Heer Dagger with Portepee & Hangers

Product Description: This Heer Dagger with Portepee & Hangers is a complete and very attractive rig, with a beautiful appearance. The steel blade retains visible cross-graining, and is still bright, with typical runner marks, as well as scattered marks and freckling. On the back of the blade, the ricasso is neatly etched with the commercial type “squirrel” logo of the firm of Eickhorn in Solingen. The handle is gorgeous, with typical Eickhorn fittings that retain over 95 percent of their original burnished nickel finish. There is no apparent damage to the handle fittings, and the German Army eagle and swastika emblem on the crossguard presents clean, smooth surfaces. The yellow Trylon grip is excellent, with a couple of tiny chips. The handle of this dagger is complete with a Portepee knot that is original to the piece, and exhibits light to moderate wear and minor age toning. This Heer Dagger with Portepee & Hangers is complete with its original scabbard. The scabbard is made of steel. It shows a nice, even patina to the high silver finish, with only light wear and blemishes. The scabbard counterweight is loose inside. The suspension rings on the scabbard retain an original set of deluxe hangers. The hangers are complete, and show light to moderate wear. The functional metal hardware on the hangers retain full original detail to the ornamentation, and much of the original finish as well. This gorgeous dagger displays extremely well.

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 known 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 detail, especially regarding 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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