Original Item: Only One Available. This is a very good condition German Army Officer's Dagger, produced by Lauterjung & Sohn PUMA-Werk, of Solingen, Germany, complete with its original scabbard and portepee sword knot. The aluminum pommel of this dagger is in very good condition, showing a little wear and a bit of scratching throughout the bottom, but nothing bad. If there was antiquing on the pommel, it has worn away, and the fittings on the hilt are now bright aluminum. The standing oak leaves and acorns are crisply detailed and have good backgrounds.

The aluminum crossguard is in similar condition, with a nice bright finish. The details throughout the eagle are exceptional throughout the head, breast and wing feathering, talons and wreathed mobile swas. It really just looks great, and the rear of the cross guard also has a very well executed interlocking A O monogram, most likely the initials of the owner. The grip ferrule looks to be silver-plated, and is in very nice condition with a lovely tarnished patina, having been protected from wear by the portepee.

The celluloid grip is in good shape, with some light staining and a lovely "pumpkin" orange color. There is no chipping or other damage that we can see. The crossguard is still firmly attached without any wiggle, and the original leather blade buffer is still present. Wrapped around the grip and cross guard is an original aluminum bullion thread portepee (sword knot), tied in the Heer fashion. It is in good shape, with just a bit of wear and fraying.

The blade is in very good service used condition, mostly bright throughout and having much of the original cross grain visible. This texture is iconic, and is the definitive identifying characteristic for a real WWII German Blade. The needle-like tip is still intact, with no bending. There has however been past light staining throughout the blade, which was later cleaned, so the finish is definitely a bit degraded. The edge is correctly unsharpened, as issued from the factory.

On the rear of the blade, there is a Puma's Head Logo over PUMA / SOLINGEN, the trademark logo of Lauterjung & Sohn, Puma-Stahlwarenfabrik / Puma - Werk of Solingen, Germany, the legendary "City of Blades". This is a known producer of SS, SA, and NSKK daggers during the Pre-WWII period and after. This company was originally founded on a small scale in 1796, Nathanael Lauterjung officially opened a cutlery and knife making workshop in Solingen during 1855. After his death, the name was changed and registered as "Puma-Werk", to avoid confusion with the other Lauterjung-owned workshops in Solingen. For more information, please see J. Anthony Carter's work GERMAN KNIFE AND SWORD MAKERS.

The scabbard is a fine example, and is steel with zinc plating, much of which is retained. This straight scabbard has very crisp, finely grained panels. The zinc carrying bands have an excellent pattern of overlapping oak leaves and acorns, which are nicely enhanced, but also show some wear. The throat is the thinner style, and has a single securing screw on the scabbard's rear side. The plating is still bright on the scabbard, giving it a great look!

The scabbard is a fine example, and is steel with zinc plating, much of which is retained. This straight scabbard has very crisp, finely grained panels. The zinc carrying bands have an excellent pattern of overlapping oak leaves and acorns, which are nicely enhanced, but also show some wear. The throat is the thinner style, and has a single securing screw on the scabbard's rear side. The plating is still bright on the scabbard, giving it a great look!
A really good example of this model of dagger, from a very desirable Solingen maker and complete with portepee. Ready to display!

Specifications:
Blade Length: 9 1/2"
Blade Style: Spear Point Dagger
Overall length: 14“
Crossguard: 2 3/4”
Scabbard Length: 11 1/8"

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.