Original Item: Only One Available. This is an original German WWII Luftwaffe 2nd Model officer dagger manufactured by Carl Eickhorn of Solingen, a highly desirable maker of edged weapons. The dagger is accompanied by its steel scabbard, Luftwaffe style portepee, and a complete two-strap belt hanger with functional sliding suspension clips.

The celluloid grip has aged to an attractive caramel color and remains in very good condition. One side is darker than the other, consistent with uneven exposure to light and air over time. The grip retains its slightly tapered form and is tightly wrapped with twisted, bullion covered wire. Several small stains are present, but there are no cracks, chips, or other major losses.

The hilt fittings are in very good overall condition and show light wear from handling and past cleaning. Some of the finer details on the pommel and crossguard have become faint as a result.

The pommel appears to be solid aluminum and retains traces of its original antiqued finish within the recessed areas. The mobile swas on both faces remain clearly defined, while the surrounding oak leaves are raised and heavily hand enhanced.

The eagle shaped crossguard is also constructed from aluminum. Its obverse features the characteristic Luftwaffe eagle flying to its left and clutching a mobile swas in its talons. The breast and talon area are strongly vaulted, and the feathering remains well defined with relatively little wear. The reverse panel has a pebbled finish that shows some smoothing from age and handling.

An original portepee is tied around the lower grip over the ferrule in the Luftwaffe style. It remains in very good condition and shows light wear to the bullion covering. Small areas have lost their aluminum surface coating, but there are no major breaks exposing the internal cords.

The ferrule appears to be plated steel. It remains in very good condition and has developed light oxidation.

The blade remains mostly bright and retains a substantial amount of its original factory final polish crossgrain. The presence of this crossgrain is particularly important to advanced German edged weapon collectors because it indicates that much of the original factory surface remains and that the blade has not been aggressively resurfaced.

Scattered areas of staining are present across much of the blade. These have been left undisturbed to preserve the remaining factory finish and crossgrain. Normal scabbard runner wear is also visible.

The cutting edge has not been sharpened, as is correct for this type of dress dagger. The original leather blade buffer remains seated within the recessed guard opening.

The blade is not nickel plated, which is commonly encountered on Luftwaffe 2nd Model dagger blades. The ricasso bears the etched 1935 to 1941 Carl Eickhorn trademark:

ORIGINAL
Eickhorn
SOLINGEN

with the seated squirrel holding a sword.

Carl Eickhorn is a legendary maker from Solingen, the "City of Blades" (Klingenstadt) in Western Germany. According to J. Anthony Carter's definitive reference book, GERMAN KNIFE AND SWORD MAKERS, this marking type was specifically used on Luftwaffe and NPEA daggers, as well as the "Feldmarschall" series of swords. The 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.

The steel scabbard remains in very good structural condition and shows no detectable bends or dents. It has been polished to bright steel through cleaning over the years. It appears originally to have been silver or nickel plated, but nearly all of that finish is now absent, with small remnants surviving around portions of the fittings.

The finely pebbled panels remain visible on both sides. The lower fitting retains its oak leaf and acorn decoration.

The suspension bands appear to be zinc alloy and retain well-defined, hand enhanced oak leaves arranged at approximately a 45 degree angle. Wear is present across the raised design. The steel carrying bands have begun to wear through the fittings, particularly at the lower band.

The scabbard is fitted with the narrower throat variation, secured by a single flush head screw on the reverse.

The accompanying two-strap belt hanger remains in very good condition. Both pebbled scabbard clips are functional, as is the upper belt clip. The lower suspension clips are the more complex sliding type.

The buckles and keepers are embossed with an oak leaf and acorn design that complements the decorative motifs used throughout the dagger and scabbard. The straps retain nearly all of their velvet backing.

The metal hardware shows light oxidation and retains remnants of its original plating. It is marked:

D.R.G.M.

indicating a registered German design.

One of the clips is additionally marked on the reverse:

RZM
U.E. 10

U.E. is understood as an abbreviation for Uniformeffekten Erlaubnisschein, referring to a uniform accessories license, followed by the manufacturer’s numerical code 10. The precise maker represented by this early code has not been identified in the supplied reference information. The combined RZM and U.E. marking format has been associated with the early organizational period of the RZM, approximately May 1933 through March 1935. We presume that the company that made these continued to use the earlier markings, as the hanger would not be used on 1st Model daggers.

With its desirable Carl Eickhorn trademark, intact caramel celluloid grip, substantial surviving factory crossgrain, unsharpened blade, original leather buffer, Luftwaffe tied portepee, complete scabbard, and functional sliding-clip hanger, this is a substantially complete and visually appealing Luftwaffe officer dagger grouping. The blade staining, runner wear, cleaned hilt details, plating loss, polished scabbard, worn suspension bands, oxidation, and chronological difference between the dagger and early marked hanger are fully disclosed. It would display particularly well in a Luftwaffe officer, Carl Eickhorn, Solingen edged weapon, German dress dagger, or advanced WWII militaria collection.

Specifications:
Blade Length: 10"
Overall length: 15 1/4”
Crossguard: 3 1/4”
Scabbard Length: 11 3/4”