{"product_id":"original-german-wwi-private-purchase-trench-knife-nahkampfer-with-heavy-blade-stag-handle-scabbard-by-anton-wingen-jr-of-solingen-etched-infantryman-logo","title":"Original German WWI Private Purchase Trench Knife “Nahkämpfer” with Heavy Blade, Stag Handle \u0026 Scabbard by Anton Wingen Jr. of Solingen - Etched Infantryman Logo","description":"\u003cp\u003eOriginal Item. One-of-a-Kind. This is an excellent \u003cb\u003eprivately-purchased Imperial German trench knife \u003c\/b\u003emanufactured by \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eAnton Wingen Jr. of Solingen\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e. The blade bears an excellent motif of an \u003cb\u003eadvancing German infantryman\u003c\/b\u003e over the gothic text “\u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eNahkämpfer\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e” which translates to “\u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eclose-combat fighter\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e”. The knife has a thick blade, stag handle, and heavy duty scabbard. This style of knife was made in several variations by Anton Wingen during the Pre-WWI to WWI period, with this one looking to be a fantastic wartime variant.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe 5 ⅛” blade is single edged with a very long “false edge” that stretches down near the ricasso. One side of the blade bears the aforementioned motif of a German soldier in pickelhaube advancing over the gothic text \u003cb\u003eNahkämpfer\u003c\/b\u003e. The other side of the blade is etched:\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003e\u003cb\u003eANTON WINGEN JR.\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eFABRIK FEINER STAHLWAREN\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eSOLINGEN\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eAnton Wingen Jun., Stahlwarenfabrik \u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003ewas a cutler and metalsmith company first founded in Solingen, Germany in 1888, and was formally registered in late 1901. They first came to prominence during WWI with their high quality hunting and combat knives, which were popular with troops.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe spacer and pommel cap are black-painted steel, with much of the black still retained. The stag handle is rather excellent and has aged well. The overall length of the knife is 10 ¾”.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe steel scabbard is very unusually shaped so that it fully covers the thick crossguard of the knife. There is a spot where the securing snap originally would have attached, but the entire belt loop is now missing on this example, with a very small fragment still attached at the original rivet. The knife still fits into the scabbard like a glove. The black paint of the scabbard has worn the exact same way as the spacer and pommel, so this is absolutely a matching set.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe combination of the heavy 5⅛-inch blade, extended false edge, advancing Pickelhaube-clad infantryman, Gothic “Nahkämpfer” inscription, full Anton Wingen Jr. Solingen factory etching, stag grip, blackened steel mounts, and unusual heavy steel scabbard places this firmly within the documented tradition of high-quality privately purchased German fighting knives of the First World War. Particularly valuable is the existence of published comparison pieces by Anton Wingen with the same military-themed etched-blade concept, providing much stronger support for the wartime attribution than is available for many anonymous commercial trench knives.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eDimensions:\u003cbr\u003eBlade length: 5 1\/8”\u003cbr\u003eOverall length: 10 3\/4”\u003cbr\u003eScabbard length: 6 1\/2\"\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Original Items","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":45715328696389,"sku":"ONJR26JYAS056","price":695.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1524\/1342\/files\/1841C81A-AFAE-41E8-A281-D903D5C0F3EF.jpg?v=1790482727","url":"https:\/\/www.ima-usa.com\/products\/original-german-wwi-private-purchase-trench-knife-nahkampfer-with-heavy-blade-stag-handle-scabbard-by-anton-wingen-jr-of-solingen-etched-infantryman-logo","provider":"International Military Antiques","version":"1.0","type":"link"}