Item Description
Original Item: Only One Available. This is a very nice early war example of the typical German WW2 Army Officer dagger with an orange "pumpkin" grip, made by the Solingen-based firm of E. & F. Hörster. The pommel of this dagger is in good condition, though the plating does have wear. The standing oak leaves and acorns are crisply detailed, with a good amount of plating present.
The crossguard also shows a good amount of plating, and has a fine patination. The details throughout the eagle are exceptional throughout the head, breast and wing feathering, talons and wreathed mobile swas. There is a bit of wear through the plating on the edges, and a bit of peppered plating and discoloration on the reverse.
The grip is is still a very nice pumpkin orange color, a typical color for the celluloid grip from this period. These turn orange slowly over the years, and are quite attractive. This grip is in almost perfect condition throughout, with just a bit of staining and a crack near the gross guard.
The scabbard is a fine silver-plated example, with a great patina and almost all of original plating intact. There is however a dent on either side of the bottom, almost as though it was closed in a door. The plating is worn through in areas, especially on the sides of the scabbard. This 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. The throat is the wider style and is held in place by a single screw on the rear.
The carbon steel blade is in excellent condition, almost perfect except for some wear on the top of bottom of the tip. There is only one or two small stains, and it is otherwise factory bright, with complete original factory final polish crossgrain throughout. The leather blade washer is still intact and in place, and the needle-like tip is still intact.
The reverse ricasso is maker marked E. & F. HÖRSTER / SOLINGEN in an oval "lozenge" around the company's trademark downward pointing sword piercing interlocking HHS initials. E. & F. Hörster & Co Gmbh, is a well-known maker from Solingen, the famous "City of Blades" in Western Germany, which marketed many fine edged weapons. The firm lasted long after WWII, finally being declared insolvent in 1996.
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. This early war version is quite nice, and in great shape.
- This product is available for international shipping. Shipping not available to: Australia, France, or Germany
- Due to legal restrictions this item cannot be shipped to Australia, France or Germany. This is not a comprehensive list and other countries may be added in the future.
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