Original German WWII Dated & Unit Marked Army Heer Officer Dagger by E. & F. Hörster with Scabbard Original Items

Original Item: Only One Available. This is a very nice condition unit marked and dated German WWII Heer Army Officer’s Dagger, made by the well known Solingen-based firm of E. & F. Hörster GmbH. It features some very interesting markings, and has a lovely caramel colored grip. The pommel of this dagger is in very good condition, showing a little wear and scratching around the edge, with some loss of plating. The plating elsewhere is almost entirely present, with a great patina and lovely darkening on the oak leaf side panel.

The plated crossguard is in similar condition, mostly oxidized to a lovely dark patina. There is a bit of bubbling, but no major flaking or other damage. The details throughout the eagle are exceptional throughout the head, breast and wing feathering, talons and wreathed mobile swas (hook cross). The back of the crossguard bears a date and unit marking:

26. 4. 1940
F. E. A. 13

The date is easily understood, but we unfortunately have not been able to decipher the unit marking, aside from it being an abbreviation. The leather blade buffer is still present in the recess of the guard, which is a bit loose on the blade.

The grip ferrule is also silver-plated, and is in good condition with some light oxidation. The grip is has faded to a nice caramel color, typical of celluloid grips from this period. This grip is in great condition throughout, with just a bit of staining and wear.

The very good condition blade is mostly bright throughout, with some small areas of staining. It shows much of the original factory final polish cross grain, except on the central blade flat, where were from the runner has made it faint. The tip is still intact, with no bending, just some light wear. The edge is still nice, with no major chips or dents, and has not been sharpened, which is correct for dress daggers such as this.

The reverse ricasso of this dagger is acid etched with maker name E. & F. HÖRSTER / SOLINGEN in an oval “lozenge” around the company’s trademark downward pointing sword piercing interlocking HHS initials. E. & F. Hörster & Co Gmbh, is a well-known maker from Solingen, the famous “City of Blades” in Western Germany, which marketed many fine edged weapons. Originally founded in 1850 as “Friedrich Hörster” in 1850, the company was renamed to E. & F. Hörster in 1870 at the behest of Friedrich Emil & Fritz Hörster. The firm lasted long after WWII, finally being declared insolvent in 1996. For more information please see GERMAN KNIFE AND SWORD MAKERS by J. Anthony Carter.

The scabbard is a fine example, and is silver plated steel, with mottled tarnishing in some areas. This straight scabbard has very crisp, finely grained panels, with only a few small dents and no bending. The carrying bands have an excellent pattern of overlapping oak leaves and acorns, which are nicely enhanced, though they do show wear. The throat is the thinner style, and has two dome-headed securing screws on the thinner sides. There is a bit of plating loss and rust on the upper rear portion of the scabbard.

A very nice example from a well-known Solingen maker, ready to research and display!

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. These daggers are often encountered with an aluminum portepee.