{"product_id":"original-german-wwii-heer-army-officer-lion-head-sword-with-steel-scabbard-and-troddel-knot","title":"Original German WWII Heer Army Officer Lion Head Sword with Steel Scabbard and Troddel Knot","description":"\u003cp\u003eOriginal Item: Only One Available. This is an original German WWII Heer Army officer Lion Head sword with an unplated carbon steel blade, original black enamel steel scabbard, and aged officer \u003cem\u003eTroddel\u003c\/em\u003e knot. It is a well used example with a strong service appearance, retaining its ruby red lion eyes, detailed oak leaf decoration, black celluloid grip with intact wire wrap, complete scabbard suspension fittings, and approximately 90% of the original black enamel finish on the scabbard.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe hilt is constructed from plated aluminum alloy, a material commonly encountered on later production officer swords. It appears to have originally carried a brass toned or gilt finish, most of which has worn away through age and handling. Large areas now expose the underlying aluminum, while the surviving brass colored surface has matured to a darker bronze patina. It is also possible that portions of the hilt were originally finished with bronze colored paint rather than conventional gilt plating, but the remaining surface does not allow that to be determined with certainty.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe pommel is formed as a finely detailed lion head with faceted ruby red eyes. The whiskers, muzzle, chin, and facial details remain well defined. The backstrap is decorated in high relief with oak leaves and acorns and incorporates a small flat escutcheon at the center. The P guard continues the oak leaf and acorn motif, which is also repeated on the grip ferrule and rear of the crossguard. The obverse crossguard langet carries a spread winged eagle facing the viewer’s left. The breast and wing details have been hand enhanced. The reverse langet has a blank oval panel that could have been personalized but was never engraved.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe grip is black celluloid over a wood core and remains in very good condition, with no major cracks or chips. There is some residue from past cleaning around the edges together with light scuffing from use. The grip is wrapped with six aluminum wires arranged as three twisted pairs, with the center pair slightly heavier than the two outer pairs. The wire remains relatively tight, and the hilt itself is firmly attached to the blade with no noticeable movement.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAn original aged leather and bullion officer \u003cem\u003eTroddel\u003c\/em\u003e sword knot is wrapped around the P guard. The leather shows wear and finish loss from age but no visible tears. The bullion rows remain well retained, while the terminal knot shows overall oxidation and age toning.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe unplated carbon steel blade measures approximately 30 3\/4\". The factory edge remains blunt and has not been sharpened, though there is some light denting along portions of the edge. The needle-like point remains fully intact. The blade surface shows oxidation staining and evidence of past cleaning, which is commonly encountered on unplated carbon steel blades. Some old grease remains adhered in less accessible areas. No maker mark is present on either side of the ricasso. This is not necessarily unusual, as unmarked blades were sometimes supplied to retailers or independent cutlers who then assembled them into completed officer swords. The leather blade buffer is present in the guard recess, showing wear from age.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe original steel scabbard retains approximately 90% of its factory black enamel finish. Most finish loss is concentrated around the drag and suspension band, with additional smaller chips, scuffs, scratches, and areas of age related crazing and checking elsewhere. The steel body has several dents and bends that have been left untouched rather than straightened, preserving the sword’s long service appearance. The suspension ring remains intact, as does the rectangular loop used for hitching the sword upward when greater freedom of movement was needed. The scabbard throat is still present and retained by the original style dome headed screws on the narrow sides.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWith its ruby eyed lion head pommel, oak leaf decorated plated aluminum hilt, black celluloid grip with intact wire wrap, unsharpened 30 3\/4\" carbon steel blade, original officer \u003cem\u003eTroddel\u003c\/em\u003e, and black enamel steel scabbard retaining about 90% of its finish, this is an appealing service used Heer officer sword. The worn hilt plating, exposed aluminum, oxidation staining and old cleaning on the blade, minor edge denting, unmarked ricasso, aged knot, and scabbard dents, bends, chips, scuffs, and crazing are fully disclosed. It would display especially well in a Heer officer edged weapon, Lion Head sword, German WWII dress sword, officer \u003cem\u003eTroddel\u003c\/em\u003e, or advanced military sword collection.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eSpecifications:\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003eBlade Length: 30 3\/4”\u003cbr\u003eBlade Style: Single Edge w\/ Fuller\u003cbr\u003eOverall length: 35 7\/8“\u003cbr\u003eGuard dimensions: 5\" width x 5” length\u003cbr\u003eScabbard length: 34 1\/8”\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe 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.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eOnly 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.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe 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.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Original Items","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":45525217116229,"sku":"ONSV26CC205","price":450.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1524\/1342\/files\/ONSV26CC205__01.jpg?v=1786389147","url":"https:\/\/www.ima-usa.com\/products\/original-german-wwii-heer-army-officer-lion-head-sword-with-steel-scabbard-and-troddel-knot","provider":"International Military Antiques","version":"1.0","type":"link"}