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 #35034C Early SS Silver Panther Head Sword – Richard Abr. Herder

   This Panther Head Sword is of heavy brass base having fine silver plated finish. The silvering shows a little bit of wear here and there but overall the silvering is at least 95% . These swords were probably purchased by early SS members prior to the time when the degen first came out in 1936. It is also possible that the sword was used by Land Customs officials as it has green faceted eyes in the head. Either way though whether it be SS or Land Customs it is still a very rare and desirable piece.

   The panther head has outstanding deep enhancements to the lower jaw, the whiskers, the nasal area, the brow and also to the short mane behind the head. As stated above the cat is equipped with faceted green eyes. The backstrap has oak leaves which are raised out and show lots of enhancing. The oak leaves and acorns extend into the grip tabs. The “P” guard is equipped with raised out oak leaves and acorns. The crossguard features an open-winged eagle with the head turned toward the viewer’s left. This eagle has outstanding detail, most of which has all been hand applied. There is a fine look to the bird’s eye, beak, breast feathering, wing feathering, talons, wreath and raised swastika. The reverse langet has oak leaves which leave a raised opening with smooth surface for a monogram. The ferrule also has outstanding raised oak leaves and acorns. The grip of this piece is a hand carved wood base with black celluloid covering. The celluloid is in perfect condition and is tightly wrapped with triple silver wire, the center being twisted.

   There is a black cloth style portepee having triple silver stitching running the length. This portepee would have been the type that the SS used prior to the introduction of the SS standard knot. The slide is of intertwined leather and the stem is of silver bullion being the crochet type showing the metal base beneath. The lower ball is of heavy bullion material having a stuffing of black thread. This knot is set in place and although it shows age, there is no fraying and like I say it appears original to this piece. The scabbard shell is straight throughout. The paint appears to have been redone but many, many years ago. The paint job is good and has a dull-like finish to it and is at least 99%. This same sword hilt is shown in the Angolia Sword book on page 87 and Angolia indicates that the national emblem was silver plated on the sword. This would tend to indicate that Herder produced this sword for a number of organizations as opposed to just army types. The blade of this sword is 33 inches in length. Although it has a good nickel finish there is some age and minor amounts of pitting mostly around the center of the blade. It is not bad however as the plating is still fairly good throughout. The sword is marked on the reverse, “R. Herder / Solingen”. The original black leather blade buffer is in place. A very rare and desirable sword here.

   Excellent. $2,995.00

2. SSPOL #35036C Police Officer Degen – Alcoso

   This Alcoso produced degen is still in fine condition throughout the hilt mounts. The “D” guard, upper ferrule and pommel are all produced of nickel-plated steel. The nickel finish is still excellent throughout showing little age and no problems with any pits. The pommel at the top still has excellent segments throughout the circumference and it appears unturned. As is normally the case with only Alcoso degens the lower ferrule is a silver plated mount. The six standing oak leaves are all black with patination and show outstanding detail throughout.

   The grip is a fine ebony still being in perfect condition. This grip is tightly wrapped with matching nickel wire. In the center is an applied copper police eagle. This eagle shows little to no wear featuring the bird outstretched over a wreath of oak leaves. The bird has excellent detail to his head, breast feathering, wing feathering, talons, wreath and mobile swastika. Decorating the hilt is a fine cloth style officer’s portepee. This portepee features triple stitching having two rows of aluminum on each edge and a center row of highlighting red. The knot shows only minor wear and is in excellent condition. The slide is composed of black thread with red highlights and the stem is the flat type with bullion crochet-like covering revealing the flat metal beneath. The knot is bullion with alternating rows of green. The stuffing in the lower part of the ball is of green felt showing a little bit of mothing but not bad.

   The scabbard shell is nice and straight throughout. This shell has good original black paint showing some minor crazing and some carrying signs. Overall though the paint is at least 95% and is in excellent condition. Like the ferrule, Alcoso also silver plated the upper and lower mount of their scabbard. The upper mount has the Wotan knot design. It is nicely patinated throughout and is retained by a screw in each lower loop. With Alcoso, these screws are always larger than any other producer’s type. The lower mount is in good condition with fine decorative lines. It too is patinated and is retained by flat head flush mount side screws. The blade of this example is 32½ inches in length. It has an outstanding matte finish and remains in near full mint condition. The reverse ricasso is stamped with the trademark used from 1937-1939. This trademark features a set of scales having the firm’s initials “ACS” interspersed. Above the scales in an arch shape is the firm’s name, “Alcoso” and below the location city, “Solingen”. The washer on this example is a white leather type. A very nice police officer’s sword here.

