{"product_id":"original-german-pre-wwii-heer-army-officers-lion-head-sword-by-wkc-waffenfabrik-with-steel-scabbard","title":"Original German Pre WWII Heer Army Officer's Lion Head Sword by WKC Waffenfabrik with Steel Scabbard","description":"\u003cp\u003eOriginal Item: Only One Available. This is a beautiful classic Lionhead German WWII Army Officers sword, made by the well known firm of \u003cem\u003eWeyersberg Kirschbaum \u0026amp; Cie (WKC) Waffenfabrik\u003c\/em\u003e, of Solingen, Germany, complete with its original scabbard. It is a pre-war example from the late Weimar period, and therefore does not have any of the NSDAP symbology that was later added. These were possible to order into the mid 30s, but after that point were no longer made. \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe hilt on this example is a real treat, made from the classic gilt brass alloy, not the later war plated aluminum. Unlike most we see, the gilding still looks to be over 50% intact, with some lovely patination on the exposed brass where it has worn away. The design consists of a finely detailed lion head cat with engraved backstrap and \"P\" guard, though there are no inlaid red \"eyes\". There is nice detail throughout his whiskers, chin, and muzzle. The handwork is beautifully rendered throughout the hilt. The backstrap and side tabs bear lovely foliate designs, and stands of arms, which are carried over onto the outside of the guard and on the langets. The grip ferrule bear the iconic German iconic high relief German \"Oak Leaves \u0026amp; Acorns\" motif, not really present anywhere else on the hilt. There is a panel on the reverse langet for a monogram, but as we usually see, it is blank.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe grip is a very nice black celluloid-over-wood base. It is wrapped with 3 pairs of twisted brass wire, with the center pair a bit thicker, and all are still in place, showing light oxidation. The celluloid is still tight to the wood, and is quite shiny, without any chipping, just some light scratching. The hilt is overall still tight on the blade, definitely a real rarity for a sword of this era.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe 29 3\/8 inch blade of this example is in very good condition, with only some light scuffing and surface oxidation in areas. It is fully nickel plated, which is retained quite almost completely. The edge is still fully blunt, as originally issued, however there are some dents and dings from post war use. There are also some scratches on both sides.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe ricasso is stamped with the trademark \"Knight's Helmet\" (\u003cem\u003eRitter-helm\u003c\/em\u003e) logo of legendary maker \u003cem\u003eWeyersberg Kirschbaum \u0026amp; Cie Waffenfabrik of Solingen\u003c\/em\u003e, which is completely hidden under the langet:\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e(Knight's Helmet)\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eW.K.C.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis 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. Per J. Anthony Carter's fine work \u003cem\u003eGERMAN SWORD AND KNIFE MAKERS\u003c\/em\u003e, 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 \u0026amp; Cie was formed, which continued into the Weimar Period. It was then rebranded as W.K.C. Waffenfabrik GmbH, and produced many edged weapons during the NSDAP Period. The company is still in operation today.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe scabbard of this example still has very good original factory black enamel, which is retained at about 90%, and is still bright and shiny, with just a bit of crazing. The steel body is straight and dent free, and it retains the hanger loop and rectangular slot for \"hitching up\" the blade.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eOverall a very good condition high quality sword from a well-known German sword maker, based in Solingen, the \"City of Blades\" in Western Germany. Ready to display!\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eSpecifications:\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003eOverall length: 34 1\/4”\u003cbr\u003eBlade length: 29 3\/8\"\u003cbr\u003eBlade Style: Single Edged with Fuller\u003cbr\u003eGuard dimensions: 5\" width x 4 1\/2” length\u003cbr\u003eScabbard Length: 31 5\/8\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe 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.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eOnly 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.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe 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.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Original Items","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":45189369299013,"sku":"ONAC25SD0820","price":495.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1524\/1342\/files\/60AF0E6C-CAB5-4096-BC96-7341F3D35B00.jpg?v=1782154424","url":"https:\/\/www.ima-usa.com\/products\/original-german-pre-wwii-heer-army-officers-lion-head-sword-by-wkc-waffenfabrik-with-steel-scabbard","provider":"International Military Antiques","version":"1.0","type":"link"}