Original Excellent WWII German 2nd Model Luftwaffe Dagger by Rare Maker Anton Wingen Jr. with Scabbard, Hanger & Portepee Original Items

Original Item: Only One Available. This is a fantastic example of a wartime production 2nd Model Luftwaffe dagger, complete with scabbard, hanger, and portepee. It is a fine Solingen-Produced example made the rare maker Anton Wingen Jr, Stahlwarenfabrik of Solingen. Unlike almost all that we see, the celluloid grip of this dagger is still the original ivory white color, which is very rare to see! Most fade to yellow and orange over the years due to the instability of the material. It has a nice slightly tapered shape, and is wrapped with twisted wires. There is a bit of light staining, but no cracks, chips, or other issues.

The hilt mounts are in very good condition, and look to be plated aluminum, which was then oxidized, giving them a fantastic “antiqued” look. The plating on the pommel is almost fully retained, and all of the details are still present. The “mobile” swas (hook crosses) on both sides are clear, and the oak leaves around them are raised out and heavily hand enhanced.

The crossguard is also made of blacked Aluminum, which was an “Air Age” material, which was used to make most airplanes. It was considered fitting and desirable for the eagle-shaped guard to be made of this material. The front side is an eagle with a breast and talon area that is vaulted out much more so than the crossguards seen on other types of daggers. This guard shows little wear and has great feathering on the eagle. The bird, of course, flies to the left and grasps a mobile swas (hook cross) in his talons. The reverse panel is decorated with small pebbling. The ferrule looks to be plated steel, and it is still in very good condition. Wrapped around the grip just above the guard is an excellent original bullion portepee, which shows only light wear and a bit of fraying.

The blade on this example is not nickel plated, which is common for the 2nd model dagger blades. The reverse of the blade is stamped with the Anton Wingen Jr. “Standing Knight” trademark logo:

A. W. JR
(Trademark)
SOLINGEN

Anton Wingen Jun., Stahlwarenfabrik was a cutler and metalsmith company first founded in Solingen, Germany in 1888, and was formally registered in late 1901. They first came to prominence during WWI with their high quality hunting and combat knives, which were popular with troops. They acquired the “Knight” logo from Clauberg in 1920, and continued using it through the Third Reich period. This particular trademark was the style of logo they used on smaller knives, such as the HJ knife, per J. Anthony Carter’s work GERMAN KNIFE AND SWORD MAKERS. The company continued operation well after the war, finally closing in 1997. The original leather blade buffer is in place within the deep recesses of the guard.

The excellent condition blade is bright throughout, showing virtually all of the original factory final polish grind cross grain on both sides. This texture is iconic, and is the definitive identifying characteristic for a real WWII German Blade. The needle-like tip tip is still intact with no bending, and the edge has correctly not been sharpened. There is no oxidation we can see, and the only real wear is from the scabbard runners, present on virtually every other German dagger. This is a truly excellent example, possibly the best we have ever seen, and would be nearly impossible to improve upon!

This scabbard is a fine, straight example, having almost all of the plated finish retained, still showing the dark oxide top coat in many areas. The steel shell shows no denting, and the pebbled panels and oak leaves and acorns near the bottom are still crisp. The bands are zinc alloy, and are well defined and have outstanding hand enhanced oak leaves tipped at a 45 degree angle, with some wear. There is very little wear around the hanger rings, and the throat is the narrow style, retained by a single flush mount screw on the rear.

Attached to the scabbard is a very good condition belt hanger, with all spring clips fully functional. Unlike almost every other example we have seen, the fittings on this hanger are actually almost totally made from Aluminum, fitting for a Luftwaffe hanger! Only the springs are steel, and the fittings originally had a nice dark finish to match the scabbard. This has now mostly worn away, due to the softer material, and there is actually a lot of wear from the hanger ring on the upper clip. The straps still have great bullion on the front, however the velvet backing shows wear and some fraying.

Overall this is fantastic example of a 2nd Model Luftwaffe Dagger, made by a rare maker and offered in excellent condition, complete scabbard, belt hanger, and portepee. This is the full setup, one of the best we have seen, and is more than ready to display!

Specifications:
Blade Length: 10″
Overall length: 15 1/2”
Crossguard: 3 1/4”
Scabbard Length: 11 3/4”