   Excellent Plus, Plus. $1,595.00

3. SSPOL #34886C SS NCO Degen – Alcoso

   This fine SS NCO Degen is in excellent condition throughout and very collectible. The hilt is of nickel-plated steel base and I’m happy to say that all of the plating is in excellent condition throughout with no rusting or lifting. This plating really looks great! The pommel top has the raised SS runes in the center with 100% of the original darkening in the backgrounds. This fine pommel looks every bit as good as the one that I show in my SS book on page 397. The “D” guard is in choice condition throughout swooping down through the crossguard and ending with a teardrop. The ferrule at the top is built into the “D” guard. The lower ferrule is the normal style having six upward pointing oak leaves separated by acorns. It is interesting to note that the ferrule as well as the top scabbard mount on Alcoso police and SS degens is normally silver-plated. This is the case with this example also. The ebony grip is a choice example being in totally perfect condition with very crisp ribs. As is the case with NCO examples the grip does not have wire wrap. An extremely nice hilt here.

   The scabbard shell is straight throughout. This shell has excellent original black paint. The paint shows some attic crazing in the surfaces of both sides but overall it is still at least 98% and will really clean up nice if someone wanted to give it a coat of wax. The bottom chape on the NCO scabbards is built in. The top mount, as mentioned above, is the silver-plated type and it features the Wotan knot. There is no darkening in the backgrounds but it may have been just worn off. There is good pebbling however. The Alcoso upper mounts are also distinguishable as the screw which is located on both sides in the lower loop, is larger than the type used by other makers. Alcoso did not SS proof their mounts.

   The blade of this example is about 31½ inches in length. It is in pristine condition having the matte finish. The tip is still needlelike and the blade shows virtually no usage being in mint condition. The reverse ricasso is stamped with the trademark used from 1937-1939. It consists of a set of scales having the firm’s initials interspersed “ACS”. Above the scales in an arch shape is block lettered the name of the firm, “Alcoso” and at the bottom the location city of “Solingen”. The original brown leather blade washer is in place. A very fine textbook SS NCO degen.

   Near Mint. $2,995.00

4. SSPOL #34674 Police Officer's Degen – WMW Waffen

   It is very rare to see a Police Officer's Degen by WMW. In fact, I did not know that they produced this model as it is missing from my list of police makers in my SS book. This degen is a beauty having really outstanding nickel-plated hilt. All of the parts to this hilt are still in choice mint condition. The sword has been cleaned by its last owner and really looks its best. The “D” guard is a beauty extending down through the crossguard and ending in a teardrop. The pommel cap is also a great looking part having the fluted edges with no sign of it ever being taken down. The ferrule displays the six standing oak leaves separated by acorns at the bottom of each leaf. The areas in between have nice pebbling and there is good factory darkening in all the fine crisp veins.

   The grip is an outstanding piece of ebony being in totally perfect condition. This ebony grip is tightly wrapped with nickel wire. A matching cover plate does the job on the reverse. It is interesting to note that the officer’s grip insignia is aluminum instead of the usual copper. This is definitely a police officer insignia however and must have been produced this way by the WMW firm or their hardware contractor. The eagle still shows full detail like we would believe with a sword in this condition. This bird is open-winged clutching a wreath with swastika superimposed on an oval wreath of oak leaves. An extremely fine hilt here!

   The scabbard shell is also a beauty being straight throughout the obverse and having just one minor little ripple around halfway down on the reverse. The rest of the shell is perfect, with outstanding original paint.This paint still retains a factory brightness. The lower drag has a bright nickel finish as well as all of the original factory darkening still present in the accent grooves. The mount is retained by domehead screws. The upper mount has a fine nickel finish to the Wotan's Knot, and fine pebbled backgrounds. It does not appear to have had the blackening between the overlapping knots, but has good patination.

