Germany, Luftwaffe. An Officer’s Dress Dagger, by Carl Eickhorn

(Luftwaffe Dolch für Offiziere). A very 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 which retains factory-original sharpening to the edges and tip, and with a rich cross grain visible throughout. The reverse ricasso bears a maker’s mark of “ORIGINAL EICKHORN, SOLINGEN”, circumscribing the firm’s classic logo of a squirrel clutching a sword. The blade sits securely within an aluminum alloy crossguard, the obverse of which bears a raised Luftwaffe eagle clutching a mobile swastika, with a blackened leather buffer pad covering the seam. A single piece of ribbed light brown celluloid composes the handle grip, with the ribbing retaining an original twisted and rolled wire cord. The dagger culminates in an aluminum pommel consisting of a double-sided mobile swastika situated within a circular oak leaf wreath, screwing in to maintain the dagger’s structural integrity. Accompanying the dagger is a period scabbard, constructed of a pebbled magnetic metal shaft. Dual oak leaf bands are situated just below the throat, each retaining a loop for the accommodation of a hanger. A functional spring catch situated within the throat firmly holds the dagger in place during storage. Minor issues consistent with age and wear are evident, and include some running marks to the blade and a consistent patina throughout the scabbard shaft. The dagger remains in an overall extremely fine condition.