Original Item. Only One Available. This is a very good original German WWII miniature 2nd Model Luftwaffe dagger manufactured by Solinger Metallwaren-Fabrik Stöcker & Co., better known as SMF, of Solingen. The dagger is approximately three-quarter size and closely follows the form of the full-size 2nd Model Luftwaffe officer’s dagger, with an aluminum-colored hilt, celluloid grip with wire wrap, plated blade, and matching metal scabbard. Of particular interest is an additional blade marking consisting of a crossed-hammers style logo and the letters J.H. / L. CO., the exact identity of which remains undetermined.

The celluloid grip of this miniature dagger has faded to a lovely caramel color, and remains in good condition throughout, with the original wire wrapping still present. One side is a small bit darker than the other due to light exposure. There is a bit of staining, but nothing serious. The hilt mountings look to be of all aluminum construction, very common for use on 2nd model Luftwaffe daggers. Aluminum was an "Air Age" material, which was used to make most airplanes. It was considered fitting and desirable for the eagle-shaped guard to be made of this material. The crossguard has the iconic Luftwaffe eagle perched on a swas (hook cross), with the bird looking to the left, with the rear side pebbled. The cross guard is definitely loose, probably due to the grip shrinking over the years.

This example was produced by Solinger Metalwaren-Fabrik Stöcker & Co. GmbH, also known as SMF, who were one of the major producers of this knife during WWII. Their "Seated King" over SMF / SOLINGEN trademark is seen on the reverse base of the blade. They were one of the major suppliers of edged weapons to the Luftwaffe during WWII. As the name implies, they were located in Solingen, the legendary "City of Blades" in Western Germany. For more information, please see J. Anthony Carter's fine work GERMAN SWORD AND KNIFE MAKERS. Below to logo is D.R.G.M., indicating that the miniature dagger is a protected / patented design.

The blade itself is nickel plated, and still in very good condition, with some scratching and scuffing to the finish. There is a bit of damage and bending near the tip, which has resulted in some of the plating having flaked away. The blade has a lovely attribution marked on the blade consisting of a small logo of crossed hammers with rope and a hook with the letters J.H. / L. CO.. We could not identify this maker or organization, making for a good research project.

The scabbard for this miniature dagger looks to be made from cast iron or steel, which were then plated. It looks to originally have been zinc plated, which has now oxidized to a gray patina. It fits the blade on the miniature dagger well.

The combination of the seated king SMF / SOLINGEN trademark, D.R.G.M. marking, unusual J.H. / L. CO. blade device, original wire-wrapped celluloid grip, and matching metal scabbard makes this an especially interesting example for further research. The loose crossguard, tip damage, plating loss, surface scratches, and oxidized scabbard finish are the principal condition considerations.

Specifications:
Blade Length: 5 1/2"
Overall length: 8 3/4”
Crossguard: 2 1/8”
Scabbard Length: 6 ½”