Original Item: Only One Available. This Army Dove Head Sword is a very nice example, produced by the renowned Solingen-based firm of WKC Waffenfabrik, previously Weyersberg Kirschbaum & Cie. It comes complete with its original black enamel steel scabbard, which is also in very good shape.

The hilt of the sword is the later-war style, made with an aluminum alloy base that looks to have been gilt or coated with gold lacquer. This coating is probably retained at 75%, with raised areas of the design having lost some of the finish. Really a lovely looking hilt, with all of the details still there. The dove head hilt on this pattern shows lovely high-relief embossed "oak leaf and acorn" motifs on the back strap, pommel, side tabs, and guard. The cross guard langet has a lovely "spread-wing" Wehrmachtadler eagle that looks to the right, while the reverse langet has a shield shaped field where a monogram could be added, but this example as blank. There is lots of hand enhancing evident on the cast metal design and the backgrounds all show a pebbled texture.

The grip of this example is a black celluloid over a carved wood base. The celluloid is still in very good condition with no cracking or chipping, showing very little wear. The grip is wrapped with triple pairs of twisted wire, the center set being larger in diameter, which now show a lovely matured patina. The wrapping is a bit loose, however no strands are missing or out of place. The hilt components are still solidly attached to the blade.

The blade is 31 3/4 inches long, made of the highest quality steel and fully nickel-plated. It shows only some light scuffing, and no major oxidation or other damage. The edge is correctly unsharpened, and the only noted issue is a tiny bend at the very tip of the blade. The original leather blade buffer is present, showing wear from age and use.

The ricasso is stamped with the trademark "Knight's Helmet" (Ritter-helm) over WKC logo of legendary maker WKC Waffenfabrik GmbH of Solingen. This company is a famous manufacturer of military swords and cutlery in Solingen, Germany - a city famous since the middle ages for its metal-working and craftsmanship in sword making. Unfortunately the chappe/rainguard completely covers the logo, which makes it difficult to get a complete picture. Per J. Anthony Carter’s definitive work GERMAN KNIFE AND SWORD MAKERS, the traditional manufacturing of swords at WKC dates back to the year 1774 when the Weyersberg first registered the ''Kings head'' as their trademark. Later in 1883 the company merged with the Kirschbaums and the company Weyersberg Kirschbaum & Cie was formed, which continued into the Weimar Period. It then rebranded as W.K.C. Waffenfabrik GmbH, and produced many edged weapons during the NSDAP Period. The company is still in operation today.

The steel scabbard of this example is very good shape, dent free and showing a very slight bend about 9 inches from the end, which does not interfere with sheathing the blade at all. It still retains about 90% of the original factory black enamel finish, with a ring of oxidation around the body about 8 inches from the top. There is also some missing finish on the hanger ring, which has oxidized. There is a lovely pattern of light checking and crazing in the enamel, confirming the age. It still retains both throat screws, and is overall a solid example.

This German Army officer’s dove-head sword retains its WKC maker mark, aluminum-alloy hilt with substantial surviving gilt or gold-toned finish, intact black celluloid grip, complete wire wrap, leather blade buffer, and original black-enamel steel scabbard. The 31¾-inch nickel-plated blade remains especially well preserved, with only light scuffing and a small bend at the tip. Finish wear is present on the raised areas of the hilt, the wire wrap is slightly loose, and the scabbard shows localized oxidation, light enamel checking, and a minor bend that does not interfere with sheathing. Overall, it remains a cohesive and well-preserved example of a WKC-made German Army officer’s sword with its principal components and finishes still intact.

Specifications:
Overall length: 36 3/4”
Blade length: 31 3/4”
Blade Style: Single Edged with Fuller
Guard dimensions: 5" width x 4 ½” length
Scabbard Length: 32 5/8"

The German Army (German: Heer, was the land forces component of the Wehrmacht, the German armed forces, from 1935 to 1945. The Wehrmacht also included the Kriegsmarine (Navy) and the Luftwaffe (Air Force). During World War II, a total of about 15 million soldiers served in the German Army, of whom about seven million became casualties. Separate from the army, the Waffen-SS (Armed SS) was a multi-ethnic and multi-national military force of the Third Reich. Growing from three regiments to over 38 divisions during World War II, it served alongside the army but was never formally part of it.

Only 17 months after AH announced publicly the rearmament program, the Army reached its projected goal of 36 divisions. During the autumn of 1937, two more corps were formed. In 1938, four additional corps were formed with the inclusion of the five divisions of the Austrian Army after the Anschluss in March. During the period of its expansion by Adolf AH, the German Army continued to develop concepts pioneered during World War I, combining ground (Heer) and air (Luftwaffe) assets into combined arms teams. Coupled with operational and tactical methods such as encirclements and the "battle of annihilation", the German military managed quick victories in the two initial years of World War II, prompting the use of the word Blitzkrieg (literally lightning war, meaning lightning-fast war) for the techniques used.

The German Army entered the war with a majority of its infantry formations relying on the horse for transportation. The infantry remained foot soldiers throughout the war; artillery also remained primarily horse-drawn. The motorized formations received much attention in the world press in the opening years of the war, and were cited as the main reason for the success of the German invasions of Poland (September 1939), Norway and Denmark (April 1940), Belgium, France and Netherlands (May 1940), Yugoslavia (April 1941) and the early campaigns in the Soviet Union (June 1941). However their motorized and tank formations accounted for only 20% of the Heer's capacity at their peak strength.