clip and turning it around. The blade of this example, although an Eickhorn marked piece, is in pretty bad shape. There are a lot of scratches that go across both sides of the blade and I don’t know what caused them but probably the same “abuser” that dented the upper scabbard fitting also did this damage to the blade. The trademark on the blade is the 1935-41 squirrel type and there is a waffen amt which is partially stamped below the Eickhorn trademark. The original blade washer has gone to time. Once again this is a good dagger for someone out there who wants to do some restoration. These transitional pieces are quite rare so it would be worth the effort to try to bring this one back.Good Only. $795.00
LD1 #30560 Late 1st Model Luftwaffe Dagger
This later 1st model Luftwaffe has the pot metal zinc based hilt fittings. You can always tell these at a glance as the butt plate below the crossguard area is thicker than the other types that you will see. Unfortunately the silvering or nickel usually didn’t hold up to well on these zinc based fittings and rarely do you see any gilding remaining to the sunwheel swastikas. On this example both the pommel and the crossguard show a bit of patination and there does seem to still be some silvering there. The pommel has crisp edges and the sunwheels are still quite prominent but blend into the rest of the patina. The crossguard seems to also have quite a bit of the original finish remaining. The reverse crossguard has good sunwheels whereas on the obverse the sunwheel swastika has turned green probably from some moisture that accumulated near it. The grip is the standard wood base type. This grip has outstanding Moroccan blue leather. This leather still has its original graining and is in near mint condition. This leather is tightly wrapped with triple silver wire, the center being twisted. The scabbard shell is straight throughout. This shell also has outstanding original blue Moroccan leather. This leather shows only the mildest of age but still remains in perfect condition with no hits, nips or problems. The scabbard mounts are the silvered steel base type. They have patination matching the hilt fittings. These mounts are in perfect condition throughout and they are retained with flathead flush mount screws. The chain is the aluminum type. This chain has six upper and ten lower ringlets. They are connected to a “Ges. Gesch.” marked matching aluminum clip which is also maker marked “OLC” in a diamond. The blade of this example is a fine one. It has outstanding mirror finish nickel-plated surfaces and retains its needlelike tip. This blade is in full mint condition. It is marked on the reverse with the scale trademark used from 1937-1939. It exhibits the scales having the firm’s initials interspersed and above these scales in an arch shape is the block lettered name, “Alcoso” and below the location of “Solingen”. The original blue leather blade buffer is in place. A decent example here probably produced as the war was beginning in 1939.Excellent Plus. $995.00
LD1 #30422 Uncleaned Early 1st Model Luftwaffe
This early Tiger marked piece appears to be of initial production. It has never been cleaned and looks like it just came out of the veteran’s cellar or attic. The mounts throughout the hilt are the early nickel type. They have a dull yellow color and reflect a half a century’s patination. The pommel still has good edges with only a few signs of carrying time. The medallion sunwheel swastikas on both the pommel and the crossguard are the insert variety but neither one has any silvering left between the swastika legs. The crossguard wings are still crisp and tip down nicely. Beneath the crossguard there appears to be the original owner’s initials scratched into the surface, “E.J.”. The grip is a standard wood base type which is covered with Moroccan leather. This leather is still in excellent condition showing some usage but no real problems. The leather is tightly wrapped with very thin triple wire, the center being twisted. The scabbard shell is straight throughout. This shell is covered with matching Moroccan leather. Most of the grain is still all there showing a little bit of wear on the reverse upper area probably from the original wearer’s hand. It appears as though the leather seam was beginning to lift as there is some very old glue which is holding it down. The residues of glue that I can see look like the old airplane model glue that we used to use when we were kids. A little polish over this scabbard though would cover these flaws and would really look good. The scabbard mounts are the early solid nickel variety. They are in perfect condition also not having been cleaned since the war. These mounts are retained by flush mount headless side screws. The matching nickel chain has eight upper and thirteen lower ringlets. These assemblies are attached to an unmarked matching patinated nickel clip. The blade of this example is as nice as you will see. It has high quality nickel-plated finish and the needlelike tip is still there. This blade has the desirable trademark of the Tiger producer. This trademark is identical to the example I show on page 75 of my Luftwaffe book. It is the large mark that positions the tiger crawling across the blade overtop of the firm’s name and location, “Tiger Solingen”. The cat has outstanding detail to its prominent stripes, teeth, eyes, legs and tail. This blade, other than runner marks, is in mint condition. The original blue leather blade buffer is in place. A nice untouched piece here which would either clean up if the next person wanted to do this or with a little bit of Meltonian leather cream would look great as it is.Excellent Plus. $1295.00
