Original German WWII Army Heer Officer Dagger by Alcoso with Hanger & Portepee circa 1940 Original Items

Original Item: Only One Available. This is a very nice circa 1940 example of the typical German WWII Army Officer dagger with a belt hanger and portepee, made by the Solingen-based firm of Alcoso-Werk GmbH. The pommel of this dagger is in good condition, showing a bit of wear around the rim, and some bubbling / peeling of the silver plating due to corrosion of the nickel alloy base metal. The standing oak leaves and acorns on the sides are crisply detailed and have good black backgrounds.

The crossguard also shows much of the original silver plating, with wear through to the base metal on the sides. The details throughout the eagle are good throughout the head, breast and wing feathering, talons and wreathed mobile swas, though there is wear in areas, so the details are not as sharp as they once were. The rear of the guard has a very faint name scratched in, which looks to read OIKUS.

The celluloid grips of these daggers often fade over time, sometimes to a dark orange color. This has only faded a little, and is still a light caramel color. This grip is in good condition throughout, with just a few small scratches and some dirt in the recesses. The ferrule is intact, and in very good shape, with the expected oxidation and wear. Tied around this is an original portepee, which is in good condition, and tied in the Heer style. There is definitely some light fraying and loss of bullion in areas, but it still presents very well.

The carbon steel blade is in excellent condition, with nearly full factory final polish crossgrain, and just a few small spots of oxidation. The edge has correctly not been sharpened, and the needle like tip is still fully intact. We haven’t seen a blade in this great condition in some time! The leather blade washer is still intact and in place inside the crossguard.

The reverse ricasso is etched with the trademark Alcoso used in 1939-1940. It depicts the scales with the firm’s initials, ACS interspersed. Above is the firm’s name, Alcoso in script and below the town of business, SOLINGEN, the legendary “City of Blades” in Western Germany.

Alcoso was originally a trade name of Alexander Coppel & Co. KG, Stahlwarenfabrik, located in Solingen, the legendary German “City of Blades.” The company was a major manufacturer of edged weapons and tools from the end of the 19th century up until the WWII period. Unfortunately, as NSDAP-control increased, brothers Carl Gustav and Dr. Alexander Coppel, the Jewish owners of the firm, were forced out. In 1936 the firm had been “Aryanized”, and started using the name ALCOSO to hide the Jewish family name. By the end of 1936 the brothers were ejected from their Solingen offices, and by 1940 the brand trademark initials ACS were changed to AWS to reflect the change in ownership and name: Alexander Coppel Solingen to Alcoso-Werk Solingen. Carl Gustav Coppel committed suicide in Solingen in 1941, and Dr. Alexander Coppel was arrested in 1942 and sent to Theresienstadt Prison camp, where he died August 5th 1942. For more information please see J. Anthony Carter’s book, GERMAN KNIFE AND SWORD MAKERS.

The scabbard is a fine silver-plated steel example, with a great polished patina and almost all of original plating intact. There is a dent on one side about an inch from the bottom, but it does not interfere with sheathing the blade. The plating is well retained, and is bright in many areas. The sides have very crisp, finely pebble-grained panels. The alloy carrying bands have an excellent pattern of overlapping oak leaves and acorns, with hand enhancing evident on each of the leaves. The throat is the narrow style, retained by screws on the narrow sides of the scabbard.

Attached to the scabbard is a very nice belt hanger, with functional pebbled spring clips with a great patina. The buckles and keepers are engraved with the same oak and acorn motif seen throughout the dagger. The straps do show wear on the edges, however the velvet on the reverse is well retained.

Overall a great example of a German Heer Officer’s Dagger with hanger & portepee, from a maker with a somber back story.

Specifications:
Blade Length: 9 1/2″
Blade Style: Spear Point Dagger
Overall length: 14“
Crossguard: 2 3/4”
Scabbard Length: 11 1/8″

The German Army (Heer) first carried a dagger beginning in 1935. The weapon was worn in lieu of occasions not demanding the wearing of a more formal sword. The dagger design was quite attractive featuring silvered heavy fittings with white or colored grip. The crossguard depicted a Wehrmacht open-winged eagle clutching a wreathed swas.

The pommel depicted oak leafing around the outer circumference. The scabbard had panels of pebble designs. Later produced examples were plated with nickel, and late war-made pieces were unplated, finished in a gray color metal. This early war version is quite nice, and in great shape.