The swords, or degens in the German, carried by the German Police and the SS were based on a rigid design approved by SS channels in 1936. The degen was composed of a nickeled hilt design with "D" guard shape and black ebony grip. The insignia of the organization was positioned in the center grip - an eagle within a wreath clutching a swastika for Police Degen and a set of SS runes within a round disk on the grip of the SS Officer degen. On the SS NCO degen, the SS runes are contained within the top pommel cap. The scabbards for the degens are the same. They are black with nickel mounts having a weave design. The NCO versions have a built-in drag. The blades are a plain matte-finished variety.

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1.  SSPOL #31970 Early SS Officer Degen With Portepee

   This early SS Officer Degen is the first production type having solid nickel hilt and utilizing the turnout nut that is below the pommel. The parts all have a fine yellowy dull nickel glow to them. The pommel cap is also a solid nickel example. It is in excellent condition throughout, having good serrated outer area with smooth edges. The stepped turnout nut was loose so I turned it out to take a look at the inside. The original nickel cover hardware is still over the top of the tang. The “D” guard is a fine curved example which flows nicely through the cross guard and ends in a teardrop quillon. The teardrop is partially drilled on both sides. The lower portion of the “D” guard is stamped with the SS Kulturzeichen. This hilt shows no damage whatsoever and is still in excellent condition. The lower ferrule features the six standing oak leaves separated by acorns. There is some good hand work evident to these depictions and some of the original blackening still is in place in the recesses between the leaves. The ebony grip is in excellent shape, showing wear to the original lacquer covering, but we see this a lot with early SS degen grips. It reveals the true color of the wood beneath. There is some of the lacquered areas still remaining at the lower portion of the grip and, of course, the recesses between the wire also have lacquer residue. The grip is tightly wrapped with nickel wire having a cover plate on the reverse which nicely conceals this fact. The cover plate on this example is a nickel plated type. The cover plate was missing when I originally acquired this degen and fortunately, we had a similar example which fit well and we made the installation. There really is no way to know that this is a replacement other than the fact that it is nickel plated, not solid nickel. I assume the original one would have been solid nickel but I do not know that for a fact. The runes button is a real beauty, exactly matching the dull nickel patination of the rest of the hilt. This fine button has very crisp raised out runes and the dark backgrounds rate at 100%. Attached to the hilt of this example is a like-conditioned SS portepee. This portepee shows some age throughout but there really is no fraying. The knot is tied in the standard method. It consists of aluminum brocade strapping having a texture to the surfaces and decorated with twin lines running down the length of both edges. The slide is missing from this knot. The next purchaser may want to acquire a reproduction knot and possibly use the slide from one of those examples, as they are difficult to tell from the original. The stem is in choice condition, having the rounded edges on both sides. The stem features a set of black SS runes within a circle on each side. The lower acorn shaped ball is made of yarn-like aluminum bullion and all is in place. The lower insert matches the aluminum bullion strapping. A fine early hilt here! The scabbard is straight throughout. It has excellent original black paint which still has a good sheen to the surfaces. There are a few paint chips here and there, but overall the damage is very minimal. This scabbard paint is at least 98% and is really nice. The lower mount is a nickel plated type having darkening in the decorative lines. This mount is retained by two headless side screws. The upper mount is also a nickel plated example having some blackening left in the Woton’s knot and overall the blackening rates at maybe 60% throughout. The mount is retained by two dome head screws, one in each side of the lower loops. The scabbard throat is also stamped with the SS proofing. The blade of this example measures just about 32”. The blade has the early smaller style Krebs mark on it, an indication that this is definitely an initial production sword. The blade still is quite bright and is in good condition overall with the exception of the center area. It appears as though the blade was kinked at one time and was successfully straightened. The flaw, though, has left its mark and it can be seen if the center area is studied. Unfortunately, there was a lot of hatred for the organization which carried these swords, so it is not surprising to see damage like this on certain pieces. The small trademark has the lobster inside and the firm’s name and location are above and below the seal being “Pet. Dan. Krebs/Solingen”. The white leather washer is in place. This sword has a couple of flaws but it is an early original and it is priced accordingly. This is your opportunity to acquire an original SS officer’s sword and portepee without paying at least double the amount being charged for this example.

   Excellent. $6,795.00

2. SSPOL #33248 SS NCO Degen

   The hilt of this SS NCO Degen is a nickel-plated type and it has outstanding nickel finish showing very little age. All of the hilt parts are in a bright state. The upper pommel cap has the raised SS runes and appears to have nearly all of the factory darkening in the backgrounds. There are no signs that this NCO cap has ever been improperly removed. The “D” guard which flows nicely to the quillon with teardrop ending has no imperfections and is nice and bright. The ferrule is the style having the six upward pointing oak leaves separated by acorns. Nearly all of the original darkening is in the backgrounds of this ferrule. There is also hand enhancing evident to the caps of the acorns as well as enhancing to the veins. The grip of this example still has about 95% of the original factory protective covering. This covering lacquer still has a fine shine throughout showing only modest wear in the center areas of both sides of the grip. There are no flaws anywhere on this grip.

   The lower portion of this hilt is not SS proofed but there is the SS proofing on the scabbard throat. The scabbard is nice and straight throughout. The original paint is still nearly 100% showing only the most modest of spidering in a few places and some carrying signs but not much. Even all of the paint remains on the “drag” section of this scabbard. It is very unusual to see this. The upper scabbard fitting also is a beauty. Nearly all of the original blackening is still intact within the wotan knot. This mount is in very, very fine condition being retained by two domehead steel screws on the bottom loop of each side. The blade of this fairly long example measures 33-inches. The blade is the matte finish type and other than a couple of extremely modest age signs on both ricasso sides the blade is mint. It is the usual matte finish. A very fine unmarked blade here. The original washer is in place and is a black leather. The center area still have their original finish to the leather. This is an extremely nice NCO SS degen of investment quality.

   Near Mint. $2,995.00(#122111)

3. SSPOL #33250 Police Officer Degen – WKC

   These WKC Degens are very desirable because the SS Kulturzeichen proof marks are stamped into the blade ricasso on the reverse. The hilt of this example is in very fine condition having choice nickel plating throughout. This nickel plating shows very little age. The pommel cap has the serrated outside edges with smooth center round circumference. There is some age to the serrations but the plating all looks to be there and there are no signs of improper removal. The “D” guard which runs through the crossguard ends in a teardrop quillon. The quillon has the partial drillings on both sides. The plating is 100% throughout this combination upper ferrule and “D” guard. The ferrule consists of six standing oak leaves separated by acorns. It is interesting to note that the casting areas on both of the edges have had the acorn completely hand engraved. The oak leaves throughout the depiction also show handwork as well as checkering to the Eickhorn caps. All of the original darkening appears to be in the backgrounds of this fine ferrule. The grip of this example is in choice condition. The ebony of this grip has no chips or problems and shows very little wear. The wire throughout is nice and tight. We did have to replace one wire being on the left lower side of the grip eagle but if we did not tell you you probably would not notice this. The grip eagle is a fine copper example. This officer’s eagle shows no wear to the surfaces having excellent detail to the bird’s head, breast feathering, wing feathering, legs, talon, wreath and mobile swastika. The condition of this insignia is most evident in that the original black color is still 100% throughout the recesses of this bird. A very fine hilt here!

   The scabbard of this example is straight throughout. The original paint is in exceptional condition showing only the most modest of age with a few spiders here and there. This scabbard paint rates at about 98%. The lower scabbard fitting has the usual line decoration. The darkening still appears to be in the backgrounds and all of the plating remains. This mount is retained by dome head screws on each side. The upper scabbard mount shows a little bit of age toning to the Wotan knot. Nearly all of the original black paint is still intact between the Wotan weave. This is always a good sign of fine condition. The fitting is retained by two dome head steel screws, one in each side of the lower loop. The 3 ½-inch blade is the usual matte finish type. This blade is in choice mint condition. The obverse is deeply stamped with the knighthead trademark and the firm’s initials, “WKC” beneath. On the reverse, as mentioned above, the SS stamping is deeply hit into the ricasso. The original white leather washer is in place and is in fine condition. A very desirable SS marked police officer degen.

