2nd Model Luftwaffe Dagger w/Portepee

Product Description: This M1937 2nd Model Luftwaffe Dagger is a very desirable, untouched piece. The factory polished blade on this one looks near mint, with outstanding, mirror-like shine, and just a few minor spots of surface age and graying. There is no maker mark, which is not unusual for these. The fit of the blade is nice and tight and the tip comes to a perfect point. The leather buffer pad remains intact. The handle on this dagger is also really nice, with desirable and eye-catching gold finish to the swastikas on both sides of the pommel. The aluminum Luftwaffe eagle crossguard has amazing detail to its head, feathers, and wings, with ornate oak leaves and acorns on the top side. The steel ferrule and pommel look excellent as well. The lovely mellowed white grip is chip and crack free, with its aluminum springy wire wrap remaining tightly intact. The handle has an excellent portepee, with no fraying or damage, that is a nice bonus. The steel-based, airplane grey plated scabbard looks good, and shows some oxidation. It depicts good details throughout the random pebbling, oak leaves and acorns. The scabbard remains completely dent free, and the two throat retaining screws remain intact.  This 2nd Model Luftwaffe Dagger shows very nice matching patina on all fittings, and no indication of ever having been disassembled. It has a great look and is 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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