Product Details
WKC, SOLINGEN,
A LUFTWAFFE 1937 PATTERN DRESS DAGGER,
circa 1939, with plain double-edged 'stiletto' blade, makers mark (rubbed) at the forte, finely cast aluminium fittings to hilt, pale orange plastic grip-piece TOGETHER WITH its original steel scabbard with aluminium mounts and grey and silver cloth hanger with tobak fittings (grip-wire missing from hilt, scabbard lightly tarnished, hanger worn)
Provenance: The Luftwaffe second pattern dagger entered use in October 1937 and was discontinued from dress wear in December 1944. The pommel and cross guard was made from cast aluminium or alloy, some can be found with a silver anodised finish. An eagle with wings wide open holding a swastika in its talons was cast onto the cross guard face. The top arms have many forms ranging from engraved oak leaves to an embossed style. Many of these can be found with a dark oxide finish to a very pale gray finish as well with just darkened backgrounds to highlight details. The pommel often had the swastika at its centre gilded, the swastika's gold color ranging from a dull bronze to bright gold, surrounded by oak leaves. Again the finish varied greatly from a pale gray to near black finish or just to show highlights. The pommel screwed onto the blade tang to secure the grip, cross guard and blade. Grips came in a range of colours, the common ones being white, yellow and orange with silver wire running down the grip in an anti-clockwise direction. The wire thread wound around the grip could be a very fine, tightly wrapped wire, a few strands of wire twisted together or even a "spongy" wire wrap. This wire can be found in many different colours and materials ranging from brass to aluminium. As with the Army style dagger, extra cost items like real ivory or amber glass grips could be acquired. The scabbard was made from steel and fitted with two oak leaf covered hanger suspension rings. At the bottom of the scabbard was an enclosed panel where 3 oak leaves rise upwards from the tip. The finish of the scabbards can range from pale grey to a dark grey finish and there were extra cost finishes of silver and nickel. These were finished with a clear lacquer. Hangers had dual straps with blue and grey fronts and silver woven edges. The rear of the hangers was dark velvet. Hanger buckles were square with oak leaf motifs around the buckle edges. Now and then the U.E. RZM 10 hangers like the one presented here can also be found with a gold finish. The accoutrements were completed by the addition of a silver coloured Portapee knot.
Estimate £300-400