   Excellent Plus, Plus. $1,895.00

4. SSPOL #33433C SS Police NCO Degen – Carl Eickhorn (Over-The-Shoulder-Trademark)

   This SS Police Degen is in an untouched as found condition. It recently comes from a “motel buy”. The degen shows age and some rust throughout the hilt. It is a nickel-plated type. The pommel cap is still nice and crisp having no signs of ever having been turned. This cap shows some minor age to the plating but I think it would clean up to be in near perfect condition. The “D” guard runs through the crossguard ending in a teardrop quillon. There is some rust on the “D” guard throughout but I believe that it is surface and most of this would clean up quite nicely. There is a little more rust on the reverse area of the built in upper ferrule. The lower ferrule has the six standing oak leaves which are separated by acorns. There is also some rust on the ferrule and there does not seem to be any darkening in the background. (Perhaps Eickhorn did not darken their edition.) The ebony grip is in choice condition throughout. Since this is an NCO sword there is no wire on this grip. The grip has no chips or problems. Inset into the center area is an NCO style aluminum police eagle. This eagle is in fine condition showing very little wear. All details are crisp throughout the eagle’s head, breast feathering, wing feathering, legs, talons and surrounding wreath. The wreath around the swastika shows a little bit of wear as does the swastika but these two features are still good. This NCO degen comes complete with its original SS portepee. When we see an SS portepee on a police piece it simply means that the original owner was in the SS as well as the police. This SS portepee shows some age and a little bit of fraying throughout. The area where the knot comes out of the tie was slightly frayed to the point where we were afraid the knot would break. We reinforced this area with some thread so that it would last a long time into the future. This knot is totally set in place and has never been off the degen since the war. The aluminum bullion is soiled throughout but the texture is still very visible as are the twin black lines that run throughout the edges of the strapping. The portepee has the original intertwined bullion slide which is in perfect condition. The lower stem is the type which is curved on both sides and it is marked with a black round circle having concise SS runes within on both sides. The acorn ball is of yarn-like bullion and is in good condition. The insert at the bottom matches the strapping. Granted, this knot shows wear and usage but being original to the piece adds nice authenticity throughout as well as a great feeling for the period. We know for sure that SS police NCOs wore the standard SS portepee. This can be seen in the photograph in my SS book on page 482 and 483. We also show an SS officer on page 486 wearing a police degen complete with SS knot. Incidentally, the SS knot was worn by all ranks in the SS and had nothing to do with officer status. This knot was designed to be an all purpose example. A most interesting hilt here!

   The scabbard of this piece is nice and straight throughout. It is interesting to note that the paint is still in fine condition retaining its original brightness. This paint is at least 98% and really looks good. The lower drag is the matching painted steel type and shows very little wear to the bottom edges. The upper scabbard mount has a good Wotan’s web design. The original darkening in the backgrounds is thinning a little bit on the reverse probably from rubbing against the originally worn hanger. The obverse however, still has about 98% of the original darkening with a nice pebbled background visible throughout. This mount is deeply stamped with the SS Kulturzeichen marking. The mount is retained by two domehead steel screws, one in each of the lower loop areas. The blade of this example is 29 ½-inches in length. It is the usual matte finished type and appears to be in very nice condition except for the area extending about 6-inches down from the ricasso where there is some age showing. From experience I know that this age can easily be removed with minor work. This blade at this point grades at only excellent but could be made to excellent plus, plus to near mint with some minor effort. It is extremely interesting to note that the reverse ricasso is stamped with the over-the-shoulder squirrel used by Carl Eickhorn after 1941. This is a very rare trademark to see and if my memory is correct is the first time I’ve seen this later trademark on a police / SS degen. The mark portrays the squirrel looking at his rear and beneath are the three words, “Original Eickhorn Solingen”. The original brown leather washer is in place. This is a very interesting degen and absolutely remains in the same condition as it was found. It would make a nice addition to a serious SS collection.

   Good Plus. $2,595.00

5. SSPOL #32833 High-Quality Police Degen - Herm. Rath

   This Police Degen is of extreme high quality and appears to have a number of custom features about it. It is a really great sword and something that would go well in an advanced collection. The hilt has outstanding plated surfaces throughout being completely bright and showing little to no age. The pommel cap is slightly different than we normally see. Its circumference is a little bit smaller and the turning grooves are larger and there are less of them than is seen on the norm. The plain area at the top surface is more domed than normal giving a rather special look to this pommel cap. The “D” guard is a fine nickel-plated steel type being in perfect condition and traveling through the hilt and crossguard area ending in a fine quillon. The upper ferrule is an all nickel type as is the below ferrule. This lower ferrule has the six standing oak leaves but they are larger than the norm and each oak leaf is completely hand decorated as to the center and leaf veins. The acorns that separate the standing leaves are also beautifully rendered as to the checkering of the caps. A great looking custom made ferrule here. The cover cap that conceals the wire connections on the reverse is also of better quality than the norm, and this too is a solid nickel part instead of the standard nickel-plated steel. The grip also has a great look to it being of a bright ebony wood but having flatter surface areas to the ribs. This grip is in totally perfect condition and instead of the usual nickel wire it is tightly wrapped with a fine copper wire. The center police insignia is also a beauty being of copper. It seems of higher quality than most showing a bird looking to the viewer’s left with open wings and swastika superimposed over a wreath of overlapping oak leaves. The breast checkering shows only modest wear and the rest of the insignia is still crisp. Decorating this fine hilt is a choice police portepee. This portepee is the larger type having cloth strapping. The strapping is decorated with triple rows of aluminum bullion running the length, and the center stitch has a red accent. A very fine interesting hilt here! The scabbard is also different than most as it is thin like the type that is used on the Dachau pieces. It is straight as an arrow on both sides and has very good original black paint. This paint still has bright surfaces and shows a little bit of age spidering here and there. There are some hand wear signs on the left edge below the carrying ring and also some wear signs below the “U” bracket which was apparently used to hold the sword hanger. This paint rates at about 90-95%. The lower chape area features a nickel-plated steel mount which is secured with two headless flush mount side screws. The mount shows only nominal age in the surfaces but still is bright. The upper mount is in pristine condition and is the style that did not have darkening in the Wotan web. This mount is like new and is secured also by two headless flush mount side screws. Most police scabbards will have screws at the lower loop of each side. The niceties of this sword though do not stop here. The 33 ½-inche blade is not the normal matte finish. It is a high quality nickel-plated finish which remains factory bright and in full mint condition. This beautiful blade has a fuller which runs about three quarters of the way down. The reverse ricasso is deeply stamped in an arch shape, “HERM. RATH” and beneath this in an arch shape going upward is the location city, “SOLINGEN”. The original brown leather washer is in place showing some minor usage but still being all there. Sometimes we will see the Rath swords marked on the blade with a set of SS runes in a diamond. I believe that these examples were probably initial production. This piece seems to be something that was custom ordered and extra cost was applied so it does not come under the normal contract one that Rath either produced or had produced. (We think Rath was a distributor and sold to police organizations.) A great original sword here which would nicely highlight a police degen collection.

   Mint Minus $1895.00

6. SSPOL #32837 Police Officer Degen - Paul Weyersberg

   This Police Officer Degen has fairly good plating throughout the hilt. There is a minor amount of freckling that is noticeable here and there but the hilt does not look to have been cleaned in awhile and probably a lot of this could be lessened with a nice rub of semi chrome. The pommel cap is in perfect condition and shows no signs of being taken out improperly throughout the fluted edges. The crossguard comes nicely down from the “D” guard ending in a quillon with a partial decorative drilled hole on each side. The ferrule is the style which never had blackening in the backgrounds. It features the six standing oak leaves all having excellent detail with no hand enhancing necessary. The acorns in between have nice crisp caps and between the leaves there is a pebbled surface. The ebony grip is in totally perfect condition having tightly wrapped nickel wire. The center police insignia is a copper type and it is in great condition still showing excellent detail throughout the eagle superimposed over the oak leaves. This eagle looks to the left and clutches a wreathed mobile swastika. The scabbard is a fine example having excellent original black paint. The paint shows only modest wear here and there but overall it is at least 95% and with a good cleaning will come up to near mint. The lower chape fitting is a typical nickel-plated type in good condition being retained by two dome head steel side screws. The upper scabbard mount is the style without black in the Wotan knot. This mount is in fine condition throughout though retained by two steel dome head screws, one in each lower loop. The Weyersberg swords are not SS proofed on the throat or the lower hilt. The blade of this example is 32 ½-inches in length. It is in excellent condition having a good matte finish. This blade shows little usage and other than a couple of tiny age marks near the ricasso area the blade is in mint condition. The reverse ricasso is etched with the double ovals contain the firm’s name and location, “Paul Weyersberg & Co. Solingen”. Inside is a downward pointing sword positioned between a wreath of wheat. The original washer is gone to time. A pretty nice example here though that will clean up if the next owner would choose to do so.