LD1 #29915 Mid-Period 1st Model Luftwaffe Dagger - E. & F. Hörster
Usually the mid-period examples did not retain their silvering, to say nothing of their original gilding to the swastikas. This example is an exception and in my opinion is a very rarely seen sight. The mid-period fittings on this example still retain nearly all of their silvering. The silvering has a fine dark patination as it does not look to have ever been cleaned. The pommel shows a little usage and the sunwheel swastikas actually still have some gilt to their finish. These swastikas look to be about 90%. The crossguard also has good gilding to the swastikas also being about 90%. It is also interesting to note that the sunwheels across the crossguard have pebbling in their backgrounds. The downswept triple wing quillons match the pommel perfectly also having nearly 100% of the silvering and nice patination. The grip is a wood base being covered with rich blue Moroccan leather. This leather is in excellent condition throughout and still has its original graining. The leather is tightly wrapped with triple aluminum wire, the center being twisted. The scabbard shell is straight throughout. This scabbard also has outstanding leather matching the color exactly and having good grain to its surfaces. This leather shows only normal usage signs and there are no nips or scuffs. The scabbard mounts are the silver plated steel type. They too have great preservation, all mounts having a black patina. These mounts are in perfect condition and are retained by headless flush mount side screws. Since this is a mid-period example it is equipped with an aluminum chain. This chain is equipped with seven upper ringlets and nine lower examples. They are attached to a standard nickel snap clip which is marked on the reverse, “OLC” and “Ges. Gesch.”. The clip still shows quite a bit of its original lacquer coating. The blade of this example is a real beauty. It is a quality nickel-plated finish and it retains its original needlelike tip. The finish is mirror bright and this blade rates in mint condition. The reverse ricasso is etched with the double ovals of this firm. The ovals retain the firm’s name and location, “E&F Hörster Solingen”. In the center is the large, “H” letter with smaller letters, “H” and “S” inside with a sword piercing their center. The blade is buffered by a matching leather washer. A really fine 1st model Luftwaffe here in outstanding condition being the mid-period type.Near Mint. $1495.00
LD1 #28801C Early 1st Model Luftwaffe Dagger - SMF
This Early 1st Model Luftwaffe has exceptional fittings throughout. The pommel still has a fine crispness about it, although it does have a few wearing signs around the upper rim. All of the silvering, though, is still intact between the legs of the brass medallion insert. In fact, this sunwheel swastika even seems to have some gilt remaining. The crossguard sunwheels are the same way, also having the silvering intact between the legs. This is rare to see and is a good sign of how much a 1st Model Luftwaffe has received. The quillon arms are also exceptionally nice, having a fine graceful downturn to their triple design. The grip is a wood base covered with fine Moroccan leather. The leather is still in excellent condition throughout, with no problems. It does show some wear and there is not much grain remaining, but still, there are no cuts. This fine leather is tightly wrapped with triple silver wire, the center being twisted. A fine hilt here! The scabbard shell is straight throughout. The original leather had a couple of spots along the lower edge, where there were some nips and some problems. We put in a couple of patches using original pieces of leather, and I must say, they really look good and are not noticeable. They are certainly a lot better than replacing the leather or nothing at all. This leather still has much of its original grain in the surfaces, but does show overall usage throughout. The scabbard mounts are matching nickel, having scalloped designs where they meet the shell. These fittings are in outstanding condition, and they are retained by headless flush mount side screws. The chain assembly is a matching nickel example. There are 9 ringlets for the upper chain and 14 for the lower. Both chains are connected to an unmarked matching nickel snap clip. The blade of this example is as nice as they come. It is a quality nickel plated type, and its surfaces are still in mirror condition. This mint condition blade has the seated king trademark on the reverse. The king sits on the firm’s initials “SMF”, while holding an upward pointing sword. Below the regent is the location “Solingen”, and below this is an early form of a waffen amt stamping. It is a stickbird eagle over the number “5”. This fine blade is protected by an in-place blue leather washer. A very fine 1st Model Luftwaffe here, showing usage of the period but no abuse. Highest quality construction!Excellent, Plus. $1,395.00
LD1 #28668 Early 1st Model Luftwaffe Dagger – SMF
