2nd Model Luftwaffe Dagger – F.W. Höller

Product Description: This M1937 2nd Model Luftwaffe Dagger (Fliegerdolch) by F.W. Höller of Solingen is a handsome, all-original piece, that is textbook throughout, with a very nice gold leafed swastika pommel. The factory polished blade on this one rates excellent plus, with just a few minor spots of surface age and greying. The “F.W. Höller, Solingen” maker mark on the ricasso is deeply etched. The fit is nice and tight, and the tip comes to a perfect point. The leather buffer pad remains intact. The handle on this dagger is eye-catching and beautiful. The aluminum Luftwaffe eagle crossguard has amazing detail to its head, feathers, and wings, as well as the oak leaves and acorns on the top side. The two tone (darker to the obverse) Trylon grip retains its aluminum springy wire wrap, which remains tightly intact. There are no cracks or chips to the grip. The steel ferrule and very desirable gilt swastika pommel look excellent as well. The handle retains a nice complete Portepee. The steel-based, airplane grey plated scabbard looks good and shows some oxidation and wear. It presents good detail throughout the random pebbling, oak leaves and acorns. The scabbard remains completely dent free, and the single headless throat retaining screw remains intact on the back of the scabbard. All of the fittings on this dagger show a very nice, matching patina, and the dagger shows no indication of ever having been disassembled. This 2nd Model Luftwaffe Dagger is a choice piece, that remains in excellent plus condition.

Historical Description: The Luftwaffe dagger was a piece of regalia with a unique history. After WWI, Germany was prohibited from having an Air Force. In 1933, the Nazis formed the Deutscher Luftsport-Verband (DLV), which was a paramilitary aviation organization. DLV officers wore a long dagger. In 1935, in violation of the Treaty of Versailles, Hitler instituted the new German armed forces, the Wehrmacht. One of the branches of the Wehrmacht was the Luftwaffe. Luftwaffe officers at this time wore what we know as the first model Luftwaffe dagger. This was a shortened version of the earlier DLV dagger. It featured a scabbard covered in blue leather, and a blue, wire-wrapped grip. The crossguard featured a round, “sunwheel” type swastika, flanked by down swept, stylized “wings.” The pommel was in the form of a vertical disc, with another, larger “sunwheel” swastika. In 1937, the Luftwaffe instituted a new dagger form, known to collectors as the second model. This new dagger was similar to that worn by officers of the German Army. The second model had a metal scabbard with impressed decoration, and no leather covering. The crossguard bore a Luftwaffe eagle, clutching a swastika. The blue grip was replaced with one that was orange, white or yellow. The various types of grips were a matter of personal preference and did not indicate branch or rank. The pommel of the new dagger featured a swastika within an oak leaves motif. The blades of these daggers were steel, and many but not all were manufacturer marked.

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