   Excellent. $1,295.00

7. SSPOL #33061 Police Officer Degen - Pet. Dan. Krebs

   This Krebs produced Police Degen shows patina of probably 70 years of resting in the home of a veteran. It does not appear to have been cleaned. The result is the nickel-plated hilt has a dull matte finish, but looking at the surfaces it appears as though the plating is still all there with no age freckling. This would be a fine candidate for someone to clean up. The “D” guard goes nicely around the crossguard, ending in a small teardrop quillon. The quillon has the decorative partial drilled holes on each side. The pommel cap appears to have most of its plating gone but the edges are still okay, having no signs of improper disassembly. The ferrule is the style having a darker surface throughout. It depicts the six standing oak leaves separated by acorns. As is often the case with Krebs swords, the acorns have the addition of little circles engraved into the leaves. The acorn caps have been nicely checkered. The grip is a fine ebony wood. The finish is mostly off on the reverse, revealing the muted darker color of this wood. The obverse still has a majority of the lacquered finish, but does have some wear spots here and there. This grip is tightly wrapped with nickel wire. The cover plate on the reverse has lost most of its plating. The police insignia insert is the copper type. It features an eagle looking to the viewer’s left with good checkered breast feathering, detailed wing feathering, a good wreath, and mobile swastika. The eagle is superimposed over a wreath of oak leaves. The lower portion of the hilt, as well as the throat area, have been stamped with the SS Kulturzeichen marking. The scabbard of this example has a couple of annoying “dings” in the surface. One of them is beneath the carrying band and the other is about 2/3 down. It is possible these could be somewhat removed, but it is difficult as these scabbards are pretty thick steel. The overall original factory paint, though, is in pretty condition showing some spidering and a few age marks, but overall, it is at least 98%. The lower chape fitting is the typical nickel-plated type and it does show some lifting of the plating, remaining at about 85%. The upper scabbard fitting also shows age in the surfaces. There is a little bit of the original darkening between the Wotan knot, but I would say only about 10% of it remains. The fitting is retained by two steel head style screws, one of which has a missing head on the reverse. The blade is a typical matte finish example, which is 31 inches in length. It is in good condition throughout, easily rating excellent plus, plus. The reverse ricasso is deeply stamped with the 2nd Style trademark. It features a shield with a lobster inside, and around the design is the firm’s name and location, “Pet. Dan. Krebs, Solingen”. The original white washer is still in place. The surfaces of the leather have worn most the white off, but it is easy to see that this example was a white one at one time. A good sword here that is always popular because of the maker. A little bit of work and this could be cleaned up substantially.

   Excellent. $1,395.00

8. SSPOL #32736 NCO Saber with SS Marked Langet and Owner Personalization

   This NCO style plain nickel hilt Saber was available for purchase by non-officer, sergeant rank personnel. Often Cavalry and SS personnel purchased these swords equipped with the extra wide blade. This example is fitted with that extra cost item. The hilt is the plain style with nickel-plated finish. The finish is still excellent throughout showing only modest age. The hilt has a standard round pommel with plain grip tabs and the “P” guard is in nice condition sweeping through the crossguard area with langets on both sides and ending in a quillon teardrop. The captivating part about this sword is the fact that the obverse langet features a set of SS runes in relief. The area around the runes has been completely cut out and then the backgrounds hand pebbled in order to give the SS runes relief. The workmanship when viewed through a loop is absolutely fantastic. This type of work could have been commissioned through either the factory where the sword was purchased or it could also have been done by a local engraver. It is impossible to say which source was used but the look and method performed is definitely period in my opinion. The reverse langet further has as three line personalization. “SS Oscha. / H.Gottke / 17. SS Pzgren. Div.”. This personalization would indicate that this sword was owned by SS Oberscharführer H. Gottke of the 17th SS Panzer Grenadier Division. This NCO would have to be researched as I have not done anything with it. The grip of this example is a black celluloid over wood carved base. The grip is in perfect condition and it is wrapped with triple twisted silver wire the center being of larger proportion. As mentioned above, the blade is the larger proportioned type associated with Cavalry troops. The blade has a very fine bright nickel-plated surface and would be in total mint condition were there not just the slightest of couple of nicks on the edge. These are extremely minor though and do not detract. This blade is marked with the early 1933 through 35 Carl Eickhorn ovals. These ovals feature the firm’s name and location trapped within, “Carl Eickhorn Solingen” and inside is a seated squirrel. The original brown leather washer is in place. The vintage of this blade seems earlier than the owner’s wartime ranking position. However, it is certainly possible that these engravings were done at a different time then when the sword was produced or it is also possible that the blade was representative of leftover stock when the sword was produced. The scabbard is a fine corresponding example being dent free. It has a fairly good black painted surface which looks to have been period touched up in several places. We see this a lot with sword paint as the personnel that carried them did not want to appear sloppy and therefore touched them up themselves. These brush strokes which can be seen in a few areas could be easily dispensed with by using some rubbing compound and wax. This would bring the scabbard back to its original look however I would think that the next owner would want to keep it the way it looked coming out of the war. I installed an SS NCO sword portepee being the type with brocade aluminum bullion strapping with twin black lines. The stem does not have the SS runes on this NCO type. The cap of the lower ball has a black yarn like top and the lower portion of the ball alternates aluminum with black yarn-like trim. The lower insert is a black felt. This knot looks very well with this fine saber.

   Excellent Plus, Plus. $5,995.00

9. SSPOL #32751 Police Officer Degen – Hermann Rath

   This Police Officer Degen is overall in extremely nice, collectible condition. The hilt fittings are all nickel-plated and the plating is still bright throughout showing only the most nominal of age signs. The pommel cap is in good condition having perfect plating and good serrations running around the circumference. The “D” guard goes into a smooth crossguard area and ends with a teardrop quillon. The ferrule consists of standing oak leaves separated by acorns which show fine handwork to the veins. There does not appear to be any blackening in the recesses. The grip is a very fine ebony wood being in choice condition throughout. There is a very small sliver of wood that is missing at the top rib just next to the cover plate. It is difficult to see and is not noticeable in my opinion. The grip wire is nice and tight throughout and the insignia is the copper style. This copper police insignia portrays an open-winged eagle clutching a wreathed swastika superimposed over a wreath of oak leaves. The detail is still outstanding to the grip insignia showing little wear. Setting off this hilt is the original-to-the-piece portepee. This portepee is produced in leather strapping and it is the larger form which has triple aluminum wire stitching running the length. The center area is missing most of the original red highlight thread but a few small portions of it can be seen here and there. The leather itself though seems to still be in fine condition as does the aluminum stitching. The stem is the flat metal type which is covered by aluminum crochet-like bullion material. The slide is missing from this portepee. The lower acorn ball is made up of yarn-like bullion thread and it is all nice and tight. The insert is composed of black, red and white thread. An extremely nice hilt here. The scabbard shell is straight throughout. This scabbard has outstanding original black paint. This paint shows very little usage and is in nearly full mint condition. A very fine shell here. The shell is equipped with upper and lower officer mounts. The lower mount has no screws holding it on as apparently it was installed hot. After cooling these fittings became set in place. Like the ferrule this lower mount does not have any darkening in the decorative lines. The upper mount features a fine Wotan’s knot design and like the other parts does not appear to have had blackening in the open portions. It is interesting to note that the obverse loop has a single flatter head style screw whereas the reverse lower loop has the pattern for the hole to be drilled but this hole drilling was never done. Most likely this was a later produced sword. The blade of this example is done in the matte finish and it is 31-inches in length. This very fine blade is in near full mint condition. It is marked on the reverse with the maker’s name and location formed in an ellipse shape with capital letters, “Herm. Rath / Solingen”. The original brown leather blade buffer is in position. This is a very fine Hermann Rath sword. Some of the earlier examples will have on the blade the SS runes stamped in along with the name. This example does not and I believe it is because it is because it is a later produced piece. The quality though is exceptional throughout this degen and if you are looking for a nice one to add to your collection this one should fill the bill.

   Near Mint. $1,895.00

10. SSPOL #32804 Police Officer Degen – Pet. Dan. Krebs

    This Police Degen is an excellent example, which recently came out of the woodwork from the family of a veteran. This sword shows some normal patination over the nickel-plated surfaces but nothing that would not come off with mild effort. The plating all looks to be good beneath the patina. The pommel cap is in excellent condition having the serrated edges that run around the circumference. It does not appear to have been taken out in recent times. The “D” guard is in good condition running through the crossguard area and ending in a teardrop. The teardrop is partially drilled on both sides. The ferrule is rather dark with age but it depicts the six standing oak leaves having acorns separating them. These oak leaves are the type that have the little circles engraved in as well as some other lines to give them a little life. There is also some hand accents done to the acorn caps. The grip of this example is a fine ebony which is still in chip free excellent condition. The original lacquer is about 60% on the grip. Most of the lacquer is gone on the reverse area obviously from the original owner’s hand hold. The obverse still looks pretty good with only a small amount of the original ebony color tone showing through. This grip is tightly wrapped with nickel wire and is concealed by a cover and the knots are concealed by a cover plate on the reverse. The obverse grip also has a set in police insignia. It is a copper type and has excellent detail throughout. This police insignia consists of an open-winged eagle that clutches a wreathed swastika. The bird is superimposed over an oval wreath of oak leaves. There is very little wear to the eagle. The lower portion of this sword hilt is stamped with the SS Kulturzeichen. A matching stamping appears on the throat area. The scabbard is straight on the obverse and has just a small ding around the reverse center. Other than this the scabbard is quite nice and has excellent original black paint. This paint shows only the most minor of carrying signs and still retains its original factory luster. There was a little bit of white paint spray here and there which is typical for a sword that probably was stored in a cellar or wherever. This type of thing easily comes off with a little bit of compound. The lower officer chape mount is the nickel-plated type and it shows a little surface rust which also will easily come off with some mild effort. This fitting is retained by two dome head steel side screws. The upper mount has the nickel surfaces with a good Wotan knot. The areas between the knot have the black painted surfaces ad on the reverse most of the blackening is there and on the obverse only about 20% remains. The blade is a 31 ½-inch example. It is done in the typical matte finish and it appears to be in near full mint condition showing very little age. This blade I stamped on the reverse ricasso with the second style trademark used by this firm. It is a lobster within a dome shaped seal. Around the seal is the firm’s name, “Pet. Dan. Krebs Solingen”. The original white leather washer is in place. As most collectors all ready know the Krebs firm made some fine SS officer’s swords and this quality extended to the examples they produced for the German police forces. Other than the grip insignia this sword would be almost identical to an SS officer’s piece.

