Germany, Luftwaffe. An Officer’s Dress Dagger, With Hanger, By Weyersberg, Kirschbaum & Cie

(Luftwaffe Dolch für Offizier mit Gehänge). A well-preserved Luftwaffe Officer’s dress dagger, measuring 42.5 cm in total length when inserted into the scabbard. It features a 26.5 cm-long, nickel-plated, magnetic steel blade with a sharpened tip and edges. The blade is plain with the exceptions of a maker’s mark on the reverse ricasso in the form of the logo of Weyersberg, Kirschbaum & Cie, Solingen. It sits securely within a silvered alloy crossguard, the obverse of which bears a raised Luftwaffe eagle clutching a mobile swastika, with the seam covered by an intact brown leather buffer pad. The handle grip is composed of a single piece of ribbed off-white celluloid, with the ribbing retaining an original twisted and rolled silver aluminum wire cord. It completes with a rounded silvered alloy pommel bearing double-sided wreathed mobile swastikas, screwing in to maintain the dagger’s structural integrity. Wrapped around the handle is a matching portepee, consisting of a stylized silver aluminum wire acorn suspended from a strap of identical construction. It is accompanied by its original scabbard, constructed of a pebbled magnetic metal shaft. The upper third of the shaft has two integral oak leaf bands with loops for the accommodation of a hanger. The throat retains a functional spring catch to firmly hold the dagger in place during storage. Issues consistent with age and wear are evident, and include some running marks and tarnishing to the blade, loss of finish to the silvered fixtures, and some tarnishing and surface oxidation to the scabbard. It remains in a better than very fine condition.

It is also accompanied by a matching hanger, consisting of a functional gilded non-magnetic metal spring clip from which two loops emanate along the bottom edge. Descending from each loop is a dark grey doeskin strap topped by dark grey rayon, in turn flanked by silver aluminum wire tresses. Each strap is adjusted with a gilded alloy buckle, and completes with functional gilded spring clips to lock onto the scabbard’s loops. The spring clip is marked with a Reichszeugmeisterei (RZM) logo and maker code “U.E. 10” for an unconfirmed manufacturer. Measuring 27 cm in total length as presented, the hanger demonstrates the loss of most of the gilt finish to the metal fixtures, but remains in a near extremely fine condition.