BACKGROUND: In March 1933 the DLV, Deutscher Luftsport Verband, (German Air Sports League), was established by incorporating all civilian flying clubs into the one organization. The DLV was utilized as a camouflage civilian organization to train personnel for the future Luftwaffe. As a civilian organization it was able to circumvent the restrictions imposed by the Versailles Treaty, which prohibited a German military air service. In February and April 1934 respectively the DLV introduced a dagger for Officer’s and a knife for all other ranks. Later in 1934 members of the Fliegerschaft, (Pilot Base), the secret military branch of the DLV, adopted both sidearms for wear. Shortly after the unveiling of the Luftwaffe in March 1935 a modified version of the DLV’s Officer’s dagger was adopted for wear by Luftwaffe Officer’s and EM/NCO’s personnel who held a valid pilots licence. On July 15^TH 1937 a second pattern Luftwaffe dagger was introduced for wear by Officers, Senior Officer Candidates and Officials with the equivalent of Officers ranks and the first pattern dagger was discontinued. With the introduction of the second pattern dagger new, corresponding, dagger hangers were also established. Additional regulations of March and August 1940 extended wear of the second pattern dagger to senior NCO’s, senior reserve NCO’s and Officials with the equivalent of NCO’s ranks. Blade side arm portepees and troddels were originally introduced in the Prussian army in 1808, and continued to be worn with the Dress uniform, as a tradition and identifying item through WWI, the Weimar Republic and on into the Third Reich, with minor modifications. The Luftwaffe version of the portepee was officially introduced on March 1^ST 1935 and the design was based on the earlier army officers portepee.

PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION: Roughly, 10 1/4" long, bright, nickel/silver plated, double edged, drop forged steel construction, stiletto style blade with a flat central plane. The blade is in overall fairly good, condition with minor scabbard runners and light to moderate surface spotting through-out although some of the original cross-graining is still faintly visible. The reverse of the blade is well marked with the acid etched manufacturer’s logo, name and location that consists of a vertically oval, cartouche with the manufacturer’s name and location, "Rich. Abr. Herder Solingen", encompassing a dual, overlapping diamond patterns. The tan leather washer is still intact. The dagger has a well defined, nicely detailed, cast, polished aluminum crossguard, ferrule and pommel. The crossguard features a stylized national eagle with down-swept wings, clutching a canted swastika in it’s talons to the obverse with a random, pebbled field to the reverse. The top edge of the crossguard has an ornate, embossed oak-leaf pattern within subtle recess to each side. The cast ferrule has a repeating, embossed, diagonally angled, oak-leaf pattern. The orb shaped pommel features an embossed oak-leaf pattern encompassing a dual encircled, canted, embossed swastika on a pebbled background field to both the obverse and the reverse. As is common the gilt wash to the pommel swastikas has worn away to the base alloy. The crossguard, ferrule and pommel all show light to moderate age tarnish. The dagger has a molded, orangish/yellow, bakelite grip with the correct, fine, dual, twisted, silver/aluminum wire wrap inset into the diagonally angled grooves. The grip is in overall very good condition with light age and usage toning. The dagger comes complete with its original silver washed, tooled, magnetic sheet steel scabbard. The scabbard features a pebbled field to both the obverse and the reverse with smooth side panels. The scabbard has an ornate, embossed, oak-leaf pattern to both the obverse and reverse of the bottom tip. The scabbard also has dual, sweated on, alloy hanger suspension bands with an ornate, embossed, repeating oak-leaf pattern to each. The hanger suspension rings are both intact. The scabbards top throat has both retaining screws intact. The scabbard only retains about 40% of its original silver wash with light age tarnish and spots of wear to the base metal.

GRADE ***1/4                             PRICE $709.00