Army Dagger by Horster with Hangers

Product Description: We were just sent this lovely Army Dagger by Horster with hangers directly from the veteran’s son who brought it back from Germany. The veteran’s son sent us not only this fantastic Heer dagger but also a very nice Luneschloss dress bayonet, German Compass and documents from his father’s service. We have attached in the photo section his Army separation record, photo and DD-214 Honorable Discharge. A copy of these three records will be included in the sale of the Army Dagger by Horster with Hangers. Of intriguing note, the veteran, Master Sergeant Walter Lubran, was German born and learned the English language at boarding school in Dresden. He was assigned as a Intelligence NCO attached to combat units. He was an interpreter questioning prisoners of war to obtain military information. He also did counter intelligence work in Czechoslovakia. M/Sgt Lubran received the Army Good Conduct Medal, American Campaign Medal, European African Middle Eastern Campaign Medal with 3 bronze stars and World War II Victory Medal.

This is an extremely clean and attractive Army Dagger by Horster with Hangers.  First of all, this dagger is in excellent plus condition. The blade on this is fantastic, and retains nearly all of the original crossgraining. There are a few extremely tiny spots of age graying on the blade. The reverse of the blade has a crisply etched maker mark with the commercial type manufacturer logo of E. & F. Horster, in Solingen. The scabbard fittings are silver plated, with attractive dark age toning. The detail on the German national eagle and swastika emblem on the crossguard is perfect as there is almost no sign of wear. The grip on this one is a beautiful honey color, and is pristine, with no damage. The portepee is nearly perfect, with no fraying of silver bullion lost.  The original pebbled leather scabbard buffer remains intact and all of the fittings are tight, with no indication this has ever been disassembled. The scabbard is a perfect match to the dagger, with even dark age toning. It is straight, completely dent-free, and complete with its original rings for attaching a hanger. The hangers have seen better days. One of the clips and leather backing on one of the hangers is broken. The front bullion flatware is fraying on both hangers. Nevertheless, these hangers did came with the dagger and should stay with the dagger.  This handsome Army Dagger by Horster with hangers and portepee is a nice addition to anyone’s collection. Coming directly from the veteran’s family is a bonus and the history should be cherished.

Historical Description: After WWI, the German military, known as the Reichswehr, was restricted to a relatively small force. Hitler changed this in 1935, reintroducing universal military conscription, and creating a new German Armed Forces- the Wehrmacht. Within the Wehrmacht, the German Army was knows as the Heer, and a new dagger was designed and introduced for the officers of this new German Army in May 1935. As with all German Army officer uniforms and accoutrements, they were not issued; rather, the officer had to purchase them. These were ceremonial and decorative pieces of regalia, that were worn on occasions that did not call for carrying a sword. The overall pattern and design of the dagger remained consistent throughout the production run, but the large number of individual manufacturers created a wide variety in details, especially with regard to the handle fittings. There were approximately 42 different manufacturers of the blades. There were construction changes over time as well. Early German Army daggers generally featured plated brass alloy handle fittings. Later, zinc was used. Wartime type scabbards were generally unplated, with a gray finish. Production of German Army daggers ceased around 1943. The German Army was a huge organization, and large numbers of these daggers were produced. But there were many specific variants that were produced in low numbers, especially the highest quality, luxury type pieces for well-heeled officers. Some daggers were personalized and customized, and are unique. The striking and attractive design of the German Army dagger was well-received by officers at the time, and these are very sought-after by collectors today.

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