1st Model Luftwaffe Dagger

Product Description: This 1st Model Luftwaffe Dagger is a gorgeous and very early piece. The fantastic blade has only normal runner marks, and is unmarked. The metal fittings on the grip are made of nickel silver, indicating early manufacture. They have a beautiful, uncleaned, old patina. The crossguard and pommel retain virtually all of the original gold finish to the swastikas. The grip leather shows honest wear, and the grip wire is tight, with nice age toning. This 1st Model Luftwaffe Dagger is complete with its original scabbard, which is in wonderful condition. The original silvering on the metal scabbard fittings has toned dark from the passage of decades. The blue leather scabbard covering retains nearly all of the original surface and is extremely well-preserved. The scabbard is straight, the fittings undamaged. The original suspension chain is still present. The spring clip on the hanger is broken, but is marked “D.R.G.M.” with a stylized “A” marking indicating manufacture by the firm of Assmann. This dagger has great character and lots of visual appeal.

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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