Original Item: Only One Available. This is an original German WWII 2nd Model Luftwaffe dagger by rare maker Anton Wingen Jr. of Solingen, complete with its scabbard, hanger, and officer’s portepee. The dagger is especially appealing for its unusually well preserved ivory white celluloid grip, strong surviving factory blade crossgrain, Standing Knight maker trademark, and complete display configuration.

The slightly tapered celluloid grip retains its original ivory white color rather than the darker yellow or orange toning often encountered on surviving examples. It shows only light staining and minor surface distortion, with no visible cracks, chips, or major structural damage, and is wrapped with twisted grip wire that remains in place. The hilt is still tight on the blade, though the pommel has been rotated out of alignment to compensate for the grip shrinking slightly over the decades.

The hilt fittings appear to be aluminum with an original gray oxidized finish, referred to as "Airplane Gray". Much of this finish has worn from the pommel, though the mobile hook crosses and surrounding oak leaf decoration remain clear and well defined. The eagle shaped crossguard is likewise aluminum and retains strong feather detail, a deeply vaulted breast and talon area, and a pebbled reverse. Surviving gray finish remains especially visible on the upper surfaces and within protected recesses. The ferrule appears to be plated steel and remains in very good condition.

An original bullion portepee is wrapped around the grip above the guard. It shows age and wear with some loss to the aluminum finish on the threads, but there are no major tears or structural failures.

The blade on this example is not nickel plated, which is common for the 2nd model dagger blades. It is in excellent condition and retains the factory final polish grind crossgrain on both sides, a finish known in German as Pliesten. It is created by polishing the blades with large leather covered wheels using a slurry of extremely fine grit, and is nearly impossible to replicate using modern means. For advanced edged weapon collectors, the survival of this original crossgrain is an especially important feature because it indicates that the blade has not been aggressively polished or resurfaced after manufacture.

There is only some very light oxidation staining we can see in some areas, and no other issues. The edge is correctly unsharpened, and the needle-like tip is intact and unbent. There is some light wear is from the scabbard runners, present on virtually every other German dagger. The original blade buffer remains present inside the guard.

The reverse ricasso bears the etched Anton Wingen Jr. Standing Knight trademark:

A. W. JR
(Standing Knight Trademark)
SOLINGEN

Anton Wingen Jun., Stahlwarenfabrik was 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. They acquired the "Knight" logo from Clauberg in 1920, and continued using it through the Third Reich period. This particular trademark was the style of logo they used on smaller knives, such as the HJ knife, per J. Anthony Carter's work GERMAN KNIFE AND SWORD MAKERS. The company continued operation well after the war, finally closing in 1997.

The steel scabbard remains straight and free of major dents. It originally carried a gray finish similar in appearance to the hilt fittings, though most of this has worn away and survives mainly along the narrow sides. The pebbled panels and oak leaf and acorn decoration remain crisp. The aluminum alloy suspension bands show service wear, small dents, and some erosion to the softer metal, while both hanger rings remain present. The narrow throat is retained by flush mounted screws on the narrow sides.

Attached to the scabbard is a two strap hanger with mostly plated zinc hardware. The spring clips remain functional, including the sliding type lower clips, while the buckles and keepers carry oak leaf and acorn decoration matching the general Luftwaffe motif. The hardware is marked:

D.R.G.M.

indicating that these were registered in the German trademark office, and the belt clip is additionally marked:

RZM
U.E. 10.

"U.E" indicates Uniformeffekten Erlaubnißschein, (Uniform Accessories Licence), and the manufacturer’s numerical code, "10". It appears the combined RZM/U.E., markings were utilized circa May 1933 to March 1935. These were used when the RZM was still being officially organized. There is unfortunately no listing of the early RZM makers.

The hardware shows oxidation and finish loss on the edges, while the straps remain in very good condition with only light wear and well preserved velvet backing.

With its ivory white celluloid grip, gray finished aluminum hilt, strong factory Pliesten crossgrain, Anton Wingen Jr. Standing Knight trademark, straight scabbard, period hanger, and bullion portepee, this is a very complete and attractive 2nd Model Luftwaffe dagger ensemble. The hilt finish loss, light blade oxidation, scabbard band wear, hanger hardware oxidation, and uncertain original association of the hanger are all fully disclosed. It would display especially well in a Luftwaffe edged weapon, Anton Wingen Jr., 2nd Model dagger, officer portepee, or advanced German WWII edged weapon collection.

Specifications:
Blade Length: 10"
Overall length: 15 1/2”
Crossguard: 3 1/4”
Scabbard Length: 11 3/4”