1st Model Luftwaffe Dagger by Eickhorn

Product Description: This is a fantastic example of a 1st Model Luftwaffe Dagger by Eickhorn! The dagger overall is in excellent overall condition. The firm of Carl Eickhorn was a maker renowned for their quality products, and this example is no exception. The mirror plated finish on the blade is in excellent plus condition with areas of minor freckling. The fit of the blade to the scabbard is near perfect. The original blue pebbled leather buffer pad remains intact. The triple wire wrapped grip leather is in excellent plus condition with no chipping or loss of leather.  The four sun wheel swastikas on the pommel and crossguard retain none of their original gilding. Roughly twenty percent of the original silver frosting remains on the crossguard. The aluminum chain has 8 lower and 6 upper ringlets which are securely fastened to the “Ges. Gesch. OLC” marked clip. The original blue, pebbled leather scabbard body remains in excellent condition. The screws on the scabbard look to have never been turned, and are all present. This is a beautiful 1st Model Luftwaffe Dagger by Eickhorn that will fit nicely in any collection. Don’t pass this one up!

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 downswept, 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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