Original Item: Only One Available. This is an original German WWII Heer Army officer Dove Head sword manufactured by F. W. Höller of Solingen, complete with its original black enamel steel scabbard and leather and bullion officer Troddel knot. It is a particularly attractive solid brass hilt example rather than the later aluminum construction, retaining substantial original gilt finish in the recessed areas, a nickel plated 29 1/2" blade, black celluloid grip with complete wire wrap, original leather blade buffer, and a straight scabbard with very good surviving black enamel.

The hilt is made from solid brass and retains a considerable amount of its original gilt finish, especially within the protected recessed decoration. The Dove Head pommel and backstrap are richly embossed and engraved with high relief oak leaf and acorn motifs, while the end of the pommel carries an oval acanthus leaf design. The flat hand guard continues the oak leaf and acorn decoration, and the ferrule incorporates a slightly different variation of the same traditional German motif.

The obverse langet features a raised spread winged national eagle facing the viewer’s left. The beak, eye, breast feathering, wings, talons, and mobile swas are all sharply rendered. The reverse langet has a shield shaped field framed by oak leaves and acorns. This area could have been engraved with the officer’s monogram or other personalization, but it remains blank.

The grip is black celluloid over a carved wood core and remains in excellent condition, with only light wear and no cracks, chips, or major damage. It is wrapped with four brass wires. The center two are twisted and further wrapped with fine bullion wire, while the outer pair is plainer. The wire remains fully intact and tight, though there is some age related verdigris around portions of the wrap and the brass has developed a darker oxidized patina. The grip and ferrule remain tight to the blade, while the guard and backstrap show some movement.

A leather and bullion officer Troddel knot is wrapped around the hilt. The leather remains in very good condition with only light wear and no visible tears or major damage. The bullion rows are well retained and show little oxidation, while the terminal knot has developed darker age toning.

The nickel plated spring steel blade measures approximately 29 1/2". The plating remains in very good condition overall, with scattered scuffing and localized oxidation immediately adjacent to the crossguard. The factory edge remains correctly unsharpened and is free from significant dents or nicks. The point is fully intact and unbent, with a small amount of plating flaking near the tip. The original leather blade buffer is still present at the base of the blade and remains in very good condition.

The reverse ricasso is maker marked with the lozenge style F. W. Höller trademark:

F. W. HÖLLER
SOLINGEN

surrounding the firm’s well known “Thermometer” emblem. The mark is positioned beneath the langet and is therefore difficult to photograph clearly, but it remains present on the blade.

This is a well-known maker from Solingen, the famous "City of Blades" in Western Germany, which produced many fine edged weapons. F.W. Höller, Waffenfabrik (Weapons Factory), located in Solingen, the legendary "City of Blades" in western Germany. During the WWII Period they manufactured many SA and NSKK daggers, both with their "thermometer" trademark and later with the RZM code M7/33. They also produced numerous 98K bayonets and other edged weapons. The firm was founded in 1866, and registered in Solingen in 1883. By 1900 ownership had passed to Emil Höller, and it continued manufacture after WWII, finally closing in 1974. For more information please see J. Anthony Carter's definitive work GERMAN SWORD AND KNIFE MAKERS.

The original steel scabbard is in excellent condition and remains straight without major dents. Its black enamel finish is very well preserved, showing only light wear together with age related checking and crazing. There is no obvious evidence of refinishing. Localized oxidation is present from age and past moisture exposure. The original hanger ring remains intact, as does the flat rectangular loop used for attachment to the sword hanger, though both show some finish loss.

With its solid brass Dove Head hilt, surviving gilt finish, detailed oak leaf decoration, F. W. Höller Thermometer trademark, nickel plated 29 1/2" blade, intact leather buffer, complete officer Troddel, and straight original black enamel scabbard, this is a very appealing Heer officer sword by a desirable Solingen maker. The slight movement in the guard and backstrap, verdigris around the grip wire, blade scuffing and localized oxidation, minor plating loss at the tip, scabbard checking, and scattered oxidation are all fully disclosed. It would display especially well in a Heer officer edged weapon, F. W. Höller maker, Dove Head sword, German WWII dress sword, or advanced military sword collection.

Specifications:
Blade Length: 29 1/2"
Blade Style: Single Edge w/ Fuller
Overall length: 34 1/2“
Guard dimensions: 5" width x 5” length
Scabbard length: 32 1/8”

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.