This early 1st Model Luftwaffe does not appear to have been cleaned since the war. All fittings are heavy solid nickel and they have a fine rich yellowy tone to their patination. The pommel shows some normal wear around the outside edges and the sunwheel swastikas are the brass inlaid medallion type. There is still some silvering between the legs of the sunwheels but most of it has worn off. The crossguard sunwheels appear to have all of the silvering still between their legs. The crossguard has the downswept quillons and it is nice and crisp throughout. The grip is the standard wood base having ribs which run downward from left to right. The leather covering shows some usage and a couple of hits here and there but nothing severe and this grip still looks good. The grip leather is tightly wrapped with triple silver wire, the center being twisted. The scabbard shell is straight throughout. This shell is covered with matching blue Moroccan leather. This leather shows some usage but no cuts or problems anywhere. Good scabbard leather here! The reverse upper area shows some wear to the graining which was probably caused by the original owner’s hand hold. The scabbard mounts are yellowy solid nickel having never been cleaned. The mounts are in good shape showing some surface usage but no abuse. These mounts are retained by headless flush-mount side screws. The matching solid nickel chain consists of nine upper and fourteen lower ringlets. The two chains are tied into a solid nickel unmarked snap clip. The blade of this example is a high quality nickel-plated type. The plating is still mirror bright and this blade easily grades in a full mint condition with its needlelike tip. The reverse of the blade is etched with the seated king trademark. The king holds an upward pointing sword and sits on the firm’s initials, “SMF”. Below this is the city, “Solingen” and the early stamping consisting of a waffen amt eagle having a number, “8” stamped into his belly. The beautiful mint blade is protected by the in place blue pebbled leather washer. A good untouched example here perfect for the collector who is looking for something with a historical look as well as still good condition. This piece does not appear to have ever been in a collection. I also just noticed that the throat has three small numbers stamped into it,”288”.Excellent Plus, Plus. $1495.00
LD1 #28669 Aluminum 1st Model Luftwaffe Dagger – Alcoso
I do not remember ever seeing an aluminum 1st model Luftwaffe by Alcoso. This is an interesting dagger and bears the last trademark used by the firm being the, “AWS” interspersed in the scales. The aluminum mounts though look to be in choice collectible condition. The pommel does show some scratches and a little bit of surface damage due to carrying time but overall the gilding is still near 100% and the pommel still looks good. The crossguard example is in perfect condition and these sunwheel swastikas have 100% gild. The crossguard wings slope downward and are the three-tiered variety. The grip is an excellent example being a wood base covered with Moroccan blue leather. This leather is in perfect condition and it is tightly wrapped with a single aluminum wire and a twisted aluminum wire. There is no wire missing here, this is the way this example was made. The scabbard shell is nice and straight. It has absolutely perfect blue leather covering. This leather has an outstanding grain and a nice sheen to it. The scabbard mounts are the matching satin aluminum type. These mounts are in near pristine condition and are retained by flush-mount headless side screws. There is a matching aluminum chain which has six upper and eight lower ringlets. They are attached to an OLC marked snap clip which also has the patent pending stamping, “Ges. Gesch.” The blade of this example is bright throughout having outstanding nickel-plated surfaces. The obverse blade is in full mint condition. The reverse blade is also extremely nice having a couple of tiny smudges which appear toward the end of the blade. This takes the blade from a full mint rating but it still easily is near mint. The reverse ricasso as indicated above is etched with the scales trademark having the last initials used by this firm, “AWS”. To the right is the script name of the company, “Alcoso” over, “Solingen”. This trademark was used in 1942 and reflected the name change from Alexander Koppel Solingen to Alexander Werks Solingen. The Alcoso firm was Aryanised and in 1942 the two Koppel brothers were arrested and sent to a concentration camp. Blades bearing this last trademark are rare to see. An interesting Luftwaffe example here and very rare with this trademark.Excellent Plus, Plus. $1495.00(#012512)
LD1 #28420 Early Flight Marked 1st Model Luftwaffe Dagger - Paul Weyersberg
This Early 1st Model Luftwaffe dagger is equipped with all solid nickel mounts. The dagger shows some normal wear of the period, but overall is in excellent condition. The pommel shows some hits to the edges, but they are not deep and would be expected for a dagger that may have been carried for almost a decade. The pommel has the brass medallion inserts that feature sunwheel swastikas on each side. There is no silvering left between the legs of the sunwheels, and the area is nicely patinated. The same is true of the sunwheel inserts on the crossguard. This crossguard also shows some mild signs of usage, but the three-tiered downward swept quillon arms are still mostly crisp. The grip is composed of a wood base, being covered with Moroccan leather. This leather covering shows some wear across the upper surfaces, and there is no grain left to the leather. There are also a couple of nips at the lower section, but these are very old and the wood has almost turned to the color of the leather. Also, these could be