Original German WWII Early Army Heer Officer Dagger by Carl Eickhorn with Scabbard, Hanger, & Portepee – 1935-41 Trademark Original Items

Original Item: Only One Available. This is a very good condition Army Officer’s Dagger, produced by the legendary Solingen-based firm Carl Eickhorn, complete with its original scabbard, hanger, and portepee knot. The alloy pommel of this dagger is in very good condition, showing light wear around the bottom edge. It looks to have been plated and then oxide coated, giving it a lovely deep blue color overall. It may be that it is made from a solid alloy like Tombak or Nickel Silver, and then oxide coated. The standing oak leaves and acorns are crisply detailed around the pommel, and there is little wear or damage of any kind.

The crossguard looks to be made in the same way, with a blue oxide coating overall, which is very well retained. It does show some wear through on the raised areas, but for the most part looks great. There is a bit of oxidation on the ends of the “scrolls” at the edges. The details throughout the characteristic eagle are exceptional throughout the head, breast and wing feathering, talons and wreathed mobile swas. The grip ferrule looks to be plated steel, and has the same blue oxide coating, however it also shows some bubbling and rusting at the edges. The celluloid grip has faded to a lovely amber color, showing just a bit of wear and staining, and no damage we can see. 

Wrapped around the grip and cross guard is an original aluminum bullion thread portepee (sword knot), tied in the Heer fashion. It shows a bit of light wear and fraying. , as well as some bullion loss on the wooden fitting above the knot, but overall is in very good condition.

The blade on this example is in very good condition, with the factory final polish grind cross grain present throughout the blade, with some fading from runner wear and cleaning. This texture is iconic, and is the definitive identifying characteristic for a real WWII German Blade. The needle-like tip is still intact, with no bending, and the edge is still nice, with no chips or sharpening. There is however oxidation and staining in some areas, particularly on the reverse of the blade. Most likely some moisture got inside hte scabbard, and caused oxidation. There is also some dried grease on the blade near the tip. We have left the blade as is to preserve the history.

The rear of the blade is clearly etched with the 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. Carl Eickhorn is a legendary maker from Solingen, the famous “City of Blades” in Western Germany.

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 original leather blade buffer is in place within the recesses of the guard.

The scabbard is a fine example, and is made of high quality plated steel, which then had the same blue oxide coating applied as on the other fittings. There are no large dents or bends that we can see, however there are definitely some areas of plating loss and oxidation, especially near the fittings. This scabbard has very crisp, finely pebble grained panels, and the carrying bands have a very nice overlapping oak and acorn motif, a common design seen on German edged weapons. The throat is the thinner style, and has a single “cheese head” securing screw on the rear of the scabbard.

Attached to the scabbard is a very good condition 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 clips are the regular hinged style, made from zinc alloy, and do not have any markings that we can see. The original silver wash is still partly present on some of the hardware, showing a tarnished patina where it is retained. The straps are in very good condition, with the velvet on the back well retained, and the silver bullion front side showing very little wear and oxidation.

A lovely example from the most legendary of all Solingen makers, complete with its original scabbard, hanger, and portepee. This is the full setup! Ready to 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. This early war version is quite nice, and in great shape.