    Excellent Plus. $1,495.00

11. SSPOL #32640 Police Officer Degen - Siegfried Waffen

    This Police Officer Degen looks like it has been in a time machine. The sword definitely could not have been worn as even all the paint is still 100% around the carrying ring. The hilt of this example is in newlike condition. The nickel plated surfaces are absolutely perfect with no flaws anywhere. The pommel cap has choice plating and the serrations that go around the circumference are still crisp and do not appear to have ever been turned. The “D” guard is a beauty, extending gracefully down through the hilt and cross guard area and ends in a teardrop. The teardrop has the partial drillings on both sides. The ferrule also looks like it just came out of the factory. It depicts the six standing oak leaves and in between are acorns. The detail is extraordinary throughout and the original factory darkening is in place as well as all of the original factory lacquer which protects it. It is very rare to see original lacquer still on a police degen. The grip is fashioned from fine ebony wood and is in absolute perfect condition. This grip is complete with nickel wire wrap and the reverse contains a mint conditioned cover plate which conceals the wiring ties. The center of the obverse is fitted with a beautiful copper police eagle. This eagle still has the original blackening which appears to be paint in the backgrounds. This eagle definitely never had any silvering, so for those who wonder whether these eagles were silvered or copper, at least in the case of Pack they were copper. This insignia is stone mint with absolutely no wear to the bird’s head, breast feathering, wing feathering, wreath or the raised swastika. An outstanding hilt here easily being the best I have seen. The scabbard of this example is of the same caliber condition. The shell is completely straight and the original factory paint is still as bright as the day it was originally finished. There are a couple of very minor chips to the paint but they are hardly anything. This scabbard paint still rates easily in full mint condition. As mentioned above, the carrying ring still has all of the original paint. The lower officer’s chape mount is in crisp, choice condition still having the original darkening in the backgrounds. The plating is 100% and the fitting is retained by two unturned dome head steel screws. The upper mount is of matching nickel plate and is also in pristine condition. This upper mount is one of the few that I have seen that still retains 100% of the black paint between the weave of the “Woton’s knot”. This fine mount is retained by two dome head screws, one in either side of the lower loop. As good of a scabbard as you will ever see! Neither the throat nor the lower part of the hilt are SS proofed, as E. Pack did not do this. The 31” blade is of the matte finish variety. It is absolutely 100% mint throughout. This beautiful blade is etched on the reverse ricasso with the large Siegfried waffen trademark. It features the hammering Siegfried working below an arch. The arch contains the factory details of the E. Pack firm. The original new-like black leather washer is in place. If you are looking for the best of the best, it would be virtually impossible to upgrade this degen. A real beauty here that must have been taken from a store or factory after the war and preserved in some kind of a bag or blanket within a closet. Extremely rare to see a 70+ year old piece in this condition.

    Mint Mint Mint! $2,995.00(#081611)

12. SSPOL #32527C SS NCO Degen

    This SS Degen has excellent nickel plating throughout. In fact, the plating appears to be near 100%. The “D” ring is nicely shaped and flows through the cross guard area ending in a teardrop. The pommel cap is the flatter type associated with NCO degens and it has an outstanding set of SS runes at the top. These runes are nicely vaulted and crisp and have all the original darkening in their backgrounds. The grip is a fine ebony example having most of the original lacquer still intact. The lacquer has come off around the rear edge and a little bit of the upper area and center reverse. Overall though, the lacquer is still about 85% on this fine, perfect conditioned ebony grip. Since it is an NCO type, it has no wire. The ferrule below is a good example having the standard six standing oak leaves separated by acorns. Some of the original darkening is still in the recessed areas. There is no SS proofing on the lower part of this hilt. The SS Kulturzeichen, though, is nicely stamped on the throat. The scabbard of this example is straight throughout. It has been repainted at some time along the line and the paint job is pretty nice. There are a couple of recent scratches and a couple of chips in the paint, but overall it is still pretty nice. In fact, the reverse of this scabbard still remains with a perfect finish. The lower chape area is the built-in type used for the NCO purpose. The upper scabbard fitting is in excellent condition, having exceptional crispness to the Woton knot. I don’t see a lot of darkening between the weave, but it is good looking nonetheless. The fitting is retained by two dome head screws in the lower loop areas. The blade is an outstanding 33” example. It is finished in the matte form and appears to be in near full mint condition. This blade shows very little age and is the unmarked type that we often see with early pieces. The white leather washer is in place protecting this blade. This is a good, solid SS NCO sword. With the exception of the repainted scabbard, it is nice and original and should make a welcome addition to any collection.

    Excellent Plus. $2,895.00

13. SSPOL #31548 Early SS NCO Dovehead Sword - Carl Eickhorn, 1933-35 Logo

    This early sword is the NCO plain nickel-plated type. It has the wider blade that was generally reserved for Cavalry usage. The hilt still has excellent nickel plating. It shows some minor rust spots here and there but these would be very easy to clean off if the next owner chose to do so. The rust markings are superficial at worst. The hilt consists of a combination pommel and backstrap with side grip tabs and then there is a ferrule below and connecting all of this together is a “P” guard with crossguard and quillon end. The crossguard has plain langets on each side. The obverse langet on this crossguard has an outstanding set of SS runes which appear to have been etched into the surface. This is definitely a factory done job and accordingly is very impressive. The backgrounds of the SS runes etch are nicely gray and have 100% of this darkening intact. It is also interesting to note that the original owner’s SS serial number has been die stamped into the upper surface of the langet “4871”. The grip is a carved wood base and is covered with black celluloid. The celluloid is in perfect condition and is very tightly wrapped with triple twisted brass wire, the center being larger and twisted opposite. A good strong hilt here! The scabbard of this example is straight throughout. It is the wider type that is used to accommodate the larger proportioned blade designated for Cavalry. The original paint still looks pretty good having most of the original brightness still there. There are some rust spots and a few nicks but I think if someone wanted to go over this paint with a little compound and some car wax it would really look good. At present it grades at least excellent. The blade is a most impressive example. This large blade measures nearly 34-inches, an indication that a fairly tall man was the original owner. The blade has high quality nickel-plated surfaces and it is nearly in full mint condition. The reverse ricasso is stamped with the small double oval trademark used from 1933 through1935. The trademark features the firm’s name and location trapped within the ovals, “Carl Eickhorn Solingen” and inside is a seated squirrel. The blade has been buffered by a leather washer which is still in place showing some minor wear to one edge. A very nice untouched sword here. Looking into the SS records under the number “4871” I find record in the 1936 officer list of “Untersturmführer SS Herbert Dorner”. Dorner was assigned to the staff of the Reichsführer as of the time he was promoted to an officer which was on 20 April 1936. The records indicate that he graduated from the SS Candidate School Braunchsweig in 1936. This information ties in nicely with what we see on the NCO sword. It is not hard to imagine that an NCO prior to the introduction of the official SS degen still wanted to have a sword. Particularly a Brunsweig candidate and graduate. I also was able to find Dorner as a member of the Waffen SS in the 1 July 1944 list. Here he is listed as a “Kompaniaführer or Company Leader in SS infantry regiment number 6. At this time his rank is a SS-Hauptsturmführer. I am sure that there would be lots of exciting material to research regarding this early SS man and officer. Not only did he early on choose the SS for his career but he also was a Waffen SS officer and more than likely had an exciting wartime career. A great opportunity here to research an untouched sword and also your chance to contribute to this exciting hobby and make Herr Dorner come to life. A fantastic find here and a great opportunity for the right person.

