Original Item: Only One Available. This is an original German WWII Heer Army Officer Dagger by Max Weyersberg, Waffenfabrik of Solingen, marked with the WMW WAFFEN trademark and complete with its scabbard, hanger, and aluminum bullion portepee. The dagger retains a very good crossgrain blade, an amber celluloid grip, aluminum hilt fittings with surviving plated and oxidized finish, and a service worn but complete suspension set.

The pommel is in very good condition and appears to be aluminum alloy that was originally silver plated and then oxidized or allowed to tarnish, producing the deep blue gray coloration now visible across much of the surface. The standing oak leaves and acorns remain crisply defined, with wear concentrated mainly along the lower edge.

The crossguard appears to have been finished in a similar manner over an aluminum base, though most of the original plating has worn away. The exposed aluminum shows areas of old corrosion, while the characteristic Heer eagle and scrollwork at the ends display moderate service wear with somewhat softened detail.

The celluloid grip has aged to an attractive amber color, slightly lighter on one side from differential light exposure over time. It remains in good overall condition with no major cracks or chips noted. The grip ferrule is plated zinc and has lost much of its original plating, leaving a mature gray patina.

Tied around the grip is an original aluminum bullion portepee in good service used condition. There is some loss of aluminum bullion from the stem and ball, together with fraying and several areas where the outer bullion wrapping has worn through to expose the underlying cord. The portepee is tied around the ferrule rather than in the traditional full Army knot configuration, as the surviving length is not sufficient for the standard arrangement.

The blade on this example is in very good condition, retaining most of 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.

The tip of the dagger does show a very small bend, and while the edges are correctly unsharpened, there is some denting on both sides in scattered areas. There is scattered light oxidation staining on both sides, which we have left alone to avoid disturbing the grain, but we can see that it was probably cleaned in the past. There is also runner wear on both of the blade flats. The original leather blade buffer is in place within the deep recesses of the guard, though it is a bit degraded.

The reverse of the blade is stamped with the WMW Waffen trademark logo with an enlarged "M":

Max Weyersberg, Waffenfabrik (Weapons Factory), was founded by a member of the larger Weyersberg family of blade makers. The company was located at Katternbergerstrasse 176 in Solingen Germany, the legendary "City of Blades" in Western Germany. Per J. Anthony Carter's fine work GERMAN SWORD AND KNIFE MAKERS, this company was founded in 1920, and registered with authorities in 1933 as a maker of cutlery, hunting/sporting knives, and edged weapons. WMW WAFFEN was their main trade name, and was originally pierced with a sword. However later in the period the WMW / WAFFEN marking with the enlarged "M" was used.

The steel scabbard is in very good condition, straight and largely free of major dents. It retains much of its original nickel plating, with scattered flaking along the edges and localized oxidation where the steel is exposed. The body has finely pebbled panels, while the carrying bands are decorated with overlapping oak leaves and acorns.

The throat is the thinner pattern and was originally secured by two flush mounted screws on the narrow sides of the scabbard. One of these screws is now missing. The scabbard shows honest overall service wear, including visible wear where the hanger rings have rubbed against the carrying bands.

Attached to the scabbard is an original service worn belt hanger with functional pebbled spring clips. The buckles and keepers repeat the oak and acorn motif seen elsewhere on the dagger. The hardware appears to be plated brass, with substantial finish loss revealing the brass base metal, which has matured to an attractive mustard colored patina.

The attachment clips are the standard hinged type, and the box loop at the upper end is marked:

D.R.G.M.

The straps show significant age and wear, with fraying and areas where the bullion has completely worn through. The velvet backing is heavily worn, with much of the original pile flattened and some areas worn through to the underlying material.

With its WMW WAFFEN marked crossgrain blade, amber celluloid grip, surviving original blade buffer, complete scabbard, aluminum bullion portepee, and heavily service worn but intact hanger, this is a strong example of a Max Weyersberg Heer Army Officer Dagger. The small blade tip bend, scattered edge dents, light oxidation staining, worn crossguard finish, missing scabbard throat screw, portepee fraying, and substantial hanger wear are all fully disclosed. It would fit especially well in a Heer edged weapon, Max Weyersberg, Solingen maker, German WWII officer dagger, or advanced Third Reich militaria collection.

Specifications:
Blade Length: 10"
Blade Style: Spear Point Dagger
Overall length: 14 7/8“
Crossguard: 2 3/4”
Scabbard Length: 11 1/8"

The German Army (Heer) first carried a dagger beginning in 1935. The weapon was worn in lieu of occasions not demanding the wearing of a more formal sword. The dagger design was quite attractive featuring silvered heavy fittings with white or colored grip. The crossguard depicted a Wehrmacht open-winged eagle clutching a wreathed swas.

The pommel depicted oak leafing around the outer circumference. The scabbard had panels of pebble designs. Later produced examples were plated with nickel, and late war-made pieces were unplated, finished in a gray color metal. This early war version is quite nice, and in great shape.