Original Item: Only One Available. This is a very nice example of a mid-war production 2nd Model Luftwaffe dagger, complete with its original scabbard. It is a fine Solingen-Produced example made by the legendary Solingen-based firm of Weyersberg Kirschbaum & Cie. Unlike most example that we see, the celluloid grip of this dagger is still close to the original ivory color! It has faded just a bit to a lovely light amber, like the color of old ivory grips on a sword. These almost always faded to orange or darker over the years as the material degrades due to light exposure. It has a nice slightly tapered shape, and is tightly wrapped with bullion wrapped twisted wire. It is in very good condition throughout, with just a bit of staining and wear, and a great lightly aged look.

The hilt mounts are in very good condition with a lovely lightly worn patina of age, looking to be solid aluminum alloy with matte oxide in the recessed areas. The pommel is very good and still shows most of the original detail. The "mobile" swas (hook crosses) on both sides are clear and show only light wear, and still have a good amount of the gilding present. The oak leaves around them are raised out and heavily hand enhanced. There is is still a good amount of the oxide in the recesses of the design.

The cross guard is also made of Aluminum, which was an "Air Age" material, used to make most airplanes. It was considered fitting and desirable for the eagle-shaped guard to be made of this material. The front side is an eagle with a breast and talon area that is vaulted out much more so than the crossguards seen on other types of daggers. This guard shows little wear and has great feathering on the eagle. The bird, of course, flies to the left and grasps a mobile swas (hook cross) in his talons. The reverse panel is decorated with small pebbling, which is still clear. The oxide antiquing in the recesses is still very well retained, with wear through closer to the edges, as expected. The ferrule looks to be plated steel, and has oxidized over the years.

The very good condition blade is mostly bright throughout, showing much of the original factory final grind cross grain, though it is somewhat faint. This texture is iconic, and is the definitive identifying characteristic for a real WWII German Blade. The blade looks to have had some past scattered staining that was later cleaned away, which has made the cross grain faint. At present it still shows some scattered staining on both sides. The tip is still intact, with no bending, and the edge has correctly not been sharpened.

This example was made by W.K.C. Waffenfabrik GmbH of Solingen, the legendary "City of Blades" in western Germany. The reverse ricasso is etched with the trademark "Knights-Head" (Ritter-helm) logo of legendary maker Weyersberg Kirschbaum & Cie of Solingen, over the firms initials of W K C / SOLINGEN. This company is a famous manufacturer of military swords and cutlery in Solingen, Germany - a city famous since the middle ages for its metal-working and craftsmanship in sword making. Per J. Anthony Carter's fine work GERMAN SWORD AND KNIFE MAKERS, the traditional manufacturing of swords at WKC dates back to the year 1774 when the Weyersberg first registered the ''Kings head'' as their trademark. Later in 1883 the company merged with the Kirschbaums and the company Weyersberg Kirschbaum & Cie was formed, which continued into the Weimar Period. It then rebranded as W.K.C. Waffenfabrik GmbH, and produced many edged weapons during the NSDAP Period. The company is still in operation today.

The steel scabbard is in very good condition, dent free and straight with much of the original oxide plating intact. There is some plating loss on the obverse, which has allowed some oxidation to occur. The hanger bands look to be aluminum, and are well defined and have hand enhanced oak leaves tipped at a 45 degree angle. They still retain much of the original darkened finish, with wear on the raised areas. The throat is the wider version seen, retained by two dome-head screws on the sides of the scabbard.

This really is a very nice 2nd Model Luftwaffe Dagger with its original scabbard, made by a legendary maker and offered in very good condition. Complete with scabbard and ready to display!

Specifications:
Blade Length: 10"
Overall length: 15 1/2”
Crossguard: 3 1/4”
Scabbard Length: 11 3/4”