    Excellent, Plus. $5,995.00

14. SSPOL #31529 Early SS NCO Degen

    This early SS NCO degen is completely untouched, uncleaned and has never been in a collection. The hilt fittings and scabbard mount are of solid nickel not being plated. It is rare to find examples this early having the solid feature. The “D” guard, upper ferrule, teardrop and pommel top are all in excellent condition having very fine smooth crisp surfaces. The patina is evenly spread throughout being an appealing greenish gold color. The pommel top is the flatter style NCO variety and it has the raised SS runes in the center. These runes are crisp throughout and 100% of the darkening remains in the backgrounds. What a sight this is with all of the patination and the great undisturbed look throughout this sword. The ferrule is also a fine example exactly matching the other parts. This ferrule features six standing oak leaves separated by acorns. It is interesting to note that there is little handwork done to the leaves or the acorns but the area that had the casting flaw on both edges has stippling and slight enhancement to the acorns. The lower portion of the hilt is lightly stamped with the SS Kulturzeichen markings. These exactly match those stamped into the throat area. The ebony grip of this example would be in excellent condition except for the fact that the surfaces of the upper rib have been substantially chipped off. Only about 25% of the original upper rib remains. This is unfortunate and I guess it could be repaired if the degen were taken apart and the grip removed accordingly. To me though it is just one of those things that does occur frequently with SS degens. As we all know we set the sword up along the wall with the best of intentions and then when we were least expecting it it fell down. I am sure that these same tactics were used during the period with a similar result. At any rate, if you want something to stay the way it came out then I would suggest leaving the grip the way it is. The rest of the ebony is in excellent condition showing a little bit of usage but not much. A very fine hilt here! The scabbard is also a choice example. It is straight throughout and really has outstanding original paint. This paint is nearly 100% on the reverse having just a couple of minor chips on the obverse. Overall though the paint has to be at least 98%. A very, very fine scabbard paint here which could be even enhanced further with a little bit of work. The lower chape fitting is a built-in drag on the NCO versions. The upper mount exactly matches the dull patination of the hilt and it consists of the Wotan’s knot configuration having darkening between the weave. The darkening appears to be about 60-70% on this example. The upper mount is retained by two matching dome head nickel (not steel) screws. The 33-inch unmarked blade is the matte finish variety and it is still in outstanding condition. There are only a couple of the slightest of age signs in the blade. This 33-inch blade would have been worn by a fairly tall man. The white leather washer has gone to time. A great degen here for someone who wants an untouched example and I can’t remember when I have had an all nickel SS degen to offer. This alone should have appeal to the dyed in the wool SS collectors out there.

    Excellent Plus. $2,895.00(#032311)

15. SSPOL #31549 Police Officer Degen - Pet. Dan. Krebs

    This police officer degen shows some overall usage and some age but it is still in good collectible condition and will clean up some if the next owner would like to do so. The nickel-plated hilt still has good plated surfaces. There is some age here and there but mostly it is superficial and should clean up. There is a minor rust spot on the inner edge of the “D” guard up near the pommel top but it doesn’t show from straight on. The quillon ends in a teardrop and has the partial drilled hole on both obverse and reverse surfaces. The pommel top is in good condition throughout having the umbrella like edges with smooth center. There is no improper usage of tool marks on the edges of this pommel. The ferrule is a darker colored example having six standing oak leaves separated by acorns. The oak leaves have some hand-enhancing being a little circles drawn along the veins. The acorns also have some handwork noticeable to the checkering of the caps. The patina covers a large part of the ferrule so it is hard to see what was done to enhance the areas where the casting flaws occurred but I’m sure something was. The lower hilt is stamped with the SS Kulturzeichen markings being within a four-sided figure. This matches the stamping on the throat area. The grip is a fine ebony wood. It is in perfect condition with no chips or splits in the ribs. The ribs are tightly wrapped with nickel wire. As is the case with most Krebs swords the ebony wood was lacquered when they were new. The wearing of the lacquer exposes the slightly lighter color wood beneath and in the instance of this grip I would say that about 80-85% of the ebony is exposed with about 15% lacquer remaining. The cover plate on the reverse of the grip is in place and nice and tight. The obverse grip features the copper police eagle insert. This insignia is an open-winged bird looking to the viewer’s left clutching a wreathed swastika superimposed on a wreath of oak leaves. The details to the bird’s head and breast feathering are just slightly worn and the wing feathering, wreath and swastika are still mostly crisp. The scabbard of this example is nice and straight. It has good original black paint on the obverse surface whereas the reverse surface does show a little more age and some rust but not too bad. With a little work this scabbard could easily come up a lot. The way it is though the paint is about 95% and it rates at about excellent to excellent plus. The lower mount is a nickel-plated type showing some age in the plating on both sides. The mount is retained by two dome head screws, one of which is missing on the left side. If the next owner would like the screw properly replaced just say the word and we will be happy to do it. The upper scabbard fitting also shows some age to the plating but not bad. The darkening between the Wotan weave is mostly rubbed off but I would say that there’s about 15-20% of it remaining. The blade of this example is the usual matte finish that we see on Krebs police swords. The blade is just under 30-inches in length. It is in good condition throughout having just a little bit of staining on the ricasso area of both sides extending down to about 2 or 3 inches. It is not bad though and not really noticeable. The reverse ricasso is etched with the shield style logo. The shield contains a lobster. Around the shield are the company’s name and location, “Pet. Dan. Krebs. Solingen”. The original white leather washer is in place. This washer shows a few cracks in the surfaces of the white but still looks very, very good and its age certainly matches that of the degen. This is a good opportunity to acquire a desirable Krebs piece. This police officer piece has virtually the same exact qualities of its SS officer counterpart, the only difference being an eagle in the grip instead of an SS runes button. A good solid untouched unplayed with example. This sword is not in mint condition but it is priced accordingly.

    Excellent. $1395.00

16. SSPOL #31235C Police Office Degen - WKC

    The WKC Police Swords are always popular with collectors because the reverse blade ricasso is stamped with the SS Kulturzeichen. No other producer stamped the SS proof marking on the blade. The hilt of this example is in choice condition, having outstanding original nickel-plated finish. There are no rust, lifts or freckling in the surfaces of this nickel-plating. It remains bright throughout. The pommel cap is an excellent example, having the flat surface with umbrella like sections going outward. There are no signs of this pommel being taken out. The D-Guard is a choice example and ends with a teardrop quillon, having the partial drilling on both sides. The ferrule is an outstanding example depicting the six standing oak leaves separately by acorns. There is hand work that can be seen, particularly on the two casting edges of this quillon. The engraver literally had to create an acorn on the surface areas of this part. The grip is an outstanding ebony wood. It has a beautiful light black shade to it and is completely chip free. This beautiful ebony grip is tightly wrapped with nickel wire. The wire gathers together in a chase area, which is covered by the back strap on the rear of the grip. The copper police eagle is a beauty, showing little wear. This police eagle consists of an oval oak leaf wreath, having an open-winged eagle superimposed over it, clutching a wreathed mobile swastika. All of the detail is there to the bird’s head, breast feathering, wing feathering, talons, wreath and swastika. The backgrounds seem to have all of the original black paint. This is a real sign of little usage. The scabbard is a nice example, being completely straight. The paint is outstanding throughout the reverse but, unfortunately, there is a rust spot on the obverse at about the center of the scabbard. Apparently some moisture or something that was wet was laid in this position and caused this flaw. It is not bad and overall, considering that the Degen is some seventy years old, we have to expect something in the form of age. Other than this spot, though, the scabbard paint is still bright and rates near 100%. The lower shell is fitted with a very fine nickel chape mount. This mount has all of the factory blackening still in the decorative lines. It is retained by two decorative screws, one on each side. The upper mount is also a choice conditioned example, having the wotons knot design and the areas in between still retain nearly 100% of the original factory blackening. This is very rare to see on a sword and definitely means that this sword saw little usage. The upper mount is retained by two dome head screws, one on each of the lower circular designs. The 33 ½ inch design is in the matte finish and is in a full mint condition. This blade really looks great! The obverse ricasso is stamped with the Knighthead trademark and the firm’s initials are below, “WKC.” As mentioned above, on the reverse ricasso is the Kulturzeichen stamping. The original white leather washer is in place although the leather has turned fairly yellow with age. A really great Police Officer’s Degen here and if you are collecting these by types, this one is a difficult one to find.

    Near Mint. $1995.00

17. SSPOL #31234C Police NCO Degen – Peter Dan Krebs

    This Police NCO Degen is just about as nice as you will ever find one. It has outstanding white nickel hilt fittings and there is really little to no age in the surfaces. The pommel cap has the flat style, which is identifiable as NCO. The D-guard is in choice condition coming through the crossguard area and ending in a teardrop quillon. The ferrule is the style that has six standing oak leaves separately by acorns. These oak leaves all have little pebbles added to their finish to give them a look of relief. In addition, there is a black background to also help with this. The acorns also show much hand-enhancing to their caps. The area where the casting flaws would have been, also show nice hand work. The grip is a very fine ebony. This is the type of grip that had a lacquer factory done to protect the finish. Some of the lacquer is worn in the areas where the hand hold would have been. Where the lacquer is worn, the ebony surface is more of a brown color than black. This grip, though, probably retains at least 80% of the lacquer. The center area of the grip has a countersunk, aluminum police insignia. The insignia consists of a wreath of oak leaves with an open-winged eagle superimposed. This bird still has good detail to his head, breast feathering, wing feathering, wreath and swastika. Because this is an NCO example there is no grip wire present. The scabbard of this piece is straight throughout. The original paint looks as though it was done last week. This original paint is the best you will see. I do not see any chips in the surfaces and basically, this paint still rates at near 100% and retains its factory brightness. The lower chape is built into the scabbard, as this is an NCO example. The upper scabbard fitting is also a real beauty. It is nickel-plated and has the woton knot design. Almost all of the original blackening, except for the very center areas of the dots are there. Really terrific preservation here. This scabbard mount is retained by a dome head screw in each of the lower loops. This blade has the SS Kulturzeichen, as does the stamping on the lower hilt. The blade of this example measures 33 inches in length. It is the fine, matte finished variety and it still is in a fresh mint state. The blade is marked on the reverse with the field having a lobster within. Running around the outside of the field is the name and location of the firm, “Pet. Dan. Krebs, Solingen.” The original white washer is in place and is still in a new-like state. An extremely fine, highest quality, Police NCO Degen here. If you are looking for only the best, this example should fill your bill.