easily covered with a portepee. The lower butt plate of the crossguard is flight marked, “H.Kp.l24”. This would indicate that the dagger was most likely the property of the Hildeshein Airport, and that the dagger belonged to the Kamph Group 24. These markings are deeply stamped into the surfaces. There are matching markings that are also stamped into the surfaces of the scabbard throat fitting. The scabbard shell is straight throughout. It is covered with matching Moroccan blue leather. This leather also shows a few signs of usage, but overall, it is in excellent condition and there are no nips or problems. The leather shell is fitted with nickel mounts. These mounts are in good condition, showing minor usage but no problems. The mounts are retained by flat head flush mount side screws, which are installed in the edges. The chain is the standard nickel type. It has nine upper ringlets and ten lower ringlets. It is attached to the standard unmarked nickel-style clip. I notice, also, that the clip at the very bottom is neatly stamped in very small numbers “155”. I don’t know what this number would mean. The blade of this example is a nice bright quality nickel plated example. It still retains its needle tip, and shows a little bit of in-and-out markings and some mild wear to the plating around the tip area, but overall this quality blade is still in near mint condition and is mostly bright. The blade is etched on the reverse with the dual oval trademark that captures the firm’s name and location, “Paul Weyersberg & Co., Solingen”. Inside of the ovals there is a sword pointing downward which pierces two wheat sheafs. Below the trademark is an early stickbird waffen amt, which has the number “5” in his belly. If you are looking for a dagger that has realism to it and also gives you something to research as far as the property markings go, this should be a very satisfactory example. Given that it was worn for nearly a decade, it has outstanding condition.Excellent Plus. $1,695.00
LD1 #28155 Early 1st Model Luftwaffe Dagger – Carl Julius Krebs
This early 1st model Luftwaffe is produced of heavy, quality mounts and does not look to have been cleaned since the war. The fittings throughout are patinated to a very dark black color. They really look terrific! The pommel cap is particularly stunning, as it is still factory crisp having choice brass sun wheel swastikas. These sun wheels are so well done they almost appear to be inlaid like the early DLV officer pieces. The silvering in between the sun wheel is all there. Despite the great look, these still are medallion insert sun wheels. The same look is true of the sun wheels at both sides of the cross guard. These sun wheels also have 100% silver in between the legs. The downswept cross guard arms are still crisp throughout. Underneath the quillon wing of one side is the number “40” stamped. The same matching number is stamped into the scabbard throat. The grip of this example is also a real beauty. The leather shows some wear to the surfaces but it has also turned an almost deep purple color. If you have ever looked any quantity of any 1st model Luftwaffes, you will see that some of them will get this look after much time. The leather is still excellent throughout this grip. There is still some grain showing and there are no cuts anywhere. Just good old-fashioned wartime hand wear! The grip has sections running downward from left to right and the leather is covering a carved wood base below. This leather is tightly wrapped with very thin triple brass wire, the center being twisted for effect. An outstanding hilt here! The scabbard shell is straight throughout. It, too, has excellent original Moroccan blue leather. This leather shows some carrying wear but, with the exception of a couple of very minor nicks along the lower edge, the leather is still in choice, perfect condition. The scabbard mounts have the same black patination matching the hilt fittings. These mounts show some carrying wear but they speak more of the splendor they were around in the air fields of the Luftwaffe more than they do any kind of inordinate wear. These fine mounts are retained by headless, flush mount side screws. The matching heavy nickel chain has 9 upper ringlets and 14 lower examples. They are connected to an unmarked heavy nickel snap clip. This chain also has a fine patination to the surfaces, as does the snap clip. A really great outside here for those who like untouched things. The blade is also a beauty. It is an early type which reflects quality nickel plating. There are a couple of signs of mild age along the upper and lower edge, but they really are nothing and the blade still grades in near full mint condition. This fine blade bears the mark of a producer that I do not remember ever seeing on an early 1st model Luftwaffe. It is the Carl Jul. Krebbs name which appears over the location of “Solingen”. These letters are all on the inside of an oval shaped logo. In the center of the logo is a crown over the capital letter “K”. This fine blade has been protected by the original dark blue pebbled leather washer. If you are looking for an outstanding example in untouched condition as well as one with a rare maker mark, this one has to fill the bill. An outstanding early 1st model Luftwaffe.Excellent Plus, Plus. $1,395.00
LD1 #27153 Aluminum 1st Model Luftwaffe Dagger - SMF
The fittings
of this 1st model Luftwaffe are the satin aluminum type. They
are in good shape throughout, showing only minor usage signs.
