Original Item: Only One Available. This is a very nice example of the typical German WWII Army Heer Officer dagger with belt hanger and portepee, made by the famous Solingen-based firm of Tigerwerk Lauterjung & Co.. The pommel of this dagger is in nice condition, showing some wear around the rim but nothing bad, though a lot of the plating is missing, so the underlying alloy base metal is seen. The standing oak leaves and acorns are crisply detailed and have good black backgrounds.

The crossguard also shows some of the original plating, and has a fine patination, but like the pommel, most of the plating is missing. The details throughout the characteristic eagle are exceptional throughout the head, breast and wing feathering, talons and wreathed mobile swas. The grip is still a nice ivory white color, so unlike many it has not deteriorated to orange. This grip is in almost perfect condition throughout, with just a bit of staining and wear. Wrapped around the grip and cross guard is an original aluminum bullion thread portepee (sword knot), tied in the Heer fashion. It is in very good condition, with a small amount of fraying in areas.

The scabbard is a fine example, with a great patina and a good deal of the original plating intact. This straight scabbard has very crisp, finely pebble-grained panels. The carrying bands have an excellent pattern of overlapping oak leaves and acorns, with hand enhancing evident on each of the leaves. There is some wear, but no real rust or corrosion where the plating is missing. The throat is the thicker style and is held in place by a single flat head screw on the rear side.

Attached to the scabbard is a very good condition belt hanger, with functional pebbled spring clips with a great patina. The buckles and keepers are engraved with the same oak and acorn motif seen throughout the dagger, and are marked DRGM on the rear where they attach to the hanger clip. This indicates that they are registered with the German trademark office. The hanger straps show light wear, with a bit of fading on the bullion side, however the velvet on the reverse is almost completely intact. There is also a small "Barred A" logo of F. W. Assmann & Söhne of Lüdenscheid, a well known manufacturer of clothing accessories, on the back of one of the buckles.

The carbon steel blade is in excellent condition, with only a few small specks of staining. It still has almost all of the original factory final polish crossgrain, with the expected runner wear. The needle-like tip is still intact, and the edge is nick free, and has never been sharpened. The reverse ricasso is marked with the "Left Facing Tiger" trademark of the Lauterjung & Co. firm, and a large size leather blade washer is in place. To the right of the trademark is:

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.

This is an excellent opportunity to pick up a great German WWII Heer Officer Dagger. We rarely see them this nice with an original ivory colored grip.

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.