Original Item: Only One Available. This is an lovely condition named Army Officer's Dagger, complete with the original scabbard, belt hanger, and portepee knot, which are all the usual accessories it would come with. The rear of the cross guard is engraved with the name Peter Bauer, most likely executed at some time during the war. It shows a very high level of artistry, so we assume it was done by the maker or at a field workshop.

Of note: the engraving is in Kurrentschrift, an older form of Germanic script writing, which is why the all the "u" letters are written as "ŭ". In this script the lowercase "n" and "u" are identical, so the latter gets the arc shaped mark over it. This is not indicative of an umlaut or other diacritical marking.

The blade on this example is unmarked, but this is not unusual, as many smaller outfitters would purchase finished blades and blade blanks from major factories, and then fit the blades themselves. This dagger is fit with cast aluminum alloy, which looks to originally have been silver plated, but now shows a worn oxidized patina overall, with the plating worn through in many areas.

The pommel of this dagger is in good condition, showing wear and scratching around the edge. The standing oak leaves and acorns around the sides have lost some of their detail from wear, however the background is still well retained, now faded to a dark oxidized patina. The zinc alloy cross guard is in better condition, showing less wear, and the details throughout the characteristic eagle are very good throughout the head, breast and wing feathering, talons and wreathed mobile swas (hook cross). The grip ferrule is plated alloy, which has oxidized to a lovely dark color.

The celluloid grip on this dagger has faded a bit to a nice amber yellow color, showing some wear in areas. The grip is in very good condition, showing some small scratches, but no cracks or chips. The grooves have some dirt present in addition to the usual darkened accent lines. The grip is still tight on the tang, with little to no wobble, and the original blade buffer is still present in the recesses of the guard.

Wrapped around the grip and cross guard is an original aluminum bullion thread portepee (sword knot), tied in the Heer fashion. It is in very good condition, looking to have been fitted to the dagger for quite some time. There is some fraying in areas, but no major loss of bullion or exposure of the underlying cords.

The blade is in excellent condition, one of the best we have seen in some time, with the original factory final grind cross grain retained throughout the blade surface. This texture is iconic, and is the definitive identifying characteristic for a real WWII German Blade. There is just a bit of light wear on the blade flats from the scabbard runners, as well as just a bit of scattered staining. The tip and edge are fully intact, making this a truly great example that would be very hard to improve upon!

The scabbard is a fine steel example with what looks to be silver plating, which is still partly retained, but tarnished. The scabbard body does have a sizable dent and a bend about 2.5 inches below the lower carrying band, which does seem to make the blade a bit more difficult than usual to sheathe. It still retains its very crisp, finely grained pebbled panel but we can see some wear and oxidation from use and cleaning. The alloy carrying bands have an excellent pattern of overlapping oak leaves and acorns, which are nicely enhanced, but also show some wear and oxidation. The throat is the thinner style, and is retained with "dome-head" screws on the narrow sides.

Attached to the scabbard is a very good condition belt hanger, with functional pebbled spring clips with a great patina. The buckles and keepers are engraved with the same oak and acorn motif seen throughout the dagger. The clips are the more desirable "sliding" type, both marked D.R.G.M. on the back, indicating it is a trademarked design. The original plating on the zinc alloy fittings is still mostly retained, with some remaining bright, while other areas have tarnished. The straps are in very good condition, showing the bullion on the front well, and the velvet plush material on the reverse is well retained, showing light wear. There is some age to wear and fraying to the edges of the straps near the box style end buckle.

A lovely example of a named Army Officer Dagger with a great blade, complete with an original scabbard, hanger, and portepee! This is the full setup! Ready to display!

Specifications:
Blade Length: 10"
Blade Style: Spear Point Dagger
Overall length: 14 5/8“
Crossguard: 2 3/4”
Scabbard Length: 11"

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. These daggers are often encountered with an aluminum portepee.