    Near Mint. $1995.00

18. SSPOL #31308 Untouched Police Officer Degen

    This Police Officer Degen is in an “as found” condition. The hilt parts all appear to have good nickel-plating beneath the nicotine-like patination that has evenly covered their surfaces. For sure, this piece has not been cleaned since the war. The Officer’s pommel has the flat inner center area with the umbrella-like sections, running around the circumference. There is no sign that this tang pommel has been out in modern times. The D-guard is in excellent condition and passes through the crossguard, forming a teardrop ending with a partially drilled decorative hole on each side. The ferrule also matches the patina throughout but is slightly darker since it has the original factory black background. It depicts the six standing oak leaves separately by acorns. The detail throughout these depictions is outstanding. The ebony grip is in fine condition, having no chips or problems. This grip is tightly wrapped with copper wire, which nicely matches the grip eagle insert. This copper police eagle is an overlapping oak leaf wreath superimposed over the center area. The bird has good detail to its head, breast feathering, wing feathering, talons, wreath and mobile swastika. A nice untouched hilt here! The scabbard of this example is mostly straight but there is a ding at the obverse at about 2/3rds of the way down. Also, most of the black paint seems to have been worn off of the lower part of the scabbard shell. The paint is still good at the upper areas and some of the reverse area. I guess that this shell could use a new paint job or sometimes with a little effort with some wax or some white sanding, a lot of blending in can be done. The lower officer’s fitting is the lined style tape, showing the same patination throughout its surfaces. I can see, though, that the black is still in the decorative lines. This chape is retained by two dome head side screws. The upper scabbard mount also matches the patination. It features a crisp wotons knot pattern and actually, it appears as though almost all of the original blacking is still between the webs. The two screws are in place, being steel type flatter head variety; one in the center of each lower loop. There are no SS markings on the scabbard throat or the lower hilt of this Degen. The blade of this example is almost 32 inches in length. Although it is not done in a plated surface, the blade is slightly brighter than most. This very fine blade is easily in near mint condition. This blade is unmarked and is buffered by a brown leather washer, showing slight age but still in place. A great Degen here for someone who wants to work a little bit to clean it up and give it life again. There is a lot to work with here!

    Excellent. $995.00

19.  SSPOL #30838 Police Officer Degen - Alcoso

    This Police Officer Degen shows some age, but overall, it is still collectable and if the next purchaser wanted to work on it some, I’m sure it would clean up a little more than the state it is currently in. The hilt parts are the usual nickel plate over steel. The plating has lifted or thinned in a few areas throughout the “D” guard and built-in ferrule below. Again, a little work and this might clean up some. The quillon ends in a downward teardrop, and this example does not have the decorative drilling. The pommel cap is in fairly good condition, showing age commensurate with the “D” guard below, but still pretty good. The upper cap is plain and the edges are segmented. The edges are still smooth, an indication that this tang nut has not been improperly removed. The ferrule below has a darkened finish. On all Alcoso Police swords the ferrule, as well as the top and bottom scabbard fittings, were silverplated. I do not know why Alcoso did this, as they were the only producer to affect this measure. The ferrule has fairly good detail to the standing oak leaves, and it is interesting to note how the two areas where the casting flaws occurred, have hand done oak leaf edges as well as hand done acorns. I like to look at this engraving work, as I’m sure many of you other collectors do also. These are the things that make the difference on German weapons vs. any other weapons from the time or made now. The scabbard is straight throughout, having pretty good original black paint. This paint has some spidering in it, but there are not many chips and, overall, the paint looks to be about 95%. I’m sure that with a little wax and some rubbing, this scabbard would come up pretty nice. As mentioned above, the upper and lower parts have the Alcoso silverplated finish. Some of the silvering is thinning, and there is some age on both fittings, but it is not too bad. The lower mount is retained by two flush mount headless side screws. The upper mount has the typical Wotan knot. There is not much blackening between the weave, but it is commensurate with the rest of this Degen. This mount is retained by two flatter head screws, that are larger than those used by any other maker. You can usually spot an Alcoso Police Degen from across the room, if you know to look for these larger screws. There are no SS markings on the lower hilt or upper scabbard throat, as Alcoso did not do this. The blade is a fairly healthy 33½ inches in length. It has a typical matte finish, being just slightly brighter than some of them that we see. This blade is in choice condition, and rates in a near mint state. The reverse ricasso is stamped with the Alcoso trademark used between 1937 and 1939. This mark consists of the scales, having the firm’s initials “ACS” interspersed. Above the scales is the firm’s name written in block capital letters in an arch, “ALCOSO”. Beneath is the location town stamping, “Solingen”. The original leather black blade washer is in place. The washer shows some usage, but it is all there. Not a bad piece here that will clean up some, and it is priced accordingly.

    $1,095.00

20.  SSPOL #30840 Police NCO Degen with No Scabbard – Puma

    This Police Degen has no scabbard, but perhaps there is someone out there that has a loose scabbard to mate it up with. Normally, I would save a piece like this in the hopes that I would find a scabbard to fit but I have 3 or 4 scabbards now, and none of them fit this blade which is about 33 ¼ inches in length. So let someone else do the looking on this example. The Degan hilt is the usual NCO type, having the flat style pommel. This pommel is a solid nickel version, making it really quite nice. It has no tool marks on it and is in good crisp condition. The “D” guard and quillon show age to the nickel plated surfaces and there is some wear to the plating, particularly around the quillon, and minor amounts on the inside of the “D” ring. It is not too bad, though, and should clean up some. The ferrule is an extremely nice example. It features the 6 standing oak leaves separated by acorns, but the veins have been done differently than I remember seeing them on other pieces. Instead of the little circles or small lines to insert the veins, these leaves have two straight lines in the center, and then there are little wiggly lines that go off into each small portion of the leaf. This is quite good looking and very well done. Also, the two areas where the casting flaws occurred have been completely hand engraved to the leaf edges and the creation of matching acorns – very nice indeed! This ferrule also has nice darkening in all of the recesses. The grip is also in fairly good shape. This ebony grip is perfect on the obverse, but on the reverse the top segment where the upper ferrule rests has broken off. This can be repaired, though, if the next owner is interested in having us do this work. The center grip has the NCO style aluminum Police Eagle countersunk, making it flush. This eagle has the overlapping oak leaf wreath in the rear, and superimposed is an open-winged Police Eagle facing to the viewer’s left. This eagle has good definition to its head, breast, open wing feathering, talons, wreath, and mobile swastika. As mentioned above, the blade is 33¼ inches. The blade has some dark spots in the surfaces, but since these pieces were finished with a matte surface, it would be possible to sand out some of this age and re-polish the blade accordingly. This is not a big deal. This blade has no nicks or other problems, so it might be worth the effort. The reverse ricasso is stamped with the trademark, having a diamond with a Puma cat inside of the diamond, and the firm’s name below the cat’s head, and enclosed within the geometric figure. Below is the location city of “Solingen”. The original blade washer is gone to time, and there are no SS markings on the lower hilt as Puma did not do this. A good project here for someone and priced accordingly.

