Original Item: One of a Kind. This is a very good condition 1st Model Luftwaffe Dagger made in in the mid-to late 1930s by Tigerwerk Lauterjung & Co., of Solingen, Germany. Starting in 1938, the move was made to aluminum fittings, so this dagger was made before that time. The grip looks to be made of nickel alloy, which originally would have been fully silver plated, often with a blue oxide coating. The plating is still very well retained on the hilt, however the oxide coating is definitely mostly worn away.

The grip is a carved wood base covered in blue Moroccan leather, which shows light to moderate wear, with the finish flaked away in places. The original wire wrapping, with two pairs twisted in opposite directions, is still fully intact, but a bit oxidized. The guard is the standard down swept "wing" type, with good detailing remaining, and with more "sunwheel" swas (hook crosses), which do not look to be inlaid. We did notice that if there was any gold highlighting on the insignia, it has long worn away, and they are the same silver color as the rest of the hilt.

The blade of this piece is a high quality nickel-plated example, and is in very good condition, with only some tiny edge dents and scratching near the tip, and runner wear from being removed from the scabbard. There is some oxidation of the nickel plating, and the very tip does have a bend, probably from being dropped. The large blue Moroccan leather blade washer is still intact and in place in the cross guard.

The reverse ricasso is marked with the "Left Facing Tiger" trademark of the Lauterjung & Co. firm, and to the right of the trademark is:

Lauterjung & Co., Tiger Stahlwaren- und Waffenfabrik (Steelware and Weapon Factory) is a famous manufacturer in Solingen, the legendary "City of Blades" in Western Germany. Their trademark was a Tiger, and their factory was thus often referred to as Tigerwerk (Tiger Works). The firm was founded in 1873 to make knives, scissors, and other steel ware, and survived until after the war. There were several different branches of the Lauterjung family involved in edged weapons, operating under different trade names to avoid confusion. For more information please see GERMAN KNIFE AND SWORD MAKERS by J. Anthony Carter.

The non-magnetic scabbard shell is straight throughout with no dents. The Moroccan leather covering the scabbard nicely matches the grip and is in excellent condition, with some pressure dents but no tears and virtually no loss of the finish. There is no lifting at the seam, which is very hard to locate at present. The fittings are plated solid nickel like the hilt, and are in very nice shape, with a lovely lightly oxidized patina. The throat and ramp are secured by the correct flush mount screws, however the chape has lost the screw, and looks to be glued in place.

The attached nickel alloy chain has eight ringlets making up the upper chain and thirteen on the lower, not counting the rings attached to the scabbard fittings. This is a bit more than we usually see, but matches other examples by this maker. These two chains are attached to an nickel alloy snap clip, which is still functional.

A lovely condition early example of the classic 1st model Luftwaffe dagger, by a well-known Solingen maker. Ready to display!

Specifications:
Blade Length: 12 1/8"
Overall length: 17 3/4”
Crossguard: 4 1/4”
Scabbard Length: 13 1/2”