Original German WWII Early Army Heer Officer Dagger by P.D. Lüneschloss of Solingen with Scabbard & Hanger Original Items

Original Item: Only One Available. This is a very good condition Army Officer’s Dagger, produced by the well-known Solingen-based firm P.D. Lüneschloss. The fittings on this dagger look to be plated aluminum alloy, which was then antiqued to give it a great look. This is usually only seen on early production daggers, and later zinc alloy was used. The aluminum pommel is in very good condition, showing wear through around the bottom edge and on the very bottom. The standing oak leaves and acorns are crisply detailed around the pommel, with some of the antiquing still present in the recessed areas.

The crossguard looks to be made in the same way, with antiqued plating over the aluminum, which is well retained, but definitely worn on the sharp edges. The oxide coating also looks to have been worn away on the front side eagle. The details throughout the characteristic eagle are exceptional throughout the head, breast and wing feathering, talons and wreathed mobile swas. The plated steel grip ferrule looks great, with all the details still present, and has had the antiquing worn off. The grip on this example is celluloid over a wood base, and has faded to a lovely pumpkin orange color due to light exposure. It shows antiquing in the grooves, and no cracks or other major damage. There are just a few small dents and chips as well as some white spots, which could be paint or a polish.

The blade on this example is in very good condition, still showing the factory final polish grind cross grain throughout the blade, though it is definitely faint. This texture is iconic, and is the definitive identifying characteristic for a real WWII German Blade. The blade looks to have been cleaned and/or buffed to give it a lovely bright steel finish that almost looks nickel plated, however this also made the cross grain faint. The needle-like tip is still intact, with no bending, and the edge is still nice, with no chips or sharpening. There is just a bit of staining now from oxidation. The leather blade buffer is still present in the recesses of the guard.

The ricasso is stamped with the pre-war simplified P.D. Lüneschloss trademark logo, which is slightly skewed and partly hidden by the cross guard:

P. D.
LÜNESCHLOSS
SOLINGEN

The well-known P.D. Lüneschloss, Fabrik blanker Waffen (Factory of Bare Weapons) company was founded in 1810 by Peter Daniel Lüneschloss, and produced numerous edged weapons, both for domestic and foreign contracts. They manufactured many private purchase officer’s swords and blades for the U.S. Civil war. This logo was particularly used during the Third Reich period, per J. Anthony Carter’s work GERMAN KNIFE AND SWORD MAKERS.

The scabbard is a fine example, and is made of high quality plated steel, and matches the fittings well, showing antiquing in the recesses. There are no large dents or bends that we can see. This scabbard has very crisp, finely pebble grained panels, and the carrying bands have a very nice overlapping oak and acorn motif, a common design seen on German edged weapons. They look to be made from tombak alloy, only used on early examples, and they have lost much of their original plating. The throat is the thinner style, and has “dome head” securing screws on the narrow sides of the scabbard. The finish is well retained for the most part, with some wear around the top from handing, as well as some bubbling.

Attached to the scabbard is a good service used condition belt hanger, with functional pebbled spring clips with a great patina. The buckles and keepers are engraved with the same oak and acorn motif seen throughout the dagger. The clips are the more desirable “sliding” type, both marked D.R.G.M. on the back, indicating it is a trademarked design. The original plating on the fittings is only really retained on the end clips, with the rest of the fittings showing an oxidized patina. The straps show fairly extensive wear on both sides, so this early dagger definitely saw long service.

A very nice early example from a well known Solingen maker, complete with its original scabbard & belt hanger. Ready to display!

Specifications:
Blade Length: 10″
Blade Style: Spear Point Dagger
Overall length: 14 3/4“
Crossguard: 2 3/4”
Scabbard Length: 11″

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. This early war version is quite nice, and in great shape.