Original German WWII Army Heer Officer’s Lion Head Sword by WKC Waffenfabrik with Steel Scabbard & Portepee Original Items

Original Item: Only One Available. This is a beautiful classic Lionhead German WWII Army Officers sword, made by the well known firm of Weyersberg Kirschbaum & Cie (WKC) Waffenfabrik, of Solingen, Germany, complete with its original scabbard. The all brass alloy hilt consists of a finely detailed lion head cat with engraved backstrap and “P” guard. The Lion is fitted with lovely blood red faceted “jewel”, both of which are in fantastic condition. There is nice detail throughout his whiskers, chin, and muzzle. The handwork is beautifully rendered throughout the hilt. The backstrap and side tabs bear lovely foliate designs, while the outside of the guard and the grip ferrule bear the iconic German iconic German “Oak Leaves & Acorns” motif.

The cross guard has a spread winged eagle which looks to the viewer’s left. The breast area of this eagle, as well as the wings, have been hand-enhanced. The reverse has a small plate where a monogram is sometimes added, though this example is blank. The hilt still retains much of the original gilt finish, with some areas worn down to the brass base metal.

The grip is a very nice black celluloid-over-wood base. It is wrapped with multiple twisted brass wires, which are still fully intact. The celluloid is still tight to the wood, and is quite shiny, without any cracking or chipping. The hilt overall does have some wobble, common for dress swords of this age, even though the original leather blade buffer is still present. There is a very nice silver bullion and green portepee attached to the grip.

The 31 3/4 inch blade of this example is in very good condition, with only some light scuffing in areas. It is fully nickel plated, which is retained quite almost completely. The edge is still fully blunt, as originally issued, though there are a few small dents on the edge and on the spine, as well as some stubborn bits of dried on grease on the plating.

The ricasso is stamped with the trademark “Knight’s Helmet” (Ritter-helm) logo of legendary maker Weyersberg Kirschbaum & Cie Waffenfabrik of Solingen:

(Knight’s Helmet)
W.K.C.

This company is a famous manufacturer of military swords and cutlery in Solingen, Germany – a city famous since the middle ages for its metal-working and craftsmanship in sword making. Per J. Anthony Carter’s fine work GERMAN SWORD AND KNIFE MAKERS, the traditional manufacturing of swords at WKC dates back to the year 1774 when the Weyersberg first registered the ”Kings head” as their trademark. Later in 1883 the company merged with the Kirschbaums, and the company Weyersberg Kirschbaum & Cie was formed, which continued into the Weimar Period. It was then rebranded as W.K.C. Waffenfabrik GmbH, and produced many edged weapons during the NSDAP Period. The company is still in operation today.

The scabbard of this example still has very good original factory black enamel, which is retained at over 95%. Sighting down the scabbard shows that it is straight, without any major dents or bends, making this really a great example. There is some chipping, scuffing, and moderate wear, but nothing out of line with service. It does not look to have been refinished at any type.

Overall a very good condition high quality sword from a well-known German sword maker, based in Solingen, the “City of Blades” in Western Germany. Ready to display!

Specifications:
Overall length: 37 1/8”
Blade length: 31 3/4″
Blade Style: Single Edged with Fuller
Guard dimensions: 5″ width x 4 1/2” length
Scabbard Length: 33 3/4″

The German Army (German: Heer, was the land forces component of the Wehrmacht, the German armed forces, from 1935 to 1945. The Wehrmacht also included the Kriegsmarine (Navy) and the Luftwaffe (Air Force). During World War II, a total of about 15 million soldiers served in the German Army, of whom about seven million became casualties. Separate from the army, the Waffen-SS (Armed SS) was a multi-ethnic and multi-national military force of the Third Reich. Growing from three regiments to over 38 divisions during World War II, it served alongside the army but was never formally part of it.

Only 17 months after AH announced publicly the rearmament program, the Army reached its projected goal of 36 divisions. During the autumn of 1937, two more corps were formed. In 1938, four additional corps were formed with the inclusion of the five divisions of the Austrian Army after the Anschluss in March. During the period of its expansion by Adolf AH, the German Army continued to develop concepts pioneered during World War I, combining ground (Heer) and air (Luftwaffe) assets into combined arms teams. Coupled with operational and tactical methods such as encirclements and the “battle of annihilation”, the German military managed quick victories in the two initial years of World War II, prompting the use of the word Blitzkrieg (literally lightning war, meaning lightning-fast war) for the techniques used.

The German Army entered the war with a majority of its infantry formations relying on the horse for transportation. The infantry remained foot soldiers throughout the war; artillery also remained primarily horse-drawn. The motorized formations received much attention in the world press in the opening years of the war, and were cited as the main reason for the success of the German invasions of Poland (September 1939), Norway and Denmark (April 1940), Belgium, France and Netherlands (May 1940), Yugoslavia (April 1941) and the early campaigns in the Soviet Union (June 1941). However their motorized and tank formations accounted for only 20% of the Heer’s capacity at their peak strength.