Original Item: Only One Available. We just purchased this Kriegsmarine dagger at a large military show. It is a fine Solingen-Produced totally original WWII German 2nd Model Naval Dagger by the legendary firm Carl Eickhorn, complete with the original gold-plated "lightning bolt" style brass scabbard. This is a very nice example, showing light wear to the scabbard and blade, and it has a lovely "been there" look to it!

This example was almost certainly purchased by a high ranking officer early in the wartime period, as the pommel is a 1938 changeover type. It has very deeply inset wings and an impressive vault wreath. The details to this bird are also choice, with a striking eye, beak and breast. The crossguard is the standard Eickhorn type, very well executed and heavily hand-enhanced. The grip is in excellent condition, having faded to a lovely aged ivory color from the original white. It shows just a bit of wear, with a hairline crack near the pommel, and some dirt in the grooves. The twisted brass wire wrapping is in excellent tight condition. There is little wear to the grip overall, so it does not appear to have been handled often. The scabbard locking button is fully functional, and shows light wear and patination.

The blade is a typical unplated example, with an excellent fouled anchor etch on both sides of the carbon steel blade. It is in excellent condition, and we almost thought it was a nickel plated example, but there are a few spots of staining, so it is definitely carbon steel. There are some swirl marks from cleaning and the scabbard, but overall it's really in great shape, with a nick free edge and intact needle tip. There is a bit of fading to the dark background in the etching.

The reverse ricasso is stamped with the 1935-41 Eickhorn trademark: a seated squirrel holding a sword, with the word ORIGINAL above and the firm's name and location, Eickhorn / SOLINGEN below. The sword correctly has the letter "i" from the company name on the blade where it pierces the text. This company is a legendary producer of edged weapons, and were particularly desirable even among other Solingen producers. Their "Field Marshall" series of officer's swords are all highly collectible.

According to J. Anthony Carter's book, GERMAN KNIFE AND SWORD MAKERS, this 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. Eickhorn edged weapons are the most desirable of all makers.

The lightning bolt scabbard is in very good condition, and does show a bend to one side and has some small dents on the "inner" side of the curve. The original gold wash is now completely worn away, and there is some verdigris accumulation in places. The scabbard is stamped with well-defined palmettes around the bands and lightning bolts, ermine feet and acanthus leaves down to the chape. The bands feature overlapping oak leaves and acorns. The ring ferrules are the type where only the center has serrations, and the rings are still present. The throat is retained by cheese headed screws on the narrow sides, however only one is present. The finish overall is still very nice, with a lovely patina, though there is some glue residue around part of the scabbard from tape.

Overall a great example of a hard to find dagger by a legendary maker, complete with the original scabbard! A worthy addition to any knife collection. Ready to display!

Specifications:
Blade Length: 10"
Overall length: 15 3/8”
Crossguard: 3”
Scabbard Length: 11 1/4”