Luftwaffe Officer's Dagger, 2nd Model

We deal in Japanese swords, so a German dagger is a departure. This one came in from a UK collection as part payment on a Japanese piece, and passing it to someone who collects this material seemed better than leaving it in a drawer.

It is a Luftwaffe officer’s dagger of the second pattern, introduced in 1937 and worn through to the end of the war. The two Luftwaffe patterns separate easily once you know what to look at. The first, from 1934, is a longer dagger with a dark blue grip and a blue leather scabbard on silvered mounts. The second, this one, is shorter: an orange spiral-fluted grip over wood bound with silver-toned wire, a round pommel wrapped in oak leaves, a downswept eagle for a crossguard, and a scabbard of pebbled aluminium banded with oakleaf mounts. Officers bought these privately rather than drawing them from stores, so quality varies a good deal between makers.

The ricasso carries the oval trademark of Paul Weyersberg & Co of Solingen, one of the older blade houses in the town and a steady supplier of dress daggers through the period. The blade itself is the plain double-edged diamond section the pattern calls for, with no etching or motto.

The silver bullion troddel is still with it, knot and barrel both intact. That counts for more than it sounds. The troddel was the most fragile part of the assembly and it is the first thing these daggers lose, so a complete example comes up far less often than a bare one.

Condition is about what eighty-odd years will do. The grip is sound and free of the shrinkage cracking that spoils so many of these, and the wire binding is complete and tight. The blade has gone grey, with light staining and old surface scratches, though the maker’s mark is still crisp. The scabbard is the weak point: the plating has broken down and there is rust through it in places, heaviest towards the chape. Everything is present and it displays well, but it is not a bright scabbard, and better to say so now than have it arrive as a surprise.

We sell it as an object from its period and nothing more. Shipping is to the UK and the USA only. Insignia of this kind are restricted in several European countries, so we will not post it into them. If Japanese swords are what brought you here, the WW2 Japanese sword buyer’s guide is a better place to start.

If you would like more photographs or exact measurements, please get in touch.