Original Item: Only One Available. This is a beautiful classic German WWII Model 1695 Heer (Army) Officer's sword, made by the legendary Solingen-based firm of Carl Eickhorn. complete with its original scabbard and a lovely worn officer's troddel knot.

This Army Lion Head Sword has a hilt constructed of the classic gilt brass alloy, not the later war plated aluminum. It still features well over 80% of the gilding intact, way more than we usually see! It is a very beautiful sword, and is really in great condition, a prime addition to any display or collection. For some reason Eickhorn did not include the Model 1695 in their Feldherrn Serie (Commander Series), but due to the similarities, many collector's feel that a Feldmarschall (Field Marshal) sword collection is not complete without one of these swords. The design pre-dates the series, and looks to have been almost the prototype for the other designs.

The Lion head is in choice condition, with lots of hand engraving throughout the muzzle, snout, eyes, and mane. The backstrap has elegant raised oak leaves and acorns which extend out to the grip tabs. The "P" guard and ferrule have the same oak leaf motif, and both remain in choice condition. The crossguard extends downward with a curlicue quillon. In the center chappe (rainguard) is an Art Deco style "spread-wing" Wehrmachtadler eagle that looks to the right, clutching a wreathed mobile swas. The detailing are extraordinary throughout the guard. The reverse chappe has the usual raised plain seal to accept a monogram, but is unmarked.

The grip is the correct black celluloid-over-wood base, and in very good condition. It is wrapped with a skein of 6 brass wires, twisted in pairs, with the center pair larger than the surrounding two. They are all still in place, but do show oxidation and patination due to age. The celluloid is in very good shape, with minimal shrinkage, and no cracks or chips we can see. The grip, cross guard, and back strap are still tight on the tang, definitely a rarity. There is a very nice aged leather and bullion officer's troddel sword knot wrapped around the hilt. It does show degradation to the leather, which is torn through in several plates, and the metal embroidered stripes are degraded and oxidized. The end knot is however still in good shape, showing overall oxidation from age.

The 30 7/8 inch blade of this example is in very good condition, with the nickel plating very well retained and showing just a bit of wear and scattered light oxidation. The blade has correctly not been sharpened, and the tip is still intact, with no bending. There are just a few dents on the edge of the blade, with no major damage. It presents very well, and is definitely a great example of this type.

The reverse ricasso is stamped with the Eickhorn trademark "losenge" logo: a double oval surrounding a seated squirrel holding a sword, with CARL EICKHORN / SOLINGEN surrounding the squirrel trademark. During the 1933-1935 period the company used a variety of very similar but not identical oval trademarks like this. The chappe / rainguard completely covers this, but we can still see all of it, though it is hard to photograph. The original leather blade buffer is in place, and in good shape. The top of the cross guard is also stamped GES. GESCH., short for Gesetzlich Geschützt (Protected by Law), indicating that this was a trademarked design.

Carl Eickhorn is a legendary maker from Solingen, the famous "City of Blades" in Western Germany. According to J. Anthony Carter's book, GERMAN KNIFE AND SWORD MAKERS, this company was founded in 1865 by Carl Eickhorn, and is arguably the most famous of all Solingen makers. Not only could the family trace their history back 500 years, but they could also demonstrate involvement in the hardening and grinding industries for the same period. Truly the nobility of Solingen Edged weapon dynasties. Eickhorn edged weapons are the most desirable of all makers.

The steel scabbard of this example is very good shape, still straight and dent free, though it definitely shows some loss to the finish, which is now retained at about 60%. It looks to have been exposed to moisture, which caused the black enamel to flake off in areas, allowing the steel to oxidize. The balance of the finish shows a lovely pattern of checking and crazing, with no evidence of any attempt at refinishing. It still retains both throat screws, the hanger loop, and the slot for hitching up the sword to the belt when indoors.

Overall a lovely condition high quality sword from the most legendary of all German sword makers, based in Solingen, the "City of Blades" in Eastern Germany. Complete with scabbard and troddel, this sword is ready to display!

Specifications:
Overall length: 36”
Blade length: 30 7/8"
Blade Style: Single Edged with Fuller
Guard dimensions: 5" width x 4 ½” length
Scabbard Length: 31 7/8"

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.