Original German WWII 2nd Model Luftwaffe Dagger by Robert Klaas of Solingen with Scabbard Original Items

Original Item: Only One Available. This is a very nice example of mid-war production 2nd Model Luftwaffe dagger. It is a fine Solingen-Produced example made by the rare firm of Robert Klaas, Feine Solinger Stahlwaren (Fine Solingen Steelware). The celluloid grip of this dagger is a nice light caramel color, faded from the original ivory white color. One side is a bit more faded than the other, as light accelerates the process. It has a nice tapered shape, and is tightly wrapped with bullion covered twisted wires. There is no cracking we can see, just some minor scuffs and scratches.

The hilt mounts are in similar condition with a lovely patina of age. The pommel is very good and still shows most of the original detail. The “mobile” swass on both sides are clear and the oak leaves around them are raised out and heavily hand enhanced. The pommel appears to be solid aluminum, and has a bit of antiquing in the recessed portions of the design.

The crossguard is also made of 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. The guard shows little wear and has great feathering on the eagle. The bird, of course, flies to the left and grasps a mobile swas in his talons. The reverse panel is decorated with small pebbling, which is still clear. The ferrule looks to be plated steel, and shows some evidence of past oxidation, now polished away.

The dagger is fitted with a bright steel blade without plating, which is typical for a wartime production dagger. The reverse ricasso is maker marked with a trademark logo that reads ROB’T KLAAS / SOLINGEN under the trademark Klaas “Kissing Storks” trademark emblem. This is a well-known maker from Solingen, the famous “City of Blades” in Western Germany, which produced many fine edged weapons. The company was originally founded by Friedrich Robert Klaas, who married the daughter of knife maker Peter Daniel Pauls. After his father-in-law passed away, all was left to Klaas and his wife, so he merged his scissor business with the knife business, and registered with Solingen authorities in 1869. The company passed to his sons, and then his son-in-law. It survived WWI, WWII, and still exists today, per J. Anthony Carter’s fine work GERMAN SWORD AND KNIFE MAKERS.

The very good condition blade is partly bright throughout, and definitely shows some surface oxidation and staining. The blade looks to have been cleaned and polished in the past, which removed the original factory cross grain in areas. This texture is iconic, and is the definitive identifying characteristic for a real WWII German Blade. After the polishing, it looks like the blade was not oiled, so it has some flash surface rusting present. We did attempt to clean this, and it looks like it will polish out easily with a bit of effort. The original leather blade buffer is still present in the recess of the cross guard.

This steel scabbard is a fine, straight example, and looks to originally have been zinc plated, some of which is still retained. There are no major dents that we can see, but there is wear and oxidation loss where the plating has eroded. The bands are zinc alloy, and show hand enhanced oak leaves tipped at a 45 degree angle, however they have oxidized a bit with some pitting. The throat is retained by a single flush mount screw on the rear of the scabbard.

This is a very nice 2nd Model Luftwaffe Dagger with scabbard, made by a rare maker and offered in very nice condition. Ready to display!

Specifications:
Blade Length: 10″
Overall length: 15 1/8”
Crossguard: 3 1/4”
Scabbard Length: 11 3/4”