Original German WWII Army Heer Officer Dagger by Weyersberg Kirschbaum & Cie with Scabbard and Portepee Original Items

Original Item: Only One Available. This is a very nice Army Officer’s Dagger, produced by the legendary Solingen-based firm of Weyersberg Kirschbaum & Co., a highly desirable maker of edged weapons. The pommel of this dagger is in very nice condition, showing a little wear around the top. The standing oak leaves and acorns are crisply detailed and have good black backgrounds.

The crossguard retains much silvering and has a fine patination. The details throughout the characteristic WKC eagle are still present throughout the head, breast and wing feathering, talons and wreathed mobile swas (hook cross). The grip is a very pretty, deep orange color, aged from the original ivory white. This grip is in very condition with a tiny crack towards the base but the grip is still totally solid. The grip ferrule is also silver-plated, and is in good condition with some wear, having been protected by the portepee, which is in good condition as shown, with fraying and wear.

The very good condition blade is mostly bright throughout, showing almost all of the original cross grain. The tip is still intact, with no bending, just some light wear. Overall finish does show some staining in a few places near the tip, though the edge is still nice, with no major chips or sharpening. There is the usual runner wear on the blade surface, however this is present on just about every dagger out there.

The reverse ricasso is etched with the trademark “Knights-Head” (Ritter-helm) logo of legendary maker Weyersberg Kirschbaum & Cie of Solingen, over the firms initials of WKC / SOLINGEN. 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 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 is a classic WKC example, with some of the silvering and some of the frosting along the edges. This scabbard has minor dents but it still has crisp finely grained panels. The carrying bands have an excellent pattern of overlapping oak leaves and acorns, with hand enhancing evident on each of the leaves. The throat is the thicker style and is held in place by a single flat head screw on the upper right edge.

A very nice example from a legendary maker, 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. These daggers are often encountered with an aluminum portepee.