S09154 SCHUTZPOLIZEI OFFICER'S SWORD WITH PORTEPEE. (Polizei-Führerdegen mit Portepee) 

BACKGROUND: The Sword/Sabre is an age old military tradition, that evolved from a functional weapon into an item of uniform dress ornamentation by the start of WWI. This strong tradition continues in many army’s to this day as a symbol of strength and power. After Hitler’s rise to power in January 1933 and the reintroduction of conscription in March 1935 a wide variety of new sword and sabre designs were introduced to outfit the rapidly growing Wehrmacht. Originally, (circa 1934-36), Police personnel utilized army Officer/NCO’s swords with the army style gold finished components modified to a silver finished. On June 17^TH 1936, Reichsführer-SS Heinrich Himmler was appointed to the newly created position of Chef der Deutschen Polizei im Reichsministerium des Innern, (Chief of the German Police in the National Ministry of the Interior), effectively giving him full control of all police agencies within Germany. As a result of this appointment and the restructuring of all the separate German state police into a single national police force new regulations were instituted in July 1936 to bring about uniformity in dress for all police through-out the country. One of the new uniform regulations was the introduction of distinctive swords designed and produced exclusively for wear by the SS-VT SS-Verfügungstruppe, (SS-Special Purpose Troops), Polizei, (Police), and Feuerschutzpolizei, (Fire Protection Police), Officer’s and NCO personnel with minor variations depending on the branch of service and the individuals rank. Along with the newly designed swords corresponding new sword portepees were also introduced. The sword portepees 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. Originally designed as a functional item to secure the blade sidearm to the holders wrist the troddels and portepees evolved into a purely decorative accessory. Of Note: It is believed that the bestowal of the police swords was discontinued, along with SS swords, by regulations on June 26^TH 1942, and further wearing of the swords was prohibited in August 1943, except for ceremonial.  

PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION: Roughly, 31" long, bright, nickel/silver plated, drop forged, single edged, steel construction blade with 20 1/2" long, shallow fullers to each side. The blade is in overall very good, clean condition with minor surface scratches and scuffs and minimal surface spotting. The reverse ricasso is well marked with the stamped manufacturers logo and script. The manufacturers logo consists of the likeness of a crab/crayfish within a rounded bottom shield shaped border flanked by the manufacturers abbreviated name and location, "Pet. Dan Krebs Solingen", (Peter Daniel Krebs). Of Note: The manufacturers logo of the crab/crayfish cleverly mimics the manufacturers last name, "Krebs", (Crab/Crayfish). The blade has its original white leather washer intact. The hilt consists of a nickel/silver plated, steel, cross guard, ferrule, "D" knuckle bow, backstrap and pommel, a black dyed wooden grip with an inset, die struck bronze, second pattern, (circa June 1936-May 1945), police eagle and wreath and an aluminum wire wrap all intact. The plain cross guard features a downward curving arm to one end and extends upwards into the "D" knuckle bow, with a raised central spine to the other end. The bottom edge of the cross guard has the typical overlapping SS inspection/acceptance runes within an octagonal border. The ferrule is ornamented with a vertically embossed, repeating oak-leaf and acorn design. The plain pommel has a screwed on circular tang nut with fluted sides. The ferrule shows light age tarnish giving the recessed areas a darkened appearance while the nickel/silver plating to the cross guard, "D" knuckle bow, and pommel is retained about 85% with small areas of wear to the base metal with light to moderate surface spotting. The blackened hardwood grip features repeating horizontal grooves with the correct, heavy, horizontally aligned, silver wire wrap with the inset police emblem to the obverse. The blackened hardwood grip shows small spots of chafe wear revealing the underlying natural tan of the wood. The police emblem features a national eagle with out-stretched wings encompassed within a vertically oval oak-leaf wreath. The police emblem has lost any silver finish it may have had and has reverted to the base bronze. The reverse of the wooden grip has a vertical, inset, plain nickel/silver plated, steel backstrap which secures the wire wrap in place. The sword comes with a Schutzpolizei portepee consisting of a blackened leather strap with a central, interwoven, vertical red thread stripe flanked on either side by interwoven silver/aluminum wire stripes. The strap has a blackened leather slide interwoven with alternating red and silver/aluminum threads creating a horizontal "V’ pattern. The strap also has a secondary slide consisting of dual strands of silver/aluminum wire alternating with a single strand of green thread. The stem is constructed of woven silver/aluminum wire with opened sections revealing an underlying silver base. The ball and crown are both constructed of dual, twisted silver/aluminum braid alternating with every third strand being twisted green braid. The crown and ball are mounted on an internal wooden base. The bottom of the ball has an oval depression with a green wire insert. The portepee crown and ball are in overall good condition with minor age toning but the strap has torn and is only secured together by the red and silver/aluminum strands of thread. The sword also comes complete with its original magnetic sheet metal scabbard with a black painted finish and nickel/silver plated top and bottom fittings. The scabbard retains about 95% of its original black enamel painted finish, with numerous small scrapes and scuffs and some light surface spotting. The bottom drag, fitting is secured to the scabbard by two, small, dome headed screws and has six vertical impressed grooves to each side and a flared bottom tip. The top fitting is also secured to the scabbard by two, small, dome headed screws and features an ornate Celtic swirl pattern with overlapping arms with narrow impressed grooves and a recessed subtly textured background field. Both of the fittings retain all of their nickel/silver plated finish and are still quite bright. The scabbard also has a plain horizontal scabbard band with raised metal bar to the reverse with the suspension ring intact. The top throat edge of the scabbard is well marked with matching, stamped, overlapping SS inspection/acceptance runes within an octagonal border as on the bottom edge of the cross guard.

Added Dec 23rd  "I read your description of the Polizeidegen in which you spoke of a SS inspection mark. This is the mark of the firm Otto Gahr of Munich, which made al lot of items especially for the SS." (Thank you Hans)