Original German WWII Army Officers Lion Head Sword by Richard Abr. Herder of Solingen with Scabbard Original Items

Original Item: Only One Available. This is a very nice classic Lionhead German WWII Army Officers sword, made by the well known firm of Richard Abr. Herder AG, Stahlwarenfabrik, of Solingen, Germany. This is the first example that we have had of an officer’s sword by Herder, and it comes complete with its original black enamel finished steel scabbard.

The hilt on this example is the classic gilt brass alloy, not the later war plated aluminum. Unlike most that we see, it still retains a good amount amount of the original gilding on some of the raised areas, as well as in the recesses. Areas that have lost the gilding now show an oxidized patina, which is a bit reddish due to loss of the zinc in the alloy. Really a lovely looking hilt. The design of the hilt consists of a finely detailed lion head cat with an embossed backstrap and “P” guard. The Lion is fitted with blood red faceted “jewel” eyes. There is nice detail throughout his whiskers, chin, and muzzle. The handwork is beautifully rendered throughout hilt. The backstrap and side tabs bear the iconic German “Oak Leaves & Acorns” motif, also found on the guard and the grip ferrule.

The crossguard has an open-wing art deco style eagle which looks to the viewer’s left. The breast area of this eagle, as well as the wings, have been hand-enhanced. The reverse has a small plate where a monogram might be added, however it is blank. The original leather blade buffer is still present, and in good condition showing some cracking. The grip is a very nice black celluloid-over-wood base. It is wrapped with a pair of twisted wires, which are fully intact and show a green verdigris patina from light oxidation. The celluloid is still tight to the wood, and is quite shiny, without any cracking or chipping, just some scratches. Overall the hilt has a bit of wobble on the tang.

The 32 ⅞ inch blade of this example is in very good condition, and unlike almost every other officer’s sword, is in bright steel, with no nickel plating. There are areas of staining and light oxidation, but no major rust, and original grind marks can still be seen on the blade surface. We can also see a bit of scuffing from use and cleaning. The edge does not have any nicks or dents, and is still completely straight.

The reverse ricasso of the blade on this example is marked with the early style “Double Arc” trademark logo of Richard Abraham Herder AG, Stahlwarenfabrik (Steelware Factory) of Solingen, the legendary “City of Blades” in Western Germany. This early marking has the address in two arcs surrounding their “four pointed star diamond” logo:

RICH. ABR. HERDER
(DIAMOND LOGO)
SOLINGEN

The Herder name is well known in Solingen, and this branch originally registered in 1884 as a steelware maker. As time went on they specialized in Drop Forging, and supplied blade blanks to Erfurt Arsenal and other companies. During the Third Reich period, they continued to make their own edged weapons, as well as supply blades to smaller makers. The earlier “double arc” trademark had been used on WW1 98/05 bayonets, and was specifically used on early production Army Officer swords such as this example, per J. Anthony Carter’s work GERMAN KNIFE AND SWORD MAKERS.

The steel scabbard of this example still has very good original factory black enamel, which is retained at about 95%. There is some checking and crazing, but just minor scratches and other damage. It has just a bit of a bend near the middle and the drag is missing a some of the paint, as is typical. It still retains both throat screws, the hanger loop, and the slot for hitching up the sword to the belt when indoors.

Overall an very good condition high quality sword from a well-known German sword maker, based in Solingen, the “City of Blades” in Western Germany. Ready to display!

Specifications:
Overall length: 38”
Blade length: 32 ⅞”
Blade Style: Single Edged with Fuller
Guard dimensions: 5″ width x 4 ½” length
Scabbard Length: 34 ⅛”

The German Army (German: Heer, was the land forces component of the Wehrmacht, the German armed forces, from 1935 to 1945. The Wehrmacht also included the Kriegsmarine (Navy) and the Luftwaffe (Air Force). During World War II, a total of about 15 million soldiers served in the German Army, of whom about seven million became casualties. Separate from the army, the Waffen-SS (Armed SS) was a multi-ethnic and multi-national military force of the Third Reich. Growing from three regiments to over 38 divisions during World War II, it served alongside the army but was never formally part of it.

Only 17 months after AH announced publicly the rearmament program, the Army reached its projected goal of 36 divisions. During the autumn of 1937, two more corps were formed. In 1938, four additional corps were formed with the inclusion of the five divisions of the Austrian Army after the Anschluss in March. During the period of its expansion by Adolf AH, the German Army continued to develop concepts pioneered during World War I, combining ground (Heer) and air (Luftwaffe) assets into combined arms teams. Coupled with operational and tactical methods such as encirclements and the “battle of annihilation”, the German military managed quick victories in the two initial years of World War II, prompting the use of the word Blitzkrieg (literally lightning war, meaning lightning-fast war) for the techniques used.

The German Army entered the war with a majority of its infantry formations relying on the horse for transportation. The infantry remained foot soldiers throughout the war; artillery also remained primarily horse-drawn. The motorized formations received much attention in the world press in the opening years of the war, and were cited as the main reason for the success of the German invasions of Poland (September 1939), Norway and Denmark (April 1940), Belgium, France and Netherlands (May 1940), Yugoslavia (April 1941) and the early campaigns in the Soviet Union (June 1941). However their motorized and tank formations accounted for only 20% of the Heer’s capacity at their peak strength.