The cross guard area in the center has 100% of the gilt remaining
to the sun wheel swastikas. The pommel, however, appears to have
the swastikas perhaps painted into the area some time back and
this paint is beginning to wear on the reverse, but is still pretty
good on the obverse. Sometimes, these fittings were produced with
no gilt on them and, apparently, this was the case with this example.
Whoever painted the gilding in the swastikas, though, did good,
as it does look better than if there were nothing there. The best
thing, though, would be to find a replacement SMF pommel and that
would add probably $300.00 to the value of this dagger. At any
rate, the cross guard arms have good detail to their descending
quillons. The grip is a wood base covered with Moroccan blue leather.
The leather is still in perfect condition and is tightly wrapped
with twisted aluminum wire. The scabbard shell is straight throughout.
It has matching original blue Moroccan leather. This leather shows
some usage signs but no cuts or problems. This scabbard leather
is really good looking. The scabbard shell is fitted with satin
aluminum mounts. These mounts show minor carrying time, but they
have no dings or problems. These mounts are retained by headless
side screws which are flush mounted. There is an aluminum chain
attached. The chain has six upper ringlets and seven lower ringlets.
The two chains are connected to an OLC marked clip. The blade
of this example is still nice and bright. It is a plated surface
and easily grades in near mint condition. The reverse ricasso
is stamped with a stick bird waffenamt and the bird has a number
“5" in his belly. Below the waffenamt is the seated
king trademark. The king sits over the firm’s initials “SMF”
which is over the city of “Solingen”. The original blade
washer is in place. A nice 1st model aluminum Luftwaffe here,
which would be terrific if you have an original gilded pommel.Excellent Plus, Plus. $1,195.00
LD1 #27105 Early 1st Model Leftwaffe Dagger - David Malsch
This Early
Luftwaffe is of initial production, and has good heavy solid nickel
fittings throughout. The pommel cap shows only a bit of usage
signs along the edges, and it is the style that has the sunwheel
medallion insert. These sunwheels are all brass throughout, and
none of the original silvering remains between the legs. The crossguard
is a fine down-swept winged example, and this guard also shows
some age to the plating. The sunwheel inserts are also completely
all brass. Stamped beneath one of the crossguard wings is the
number, “25”. The grip of this example is a wood base,
covered with dark Moroccan blue leather. The leather is in good
shape throughout, without any cuts or problems. It does show some
wear, however, to the surfaces, and there is not a lot of graining
still left in this leather. This leather is tightly wrapped with
a single twisted silver wire. The scabbard is a steel shell covered
with matching blue Moroccan leather. This leather shows signs
of usage throughout, but there are no cuts or problems. The grain
of this original leather is still quite good throughout the surfaces.
The shell is equipped with matching nickel mounts. These mounts
show overall carrying signs, but there are no bends, splits, or
problems. The mounts are retained by flush mount headless screws
in the edges. The chain is one of the desirable, but rarely seen,
flat ringed type. These rings are the same as I show in my Luftwaffe
book, on page 57, center. This all- nickel chain is equipped with
8 upper rings, and 13 lower rings. These flat ringed chains are
connected to an unmarked nickel snap clip. The throat of this
example is stamped with the number “3”. The blade is
a fine, heavily nickel-plated, example. This blade is still nice
and bright, showing the usual runner marks, but overall it is
still quite nice, easily rating in a near mint condition. The
ricasso is waffen amted with an early stick bird figure, having
the number “5” in his belly. Lightly etched above the
waffen amt is an ellipse, which has the firm’s name and location
etched around it. It is etched, “David Malsch Steinbach Thur”.
The center of the ellipse has the firm’s initials intertwined,
“DM”. The original blue pebbled leather washer is in
place. This dagger shows some carrying time, but overall, it is
in excellent condition and is of high quality construction.Excellent Plus, Plus. $1,295.00
LD1 #25911C Untouched 1st Model Luftwaffe Dagger - David Malsch
This 1st Model
Luftwaffe has never been cleaned, and does not look to have ever
been apart. It has substantial patination throughout, and is a
good one for those of you out there that like these kinds of pieces.
