Original German WWII Early 1st Model Luftwaffe Dagger by Emil Voos with Scabbard & Belt Hanger Chain Original Items

Original Item: One of a Kind. This is a very nice service worn 1st Model Luftwaffe Dagger from the late 1930s, made by the rare Solingen-based firm of Emil Voos, Waffenfabrik (Weapons Factory). The grip looks to be made of silvered nickel or zinc alloy, which still has a good amount of the plating. The vaulted sides of the round pommel have engraved “Sunwheel” style swas (hook cross) emblems, which originally highlighted gold. There is a crack running through the pommel, possibly from over tightening, and the grip end ferrule if flattened, so it looks like there were some repairs done to the pommel.

The grip is a carved wood base covered in blue Moroccan leather, which shows moderate wear, with some areas of the finish worn away. The original triple twisted pair wire wrapping is still fully intact, with a lovely oxidized patina. The guard is the standard down swept “wing” type, with good detailing remaining, and with more “sunwheel” swas’s, which are vaulted and look to be inlaid brass. The plating on the “wings” has tarnished to a lovely dark patina, with wear through to the base metal on the edges.

The blade of this piece is bright steel, instead of the nickel plating that we usually see. It is in very good condition, with some runner wear, as well as areas of light staining in areas on the blade surface. The original factory final grind cross grain can still be seen on a lot of the surface area of the blade. There is also still the original blade buffer, which in this case is made from blue felt.

The reverse ricasso is stamped with the Emil Voos trademark logo with a “Serpent around a stump”, to the left of the maker’s name and location:

EMIL VOOS
SOLINGEN

Emil Voos, Waffenfabrik, also known as a Spezialfabrik für Jagd- und Sportmesser (Special Factory for Hunting and Sporting Knives), was a Solingen-based knife maker founded in 1925. The “Serpent-and-Stump” logo next to the name and location was used on some 1st model Luftwaffe Daggers such as this the WWII period, per J. Anthony Carter’s work GERMAN KNIFE AND SWORD MAKERS. Others used an oval mark with two rings.

The non-magnetic alloy scabbard shell is straight throughout with no dents. The Moroccan leather covering the scabbard nicely matches the grip and is in very good condition, with no major lifting or tears. There are the usual small scuffs, pressure dents, and so forth, but this really is a nice example. This scabbard has plated steel mount brackets, with a good amount of the original silver plate intact, and a great patina. These mounts are retained by headless flush mounted side screws, which are all still present

The attached aluminum chain has eight ringlets making up the upper chain and ten on the lower, not counting the rings attached to the scabbard fittings. The rings closest to the hanger clip are a bit smaller, and look to be aftermarket. These two chains are attached to an aluminum snap clip, which is marked on the back with the OLC in a diamond trademark of Overhoff & Cie. of Lüdenscheid, who produced numerous clothing accessories. It is also marked GES. / GESCHÜTZT, for Gesetzlich Geschützt (Protected By Law), indicating that the clip was a trademarked design.

An very nice service worn example of the classic 1st model Luftwaffe dagger by a rare Solingen maker, ready to display!

Specifications:
Blade Length: 12 1/4″
Overall length: 18”
Crossguard: 4 1/4”
Scabbard Length: 13 1/2”