Original Item: Only One Available. This is a very good condition German Army Officer's Dagger, produced by Tigerwerk Lauterjung & Co., of Solingen, Germany, complete with a rare translucent "glass" style handle and original scabbard. The zinc pommel of this dagger is in very good condition, showing very little wear, however the silver plating is really only visible on part of the sides, with the rest faded to a gray oxidized patina. The standing oak leaves and acorns going around the sides are crisply detailed and have good backgrounds.

The plated zinc crossguard has retained a lot more of the plating, especailly on the rear and on the side facing the grip. The rest has faded to the same oxidizied zinc color as on most of the pommel. The details throughout the eagle are exceptional throughout the head, breast and wing feathering, talons and wreathed mobile swas. It really just looks great, with the perfect patina. The grip ferrule looks to be silver-plated steel, and is in very good condition with some light tarnishing.

The glass grip itself is a very nice translucent orange color, and is in very good condition. There is some cracking around the pommel, often caused with a loose end fitting is tightened. It shows a bit of wear and staining on the surface. The hilt fittings are still firm on the tang overall, with no wobble, and the original leather blade buffer is still present.

The blade is in truly excellent condition, bright throughout and having almost all of the original cross grain easily visible. This texture is iconic, and is the definitive identifying characteristic for a real WWII German Blade. Only the areas with runner wear are lacking the grain, and there are just a few tiny traces of staining on the blade. The needle-like tip is still intact, with no bending, and the edge is correctly not sharpened.

The reverse ricasso is marked with the "Left Facing Tiger" trademark of the Lauterjung & Co. firm, and to the right of the trademark is:

TIGER
SOLINGEN

Lauterjung & Co., Tiger Stahlwaren- und Waffenfabrik is a famous manufacturer in Solingen, the legendary "City of Blades" in Western Germany. Their trademark was a Tiger, and their factory was thus often referred to as Tigerwerk (Tiger Works). The firm was founded in 1873 to make knives, scissors, and other steel ware, and survived until after the war. There were several different branches of the Lauterjung family involved in edged weapons, operating under different trade names to avoid confusion. For more information please see GERMAN KNIFE AND SWORD MAKERS by J. Anthony Carter.

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 carrying bands have an excellent pattern of overlapping oak leaves and acorns, which are nicely enhanced, showing only light wear. The throat is the thinner style, and has a single securing screw on the scabbard's reverse.

An excellent example of a German Army Officer's dagger by TIGER, complete with a rare glass grip and original 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.