Original Item: One of a Kind. This is a very nice early 1st Model Luftwaffe Dagger, made by the desirable maker Solinger Metalwaren-Fabrik Stöcker & Co. GmbH, of Solingen, Germany. It was made in the mid to late 1930s, before 1938 when the change was made to use aluminum fittings. It has plated mounts throughout all being nickel alloy plated with blue oxide. The plating has worn in some areas, showing the base metal, however overall it is very well retained. The rim of the pommel shows some usage but there are no hits or problems. The vaulted pommel shows the original "Broken Sun Cross" swas medallions, which are probably the type that is inserted, and the brass on the emblems has oxidized. The grip is a carved wood base covered in blue Moroccan leather, showing wear through on the wider sides. It is triple wrapped with silver wire, with the center example being twisted.

The blade of this piece is a high quality nickel-plated example, which looks to have seen long service, causing the plating on the half of the blade near the tip to flake off in places, allowing the steel to oxidize. There is also some wear from the runners of the scabbard, and light scuffing from cleaning. There are no nicks on the edge, which is correctly unsharpened, and the tip of the blade is intact and unbent.

The SMF trademark logo on the blade ricasso features an etched king holding an upward pointing sword, and is known as the "Seated King". The king is sitting on the firm initials SMF and is positioned above an arch shaped town location SOLINGEN. Solinger Metalwaren-Fabrik Stöcker & Co. GmbH, also known as SMF, were one of the major suppliers of edged weapons to the Luftwaffe during WWII. As the name implies, they were located in Solingen, the legendary "City of Blades" in Western Germany. For more information, please see J. Anthony Carter's fine work GERMAN SWORD AND KNIFE MAKERS. Above the trademark is a Weimar style Waffenamt Eagle / 5, the standard acceptance mark for edged weapons in the Luftwaffe.

The steel scabbard shell is straight throughout with no major dents. The Moroccan leather covering the scabbard nicely matches the grip and is in very good condition. There are some areas where the leather finish has worn and/or cracked, but that is expected on a scabbard of this age. The mounts on this scabbard are all solid nickel alloy, originally fully oxide coated like the hilt, but now showing some wear through in areas. They do not show any major damage or wear, and are retained by headless flush mounted side screws, all five of which are still present.

The attached nickel alloy chain has nine ringlets making up the upper chain and fourteen on the lower. These two chains are attached to a nickel alloy snap clip, which is not marked. The chain and clip have a lovely mellow patina from light oxidation.

A very nice example of an early pattern 1st model Luftwaffe dagger by a very desirable Solingen maker, ready to display!

Specifications:

Blade Length: 13 1/4"
Overall length: 17 7/8"
Crossguard: 4 1/4”
Scabbard Length: 13 5/8”