This one looks to have just come out of the woodwork, and has
all of its history clinging throughout its surfaces. The pommel
shows some mild usage around the rim, but is still in good condition.
It is fairly dark patinated, but it is possible to see that there
is still some silvering between the sunwheel swastika legs. The
brass swastikas are the medallion insert type, and they are in
good condition. The same is true of the sunwheels at the crossguard.
These appear to have more silvering between the legs. The downswept
crossguard quillon arms are very black with patination. It is
possible to see, though, that the segments are still nice and
crisp throughout. The grip still has excellent original leather.
This leather shows some wear to the graining across the top of
the ribs, but there are no cuts, and it is all still there. The
leather is tightly wrapped with triple silver wire, the center
being twisted for contrast. The scabbard shell is straight throughout.
The steel-based shell is covered with Moroccan blue leather, which
exactly matches that of the grip. This leather still has most
of the graining showing, being a little bit thinned at the handhold,
between the two fittings. The leather, though, shows very little
usage, and is all there. It is rare to see original leather still
in this condition. The scabbard mounts are deeply patinated, matching
the hilt fittings. These mounts show some usage throughout, but
overall, they look to be in good condition, with no bumps or problems.
Each mount is retained by flush mount, headless, nickel screws
on each side. The chain assembly is a fine example, being the
style with flat rings. These flat style rings can be seen in my
Luftwaffe book, on page 57, center. This chain assembly is identical
to the book example, as is the snap clip. There are 9 upper ringlets,
and 14 lower ringlets. The chain is connected to the scabbard
carrying rings, via two nickel tabs. It is a pleasure to view
the blade on this example, as it is mirror bright, contrasting
drastically with the toned fittings. This blade reflects high
quality nickel plating. It shows a little bit of age here and
there, but overall, the blade is still in bright, near full mint,
condition. The reverse ricasso is etched with the producer’s
ellipse logo. The firm’s name and location are positioned
around the ellipse, “David Malsch, Steinbach (Thur)”.
Inside of the ellipse is the firm’s initials, “DM”.
There is also a waffen amt, positioned next to the logo, on the
side of the ricasso. This waffen amt is the early style stick
bird, and it is positioned over the numeral , “8”. The
original blue leather blade buffer is in place, and has done a
good job protecting this blade. A fine untouched example, having
many desirable features for the “type” collectors out
there.Excellent, Plus. $1,395.00
LD1 #27312 Early 1st Model Luftwaffe Dagger - SMF
This early
1st model Luftwaffe has never been cleaned and other than the
fact that the scabbard has been recovered, is in “as-found”
condition. The fittings throughout are heavy solid nickel. They
have a large amount of greenish patination covering them, but
this would clean up if someone wanted to do it. The pommel shows
very little carrying time, as the edges are still nice and crisp.
The brass medallion inserts are nice and crisp and appear to have
the silvering still intact between the swastika legs. This is
true also of the center mount sun wheels. The cross guard quillon
arms slope downward, having three-section style wings. The grip
is a wood base having dark blue Moroccan leather covering. This
original leather is still in good condition, not showing a lot
of grain but no cuts either. This grip is tightly wrapped with
diminutive triple twisted brass wire. The scabbard shell is straight
throughout. As noted above, this scabbard shell has been recovered
with new blue Moroccan leather. Other than the fact that the leather
has no scuffing or usage signs, it is comparable to the original
covering and nicely matches the tone and texture of the grip.
The scabbard mounts are in perfect condition, having matching
patination of the hilt. The chain assembly is the seldom seen
style with desirable “flat edge” ringlets. These ringlets
are the same as I show in the bottom photograph on Page 57 of
my Luftwaffe book. The two chain assemblies have nine ringlets
at the top and fourteen at the bottom. They are attached to an
unmarked nickel snap clip. The clip and chain patination exactly
match that of the rest of the dagger. The blade of this piece
has a quality nickel plated finish. The nickel plating is still
nice and bright and other than some mild in-and-out markings,
is still in mint condition. This fine blade is etched with the
seated king trademark. The king has an upward pointing sword and
sits on the firm’s initials “SMF”. The town of
“Solingen” is below. The blade has been protected by
an in-place, blue pebbled leather washer. Although this scabbard
has been recovered, this is a good starter piece as it is all
there and, with a little cleaning up, would really be a nice display
example.Excellent Plus. $995.00