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 fittings on this dagger actually look to be silver plated zinc alloy, which now has matured to a lovely tarnished patina. This gives it a fantastic "deep blue" color in many of the recessed areas of the design. The alloy pommel of this dagger is in very good condition, showing only light wear with most of the original plating still intact, with some missing around the edge. It has a nice lightly tarnished patina throughout, and the standing oak leaves and acorns are crisply detailed and have good backgrounds.

The plated crossguard is in similar condition, with a lovely color, showing only light use from service, and the leather blade buffer is still present. The details throughout the characteristic eagle are exceptional throughout the head, breast and wing feathering, talons and wreathed mobile swas. The plated steel grip ferrule looks great, with the plating now the same lovely tarnished color, matching the other fittings. The celluloid grip is in good shape, with a lovely "pumpkin" orange color. There is no chipping or other damage that we can see, and it is slightly lighter in color on one side due to uneven light exposure. Wrapped around the grip and cross guard is an original aluminum bullion thread portepee (sword knot), tied in the Heer fashion. It definitely does show wear, and at some point part of it was placed between the ferrule and the cross guard, possibly to remove looseness from the hilt.

The blade is in very good 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. There is some sign of cleaning and polishing, which has made the cross grain faint in some areas, however there is little to no oxidation that we can see. The needle like tip of the dagger does show a tiny bend at the end, and there is also a small "dogleg" bend in the last 3/8" of the blade. The edge is correctly unsharpened, with no dents or other damage.

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 what looks to be silver plating, much of which is retained. This straight scabbard has very crisp, finely grained panels. The plated 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 flush securing screw on the scabbard's rear side. The plating is still mostly 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 & scabbard. 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.