Original German WWII Army Heer Officer Dagger by Carl Eickhorn with Nickel Plated Blade & Portepee Original Items

Original Item: Only One Available. This is an excellent Army Officer’s Dagger, produced by the legendary Solingen-based firm Carl Eickhorn. It also has a rare Nickel Plated blade, something we have rarely seen. This is possibly the first Nickel Plated Army Dagger we have ever handled, and the blade is in stunning condition.

The pommel of this dagger is in very good condition, with only a bit of edge wear, and fully intact plating. The darkening on the sides is retained well, and overall it has a lovely aged, lightly used look.

The silver plated crossguard is in even better condition, with full plating and minimal wear. The details throughout the characteristic Carl Eickhorn eagle are exceptional throughout the head, breast and wing feathering, talons and wreathed mobile swas. The grip ferrule is also silver-plated, and is in good condition with a lovely dark patina.

The grip is has faded to a nice pumpkin orange, typical of celluloid grips from this period. This grip is in almost perfect condition throughout, with just a bit of staining and light wear.  Wrapped around the grip and cross guard is an original aluminum bullion thread portepee (sword knot), tied in the Heer fashion. It is in good condition as shown, with loss of the bullion and fraying close to the end knot.

The blade is in almost perfect condition. It has no signs of sharpening, and very little evidence of any type of wear. There is only the tiniest of dents right on the very tip. There is a bit of runner wear, but it is hardly noticeable. The blade is steel with a very high quality factory nickel plated finish. The reverse ricasso is etched with a maker mark, which has almost COMPLETE darkening still present. This is undoubtedly a factory plating job, as otherwise the darkened logo would be impossible.

The logo itself is the famous 1935-41 Eickhorn trademark: a seated squirrel holding a sword, with the word ORIGINAL above and the firm’s name and location, Eickhorn / SOLINGEN below. The original leather blade buffer is in place within the deep recesses of the guard.

According to  J. Anthony Carter’s book, GERMAN KNIFE AND SWORD MAKERS, this company was founded in 1865 by Carl Eickhorn, and is arguably the most famous of all Solingen makers. Not only could the family trace their history back 500 years, but they could also demonstrate involvement in the hardening and grinding industries for the same period. Truly the nobility of Solingen Edged weapon dynasties. Eickhorn edged weapons are the most desirable of all makers.

The scabbard is a fine Carl Eickhorn example, and is steel, plated with what looks to be silver. This straight scabbard has very crisp, finely grained panels. The carrying bands have an excellent pattern of overlapping oak leaves and acorns, which are nicely enhanced, and show little wear. The throat is the thinner style, and has a single securing screw on the back of the scabbbard. It is silver or nickel plated, and has a lovely lightly oxidized look. There is not really any flaking we can see, making this a great example.

An excellent Nickel-Plated example, from the most desirable of all makers. Ready to add to your collection and display!

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. These daggers are often encountered with an aluminum portepee.