Germany, Heer. An Officer’s 1767 Pattern von Lützow Parade Sabre, by Carl Eickhorn

(Heer Säbel für Offiziere). A very well-preserved Heer Officer’s “von Lützow” parade sabre from Carl Eickhorn’s special edition “Feldherrn Serie” (Field Marshal Series), measuring 94 cm in total length when inserted into the scabbard. It features an 80 cm-long, nickel-plated, magnetic steel blade with a gentle curvature. Retaining factory-original sharpening to the tip, the blade also has double-sided fullers running the majority of the length of the top edge The reverse ricasso bears a maker’s mark of “ORIGINAL EICKHORN, SOLINGEN”, circumscribing the firm’s classic logo of a squirrel clutching a sword. It sits securely within a multi-piece hilt, with the seam covered by an intact black leather buffer pad, while a “GES. GESCH.” mark is appropriately visible on the underside of the crossguard in keeping with Eickhorn’s protected designs for its Field Marshal Series. The obverse of the crossguard features a central medallion bearing a raised sword overlaid by a mobile swastika, in turn situated within a semi-circular oak leaf wreath, while an analogous reverse medallion remains plain and awaiting the addition of an owner’s initials or monogram. A gilded bronze backstrap extends from the crossguard, decorated with raised oak leaves and acorns, and transitions into a curved hand guard. The grip is composed of a single piece of ribbed black celluloid, with the ribbing retaining an original twisted and rolled silver wire cord. Wrapped around the hand guard is a matching portepee, consisting of a stylized silver aluminum wire acorn suspended from a blackened leather strap, in turn decorated with three machine-embroidered silver aluminum wire tresses. Accompanying the sabre is its original scabbard, constructed of a black painted magnetic metal shaft. A loop and ring set in place just below the throat accommodate addition of a hanger, while a functional spring catch situated within the throat firmly holds the sabre in place during storage. Minor scratching is visible to the blade, resulting in slight loss of nickel plating to the spine of the blade near the hilt, with additional tarnishing to the hilt itself, material fatigue of the portepee, and moderate scratching and loss of paint throughout the scabbard. This rare, privately-purchased, pre-war Officer’s prestige sabre remains in a near extremely fine condition.