    Good Plus. $495.00

21.  SSPOL #30839 Police Officer Degen

    This Police Officer Degen appears to have been produced by the same firm that made the “no maker marked” SS Degens. It has many of the features that we see on these SS Degens, and I’m sure you guys who know your stuff will recognize these things in the description. The hilt parts of this Degen are all nickel plated, and the “D” guard has the built-in step-up at the top with ferrule beneath. The lower hilt ends in a small teardrop, which is partially drilled on each side. The nickel plating is not bad throughout these hilt parts. It shows some mild age, but I don’t see anything that’s really through the plating, so with a little work this would clean up quite nice. The pommel cap is also a fine matching example. This cap has the smooth top with serrated segments that run around the circumference. There are no burrs around this tang nut. The ferrule below is also a fine example, having dark blackening in the recesses. The 6 standing oak leaves are fine examples, and in addition to the enhancing of the veins, there are also little circles drawn throughout the leaves to give relief. The acorns in between also have hand-checkered caps. A nice ferrule here! The ebony grip of this example is the style that was lacquered when it was first produced. Some of the lacquer is still on the grip. In the areas where the lacquer remains, the ebony has a darker look to it. The areas where the lacquer wore off has a slight brown tinge to the wood. We see this same effect on many SS Degen. The grip is in perfect condition throughout, and is tightly wrapped with nickel wire. The center area has a countersunk copper Police Officer’s insignia. This insignia shows some mild wear to the surfaces, but the details are still there. The insignia has an oval wreath of overlapping oak leaves with a superimposed open-winged Police Eagle looking to the left. The head is fairly smooth and there is some wear to the breast feathering, but the wing feathering, wreath, and swastika are still clear. The lower portion of the hilt is stamped with the SS Kulturzeichen. The scabbard shell is basically straight throughout. It has a couple of wearing signs, but nothing that could be termed a dent. The paint is a muted black color and it appears to be original and all there, except for a few chips. This paint rates at maybe 98%. The lower scabbard mount is the style that has the blackening in the lines, and maybe 60% to 70% of this remains. This mount has no screws in the side, as apparently it was put on hot, and when it cooled it stayed in place. The upper mount has the usual Wotan’s knot. There, apparently, was darkening between the weave, but there are only traces of it remaining. It is maybe 10%, that is all. The mount is secured by 2 domehead steel screws that are installed on the lower loop of each side. The throat is also stamped with the SS Kulturzeichen. The 31 inch blade is an interesting example. This blade is not marked and it also has received a period nickel plated surface. This has resulted in a blade having a bright finish rather than the matte finish we usually see. Unfortunately, this blade apparently had some contact with moisture. There are some small pitted places on both sides of the ricasso and they extend to a couple of places on the blade, stretching out to about 6 inches. The rest of the blade still retains its original quality nickel finish and is nice and bright. This blade is unmarked and is protected by an in-place white leather washer. A pretty neat Police Officer Degen here, and if it had a different grip it would have been an SS Degan. An interesting piece.

    Excellent. $1,195.00

22.  SSPOL #30837 Police NCO Degen - WKC

    This WKC produced Police Degen shows some overall age, but a lot of this would clean up with minimal effort. The nickel hilt plating still looks good throughout most of the hilt. There are a couple of age spots, but 98% of this hilt just needs a little bit of semi-chrome and some care. The “D” guard curves downward to a small teardrop quillon, and it is not partially drilled. The pommel cap is the NCO style being flat on the top. This pommel cap does not appear to ever have been turned and there are no tool marks anywhere on it. The ferrule is a nice example, having darkening in the backgrounds and lots of handwork. The engraver put in plenty of veins, and he also did some work on the acorn caps. On the casting areas the engraver totally engraved the acorns, and then on the top area between the leaves engraved their shape and covered the center with lots of random dots. Pretty nice ferrule! The grip of this example is a good ebony. It shows a couple of bumps in the surfaces of the ribs, mostly at the top area, but there are no broken parts, chips, or splits. This grip is still in pretty good shape. Since it is an NCO example, it has no wire. The police insignia is the aluminum type that was used for NCO usage. It consists of an ovalled wreath of overlapping oak leaves that have a superimposed Police Eagle, having open wings and looking to the viewer’s left. The head and breast feathering show a little mild wear but are still there, and the detail is still good to the wing feathering, wreath, and mobile swastika. Not a bad hilt here. The scabbard shows some carrying signs and there is one tiny ding at about the half-way point in the obverse, but it is not bad and not that noticeable. The original paint also shows some scuffing and rust towards the bottom area, and around the center area there is also some rust that has replaced the painted surfaces. All of this would clean up, though, with a little bit of mild effort. This paint rates at approximately 85%. The lower chape, of course, has the built in drag, as this is an NCO version. The upper mount has the Wotan’s knot design, and there is good darkening still remaining between the web. This darkening is probably about 80% to 85%. The mount is secured by steel domehead screws, one in each side of the lower loop. The blade has the typical matte finish and it is in pretty good shape, showing only minor age. This blade measures slightly more than 31 inches. It grades at about excellent plus, plus, but could clean up, too, with minimum effort. As we usually see with WKC made blades, there is an “SS Kulturzeichen” stamped on the reverse ricasso. This is where WKC chose to put this marking, and it will never be found on the lower hilt or the upper scabbard mount like other producers that used the mark. The obverse ricasso is stamped with the knighthead logo, and below it the initials of the firm, “WKC”. The original black washer is in place. Once again, I think that this Degen would clean up quite a bit and it is priced accordingly.

    Excellent. $995.00

23.  SSPOL #30860 Police NCO Degen - Paul Weyersberg

    This Police Degan is really in nice overall condition. The nickel plated hilt mounts all have their original finish and really look great, being 100%. The “D” guard, crossguard and quillon, ends in a small teardrop. The pommel cap above is the flat variety, as this is an NCO version. This pommel cap also has outstanding plating and no signs of tool marks. The ferrule of this example is an outstanding one, having good detail to the 6 standing oak leaves and the acorns in between. There does not appear to be any factory darkening in the backgrounds, but because of the nice detail here, it doesn’t need it. The grip of this example is a very fine ebony. The reverse of the grip is absolutely perfect, showing no use at all. The obverse is also choice, showing only a couple of taps in the two ribs above the insignia, but they would be easy to cover with a little darkening polish, or even Magic Marker. This is a really nice ebony grip here. This grip, of course, has no wire as it is the NCO version. In the center, countersunk flat, is a fine Police aluminum NCO Eagle. This bird still has most of the original detail, which is commensurate with the rest of the Degan. The bird’s head, breast feathering, wing feathering, wreath, and swastika are still extremely clear. Wrapped about the lower portion of this hilt is what appears to be the original Police troddel. This troddel is the larger type, having black leather strapping. The strapping is decorated with triple rows of aluminum stitch wire. A little bit of the red contrasting wire still remains in the center, but most of this red wire has gone to time. The leather shows some usage on all of the edges but is still intact, and if left alone, will stay there for many years to come. The slide is a black leather weave that has red and bullion highlights. The stem is flat having a crochet-like surface, and you can see the metal below. The oval ball is of yarn-like bullion, and the cat’s anus-style stuffing is done with black, white, and red thread. The scabbard of this example is nice and straight throughout. The paint is still bright, showing some age in the surfaces and a few scuffs, but overall this paint is really in good shape compared to most of them that you see. This paint cleaned up would easily rate in a near mint state. The 33½ inch long blade has the usual matte finish and, frankly, it is as nice as you will see. This blade is in a mint state. The reverse ricasso is marked with a dark etched double oval trademark. The ovals contain the firm’s name and location, “Paul Weyersberg & Co., Solingen”. Inside is a downward pointing Roman-like sword positioned between two wheat sheafs. A nice blade here! This blade is protected by a off-white color leather washer. There are no SS markings on this sword, as Paul Weyersberg did not do this. A very nice example here, that with minimal work will really clean up to be a sensational piece.

    Near Mint. $1,395.00

24. SSPOL #30672C Dachau Produced SS Officer's Degen with Portepee

    I am very pleased to be able to offer this outstanding Dachau produced SS officer degen as I have not had one of these to see in quite some time. SS officer degens are becoming ultra rare. This example is a classic Dachau produced piece which were done under the supervision of Paul Müller. Müller produced these swords using stainless steel for the blades and the hilt parts and scabbard mounts were chrome plated steel instead of the usual nickel-plated types. This example is even nicer than the book example I show in color on page 390, right. The pommel is in choice condition having absolutely no burring or problems. This pommel is the officer type having a smooth top with an umbrella like fluted edge exactly like the piece on page 390. The D-guard and upper ferrule exactly match the finish of the lower ferrule. Unlike the earlier pieces the ferrules at Dachau only had the images of the standing oak leaves and acorns separating them but they did not bother to darken them like the earlier types. The areas between the two leaves have some pebbling added. The quillon end coming from the D-guard ends in a teardrop. The teardrop does not have the partial drilling like the earlier pieces did. The grip of this example is a choice ebony wood in totally perfect condition with no chips, cracks or problems. This beautiful grip is tightly wrapped with nickel wire. The runes button appears to be an earlier nickel type rather than the later chrome style we usually see used on the Dachau swords. It is definitely an original button and may have just been a question of using up materials. There is a fine SS portepee wrapped about the hilt. This portepee shows a little bit of wear and some age but there is no fraying or any problems. The strapping is the textured bullion style having twin black lines decorating the edges of both sides. The slide is a woven bullion wire and the stem below is the flatter type being slightly bulbous in the center areas. The bullion fabric on both sides depicts a black circle with SS runes inside. The knot below is of aluminum bullion in an oval shape and it is stuffed with material matching the strapping. A very beautiful hilt here! The scabbard of this example is the typical thinner type used at Dachau. This scabbard is perfect throughout with no dings or problems and has remarkable original black paint. This black paint shows only the most modest of usage and it is in near mint condition. The only wear at all I see on the paint is a little bit around the “U bracket” on the back and also on the carrying band at the front. The scabbard mounts are also the thinner type used at Dachau. These chrome mounted mounts have the basket weave that we call the Wotan’s knot. They have a nice pebble effect in between the weave but like the ferrule there is no darkening. This upper mount is retained with two headless side screws. The later pieces would have the mounts retained with dome head screws in the obverse and reverse lower loop. The lower scabbard mount is pressed into place. This mount has standard line decoration and there is some darkening in the backgrounds but not like the earlier models. A textbook scabbard here. The Dachau pieces are not SS stamped so we do not see these markings on the lower hilt or the throat area. The blade of this example is bright and mint throughout being the stainless steel type. It measures a little over 32 inches in length and shows no wear and has an outstanding finish. This blade is buffered by an in place black leather washer. Normally the Dachau pieces used standard leather washers, not the white type. This is really an outstanding SS officer’s degen. The only variance from a textbook piece is the nickel runes button in the grip. It is definitely an original runes button and as mentioned above I feel that it represents a using up of parts that Müller may have had on hand. There are so few SS officer swords offered for sale these days I urge the person with the proper pocketbook and desire to invest in this beauty.