   The choice, 22 inch long blade has a quality nickel finish, and not the matte that we usually see; nice. This blade is mint. The reverse ricasso is stamped, "WMW Waffen". The original dark brown leather washer is in place. This is an outstanding and seldom-seen Police Officer Degen

   Near Mint. $1,795.00

5. SSPOL #34099C SS Silver Dove Head Sword with Dedicated Triple Etched Blade – Alcoso

   This SS Silver Dove Head Sword has a fine silvered finish which is completely patinated. The sword does not appear to have been cleaned since the war. The silvering shows a little bit of thinning around the pommel top area and also along the edges of the “P” guard. Overall though the silvering is about 90% intact. This sword depicts a series of oak leaves being throughout the hilt. There is a large sprig at the pommel which is separated by a border below. The back strap has very fine oak leaves and acorns which extend onto the grip tabs. The leaves have all been hand enhanced. The same is true of the “P” guard which has more oak leaves with hand enhanced veins. It is interesting to note that this “P” guard is retained to the crossguard via a factory screw at the outside bottom end. It does not appear as though the guard was broken but on the other hand, was made this way. The crossguard depicts a typical Alcoso open-winged eagle. The bird looks to the viewer’s right and has excellent hand done detail to his eye, beak and breast feathering. The wings are of a standard length and there are raised oak leaves which go around the depiction. There is a wreath within the eagle’s claws having a vaulted mobile swastika in the center. Above the crossguard is a matching silvered ferrule depicting budding oak leaves and acorns. The reverse crossguard langet has a raised oval for purposes of initials and it has a smooth top. The oval is decorated with oak leaves which run completely around the depiction. The grip is a carved wood base covered with black celluloid which is in perfect condition. It is wrapped with triple twisted brass wire, the center being slightly larger for contrast.

   The scabbard is completely straight throughout and has very good original black paint. This paint shows a bit of spidering here and there and some carrying time but overall it is at least 90-95% and still has good luster to its finish. The blade is a fine triple etched example having outstanding nickel-plated finish. Other than a few in and out marks at the end area of the blade it remains in mint condition. The etch pattern consists of all floral designs with crossed swords on the reverse and on the obverse there is a dedication panel placed between the floraling. The two line dedication is raised out with beautiful frosted background. The presentation reads, “Für Führer, Volk und Vaterland / v. Deiner Else 20.10.35.”. This dedication reads, “For Führer, People and Fatherland from your Else on 20 October 1935”. This sword more than likely was a gift from the SS officer’s wife or girlfriend. This early date would have been prior to the introduction of the official degen and the design and look of the sword conform with this early time. The spine is raised etched with laurel leafing. This is a very fine interesting sword. I don’t think that there is enough information here to do any research but still, it is an interesting and very beautiful blade. This sword would go great to accompany an advanced SS collection. The addition of an SS portepee would make a great touch also for this sword as we know for certain that these portepees were first introduced in 1935. A fine example here of a very rarely seen early SS sword.

   Excellent. $6,495.00

6. SSPOL #33901 Police Officer Degen – Puma

   This Police Officer Degen was recently purchased by me directly from a veteran family. The Degen is in nice condition throughout, having good, bright nickel plating throughout its hilt. The “D” guard is type with the upper ferrule built in, and it flows nicely around through the crossguard to a teardrop quillon, which has a partial drilling on both sides. The pommel is the style with the umbrella-like fluting which goes around the outside edges of the cap. The inside has a good, nickel-plated center. There are no signs that this pommel cap has ever been removed. The lower ferrule is also an outstanding example, having lots of hand work to the veins of the six standing oak leaves. Each oak leaf is separated by an acorn, and the backgrounds have a nice factory darkening still intact. The ebony grip is a beauty, being in totally perfect condition. The grip is tightly wrapped with nickel wire, and has a fine cover plate on the reverse. The center grip has a flush-mounted Police Eagle. This eagle is of copper, and has fine detail throughout the backing wreath of oak leaves as well as to the birds head, breast and wing feathering, talons, wreath, and mobile swastika. And outstanding hilt here.

   The scabbard of this example is nice and straight throughout both sides, and has outstanding original black paint. This paint is still nearly 100% throughout, showing only the most modest of age and carrying time, rating easily in near mint condition. The scabbard mounts are the nickel-plated type. The lower mount has the usual accent lines and they appear to have all of the darkening in their backgrounds. It is interesting to note that the bottom of the lower fitting has been completely worn flush, an indication that the wearer of this degen ordered a sword a bit too large for him, or it is also possible that he preferred to wear the sword low. Either way, the flat bottom is an interesting testament to the swords actual usage. This mount is retained by two dome head, nickel-plated screws, each located on one side. The upper mount has the “Wotan's Knot” design, and I would say about 95% of the original darkening is still within the web. The mount is retained by steel dome head screws, one on each side of the lower loop. There is no SS proofing on this sword, as Puma did not do this.

