Original Item: Only One Available. This is a very nice example of an artime production 2nd Model Luftwaffe dagger, complete with its original scabbard and belt hanger. It does not have any maker mark on the blade itself, however it is definitely of high quality German WWII manufacture. The fittings are all plated and then oxidized, which we often see on these Luftwaffe daggers, and really makes it look great!

Unlike most examples that we see, the celluloid grip of this dagger is still the original ivory white color, with just a bit of staining in the grooves. These are almost always faded to orange or darker, due to exposure to light and air, which also can make the material brittle. It has a nice slightly tapered shape, and is tightly wrapped with twisted wire. It does show some scuffing and staining, but no real damage, easily making this one of the best we have seen.

The hilt mounts are in in very good condition, showing some light wear from cleaning and use. This has made some of the details faint on the pommel and cross guard. The "mobile" swas (hook crosses) on both sides are clear with light wear, and the oak leaves around them are raised out and heavily hand enhanced. The pommel appears to be solid aluminum, with some of the original oxidized plating present 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 a bit worn. Overall much of the original oxide plating is still present. The ferrule looks to be plated steel, and it is still in very good condition, with a lovely patina, showing some oxidation on the rear.

The blade on this example is not nickel plated, which is common for the 2nd model dagger blades. It also does not have a maker mark on the ricasso, which is not uncommon. We checked the tang, and there is actually a maker mark on the tang itself, which looks like some type of cross or sword hilt. We were unfortunately not able to definitively identify the maker from this marking, so we leave it as a very nice research project.

The very good condition blade is mostly bright throughout, showing much of the original cross grain. The tip is still intact, with no bending, though there is some oxidation staining and wear in that area. There are also some scattered spots of staining over a lot of the blade body, which we have left intact to preserve the history and cross grain. There also is the usual runner wear on the blade surface, however this is present on just about every dagger out there. The edge has not been sharpened, as is correct for these dress daggers.

This steel scabbard is in very good condition, and the body shows no major dents, bends, or other defects. It has much of the original oxide zinc plating intact, with other areas now polished bright. The hanger bands look to be zinc alloy, and are well defined and have hand enhanced oak leaves tipped at a 45 degree angle. The throat is the narrower version seen, secured by a single flush head screw on the rear of the scabbard.

Attached to the scabbard is a very good condition belt hanger, with all spring clips fully functional. The scabbard end clips are the more complex and desirable sliding type. The buckles and keepers are embossed with the same oak and acorn motif seen throughout the dagger. The straps still have great bullion on the front, however the blue velvet on the back does show some wear and staining. The buckle on the lower strap is also broken, with only the piece inside the strap remaining. There is some light oxidation on the fittings, as the original silver wash wore away long ago. The rear of the belt clip is marked with the "barred A" trademark, of F. W. Assmann & Söhne of Lüdenscheid, a large maker of belts, buttons, and other accoutrements.

This really is a very nice 2nd Model Luftwaffe dagger, offered in very good condition with its original scabbard & hanger, and an unidentified maker mark on the tang. Ready research and display!

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