    Mint Minus. $11,995.00

25. SSPOL #29540 Police NCO Degen - Paul Weyersburg

    This NCO degen is in nice condition throughout. The hilt fittings have excellent nickel-plated surfaces and with just a little bit of mild cleaning it appears as though these fittings would clean to mint. The pommel cap is the flatter style NCO type and the D-guard is in good condition throughout flowing to a teardrop quillon end. The upper ferrule is built into the design. The ferrule at the lower area consists of the traditional six standing oak leaves separated by acorns. There is some noticeable handwork done to the acorn leaves, however the veins are a relief part of the design with this producer. There are no SS stampings on the Paul Weyersberg pieces. The grip is a fine ebony having thirteen horizontal rib sections. There is no grip wire on the NCO version. The grip is in fine condition having no chips or problems. There is a small flat portion to the rib just above the insignia but there are no breaks or problems. The insignia is the NCO type being produced of aluminum. It portrays an oval wreath with an open-winged police eagle superimposed. The eagle clutches an oak leaf wreath which contains a mobile swastika. The detail to the bird is still in excellent condition. The scabbard of this example is basically straight having a couple of very minor dings but nothing that you could really call a dent. The paint is original and is still factory bright throughout rating at about 98%. Even the lower built-in drag still has most of its paint and no rust. This is an indication that the sword was not stored on the cellar floor as many of them were. The upper fitting is the traditional nickel-plated type featuring the, “Wotan’s knot” design. The areas between the weave of the knot have excellent pebbled surfaces but I don’t see any blackening. I doubt that Weyersberg did this as the ferrule has no blackening either. This fitting is retained by two dome head screws, one located in each of the lower loops on the respective side. The blade of this degen is 33 ½-inches in length. This is quite long and looks impressive. This blade is in near full mint condition, the only age on it is a little bit of staining which is right at the ricasso area of both sides. The staining is probably just a little surface rust and some of it, or most of it, could be cleaned out. The reverse ricasso is etched with the double oval logo used by this firm. The double ovals trap the firm’s name and location, “Paul Weyersberg & Co. Solingen”. Inside is a downward pointing sword placed within a wreath of oak leaves. The original white leather washer is in place and is still in exceptional condition. This is a very nice police NCO degen and should go well in any collection.

    Excellent Plus, Plus. $1695.00

26. SSPOL #28049 Early Police/Fire Saber - WKC

    As most serious sword collectors know, the police degen was not adopted until 1938. Prior to this time, the different State police forces around Germany carried a number of different side arms. This example is the type that I normally associate with fire police. It is a gilded brass plain style hilt having smooth pommel, “d” guard and plain langet with quillon end in the form of a teardrop. The gilding appears to be long gone from the surfaces but the brass is still in pretty good condition. The grip appears to be some sort of a celluloid over wood base. There are a couple of fractures in the celluloid at the bottom rib but the rest of it is okay. Also, there is only half of the original wire wrap remaining. This wire wrap remains at the upper portion of the grip and features triple twisted wire, the center being slightly larger in girth. There are also the remains of a leather finger hook installed between the ferrule and cross guard. The portion of the leather loop which would stick out has broken off and is gone to time. The scabbard of this example is a blued form. Contrasting with the blue color tone is a brass carrying band and ring. There are a number of dents and dings on both sides of the scabbard. Also, the two screws which retain the throat are missing, but the throat is in place. I know that I have not described a very good conditioned edged weapon here, but the blade, fortunately, makes up for a lot. This curved saber blade is 32 inches in length. It has excellent nickel plated surfaces and is still bright and extremely nice. There is a dedication which is professionally engraved in the lower segment of the blade on the obverse. This dedication would apply to fire police or perhaps just plain police, but since the hilt is the type I normally associate with fire police, I would say that the dedication comes from one of these groups. The dedication reads ‘Ihrem “Ersten” Hundertschaftsführer” zur Erinnerung. Ihe Revierhundertschaft Delmenhorst 29. 9. 1932'. I assume that this dedication means that the sword was given to the leader of a group of 100 police and they come from the police force in the town of Delmenhorst. Assumedly, the sword was presented on 29 September 1932. The collectors out there that study police terminology probably would be familiar with the verbology mentioned in this dedication. I wish the outside of the sword was in the condition of the blade but the edged weapon is priced accordingly.

    Excellent Minus. $695.00

27. SSPOL #22164 Police NCO Degen – Carl Julius Krebs

    The Carl Julius Krebs name is not seen frequently on police swords. This is the first one that I remember carrying. This sword has a pretty good nickel plated hilt. There is very little age to this plating. The plating runs throughout the flat pommel cap, the “D” guard and sweeps down through the quillon area, ending in a small teardrop. The ferrule at the top is built into the design and the ferrule at the bottom is a separate piece, having six standing oak leaves separated by acorns. The designs appear to have hand-enhancing in the veins as well as somewhat in the checkering of the acorn caps. The grip is an excellent piece of ebony wood. It has 13 ribs and other than some normal wear signs, is in perfect condition throughout. There are no chips or problems in this grip. The center obverse has a recessed NCO police eagle inserted. This eagle is the aluminum type and it portrays an open-winged bird looking to the viewer’s left clutching a wreathed swastika. The bird is superimposed over an oval wreath of oak leaves. Not a bad hilt here. The scabbard of this example is in straight condition and has outstanding original black factory paint. This paint only shows nominal wear and age. In fact, it could grade at near mint if cleaned up a little bit. The NCO version has the drag built into the lower scabbard. The upper scabbard is fitted with the woton’s knot style throat mount. The areas between the knot do not show any darkening, but studying the area I don’t think they ever had it. The fitting is retained by two dome head screws which are in the lower swirl area. There are no SS proofings on this sword. The 29-inch long straight blade is the matte finish type. It does have some age stains pretty much throughout both sides of the blade but perhaps with a little work some of this could be reduced. The reverse ricasso is stamped with a small oval design. Inside of the perimeter is the firm’s name and location “Carl Julius Krebs Solingen”. In the center is a crown over the letter “k”. There is a small amount of the original washer still remaining, but it is only maybe 25%. This degen could use a new leather washer. Not a bad piece here - if the blade were better it would grade higher, as the outside is in very nice condition.

    Excellent Plus, Plus. $1195.00

28. SSPOL #28177 Police NCO Degen - Peter Dan Krebs

    This police degen shows some age spots to the hilt fittings where there was some rust and it has subsequently been removed. The spots, though, still remain in the hilt. The pommel cap is the flat style. It is in good shape, also showing removal of a little rust at the upper area. The “d” guard comes through the cross guard area and ends in a small teardrop quillon. The ferrule is in excellent condition, depicting the 6 standing oak leaves separated by alternating acorns. These acorns have handwork to their checkered cap and the vein to the oak leaves has the little circles engraved into their design. This ferrule is in good condition, having the original darkening in the backgrounds. The grip is an ebony wood and it remains in perfect condition. It has 13 segments and since this is an NCO degen, there is no grip wire. The center area has an aluminum police insignia. The insignia features a background of an oval oak leaf wreath and superimposed is an open-winged eagle which looks to the viewer’s left and clutches a wreath with swastika. The eagle still has excellent detail throughout as do the feathers. Fortunately, the moisture that had gotten to the metal hilt fittings did not bother this grip at all, as it is in excellent condition. The blade of this degen is 33 inches in length. It is the normal matte finish type and this blade is in excellent condition throughout, rating near mint. It features the 2nd style trademark used by this firm. It is a shield device which contains a lobster inside. Around this shield in block letters is the name of the firm and their location “Peter Van Krebs Solingen”. The scabbard is straight throughout. The end fitting is the “built-in” chape, as is the case with NCO models. The paint on this example looks to have been redone several years ago. It appears to be a professional job, as this paint is quite thick and very well done. The upper scabbard fitting is marked with the SS Kulturzeichen matching the stamping on the lower hilt. This upper scabbard fitting has good detail to the Woton’s knot and there is also some original black paint remaining in the pebbled areas in between. The scabbard fitting is retained by two dome head screws, one on the obverse and reverse positioned within the lower loop. A decent police degen here, priced accordingly.

    Excellent. $995.00