   The 32 inch blade is a real beauty, being in the matte finish and having a good, needle-like tip. The fine blade is in full mint condition. The reverse ricasso is stamped with a diamond containing the mountain lions head logo, with the name “Puma” and the location “Solingen” below it. The original brown leather blade washer is in place. A very nice Police Degen here!

   Near Mint. $1,695.00

7.  SSPOL #33801 Aluminum Lion Head Sword with SS Portepee – WKC

   This silver-finished aluminum Lion Head Sword is WKC Model #1016. WKC reserved this model for many other uses beyond just that of an Army Sword. This model can also be seen equipped for Land Customs, having green eyes, as well as paramilitary organizations such as Forestry and Shooting. Be that as it may, it definitely appears as if this example was purchased and worn by an SS Officer. Apparently this officer did not qualify for an Honor Degen, which was not unusual. In order to qualify for an Honor Degen, normally, if you were not a member of Himmler’s staff office you had to be a commander of a regiment or have the equivalent of Standartenführer rank. Those that did not qualify often purchased a degen which looked similar to SS types. These are what we refer to as “Officer and NCO Candidate” types. It was acceptable to wear a Lion Head sword of this style, and it was apparently done quite often by some members of the SS.

   This example exhibits some use throughout the surfaces, but no abuse. It features a silvered aluminum finish throughout, having a fine lion head that has been fitted with red faceted eyes. In my opinion when we see green faceted eyes on this type of sword, it was meant for Land Customs. The lion has outstanding detail to his teeth, whiskers, brow and mane. The back strap of the sword has a floral pattern, and in the plain area it is pebbled. There is a center area behind the grip tabs which has a place for a monogram. The “P” guard has the usual raised out oak leaves and acorns, with more floral details where the “P” guard becomes the cross guard. The cross guard on this sword features a stubby winged eagle which looks to the viewer’s right. The eagle has good detail throughout, and clutched a wreathed mobile swastika. The quillon ends in a swirl at the right.

   The grip of this example is of black celluloid over a wood base. When we first acquired the sword there was a small chip out of the celluloid just below the cat’s head. We were able to successfully repair this flaw, and unless you knew it was repaired I doubt that you would be able to see that there had been a problem. The grip is tightly wrapped with triple brass wire, the center being slightly larger.

   The sword is equipped with what appears to be its original SS Knot. This portepee is tied in the regulation manner, and although it shows much wear to the surfaces of the strapping it really does not have a lot of fraying. In fact, other than the wear and age, the knot is in fairly good condition. The surfaces have the textured motif in the center, and there are two sets of dual black lines which run the length. The knot shows a little wear in the place where it drapes over the swords hilt. The slide below has one of the interwoven sticking out, but it is not a problem. Below, at the stem, the surfaces are rounded at both sides and feature black circled SS Runes. The acorn has tight, yarn-like bullion, and is stuffed with material that matches the strapping. This knot definitely appears to be original to this sword.

   The scabbard is straight throughout. It retains its original black paint, but there is quite a bit of usage evenly spread throughout. The usage is similar to that seen on the portepee as well as the hilt. Who the original owner of this sword was, I believe that he wore it every day. The paint rates at maybe 85%. It could clean up some with a little waxing and some TLC. The carrying ring is the large type we associate with WKC Swords. The blade of this example is one of the longest I have ever seen. This blade measures a full 36 inches, so who the original owner of this sword was, we know he was an extremely tall man. A sword of this length would only have been worn by a man who stood in excess of 6’3. Unfortunately this long blade has apparently been handled over the years and has some smudging evenly spread throughout its surfaces. It still has brightness to it, and perhaps with a little work could be cleaned up substantially. It is what it is, though, and like the rest of the sword it all kind of flows together. The needle-like tip has a slight ripple in its surfaces, and looks as though the sword make have been stuck into something like a tree. It is not bad, however. The obverse ricasso is deeply stamped with the knight’s head WKC trademark. The original brown leather washer is in place.

   As stated above, there were many SS personnel that carried this type of sword, as they were not entitled to the regulation type. This would not be an early piece that was carried before the Model 1936 degen came out, so it definitely falls into the category non-regulation piece. This is an opportunity to acquire an interesting sword to add to your SS collection. This sword is not in the best of condition overall, but is priced accordingly.

   Excellent. $2,695.00

8. 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

9. 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 31 ½" 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

10. 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

11. 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

12. 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

13. 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 (#032113)

14. 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

15. 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 (#032113)

16. 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)

17. 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

18. 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

19. 

    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

20.  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

21.  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

22. 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

23. 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

24. 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