BACKGROUND: Traditionally German Army Officer’s had worn a saber as part of the uniform dress and this tradition was carried on through the Weimar era and on into the Third Reich. In an attempt to build morale and curry favour within the Army, Hitler introduced the dress dagger for optional wear with the walking out dress, and retained the saber for wear on more formal occasions. The dress dagger was designed by Berlin graphic artist Paul Casberg and was officially approved for wear on May 4^TH 1935 along with specifically styled dagger hangers and a new pattern portepee. Production of the dress dagger was to be discontinued as per regulations of May 27^TH 1943 and further wear of the dress dagger was prohibited by order of September 5^TH 1944. Additional regulations of December 23^RD 1944 indicated that officer ranks were to wear a pistol in place of the dress dagger.

PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION: The dagger features a roughly, 10 3/8" long, drop forged steel construction, nickel/silver plated, stiletto style blade with a flat central ridge. The blade is in overall very good condition with minor scabbard runners and a couple of small, surface spots and most of the original cross-graining is still visible. The reverse ricasso is well marked with the deeply, acid etched manufacturer’s logo and script. The logo consists of the profile of a medieval style helmet with the initials and location, "WKC Solingen", indicating manufacture by Weyersberg, Kirschbaum & Co. Waffenfabrik of Solingen-Wald. The original brown leather washer is still intact. The dagger has a cast alloy, nickel/silver plated, crossguard, ferrule, and pommel which all show moderate age tarnish, surface scratching and some lifting bubbles. The obverse crossguard features the embossed, army style eagle with outstretched wings clutching a wreathed, canted swastika in its talons and a plain reverse. The ferrule and pommel both feature embossed, repeating, oak-leaf patterns. The dagger has a molded, yellow celluloid grip with the correct, diagonally angled ribbing. The dagger comes with its original, tooled, magnetic sheet metal construction, nickel/silver plated, scabbard with a random pebbled pattern to both the obverse and reverse and smooth side panels. The nickel/silver plating to the scabbard is only retained about 40% with wear to the flat matte grey of the base metal with areas of light to moderate surface spotting. Both of the sweated on scabbard bands with a repeating, horizontally embossed oak-leaf pattern and the hanger suspension rings are intact. The dome headed, throat retaining, screw is also intact.

GRADE ***1/4                             PRICE $ SOLD