Second Model Luftwaffe Dagger with Gold Swastika – SMF

Product Description: This Second Model Luftwaffe Dagger with Gold Swastika is a really beautiful example. The outstanding blade on this one rates as near mint, with bright original luster to the original nickel plating. The blade is marked on the ricasso with a neatly etched commercial style maker logo of the firm of SMF in Solingen, and is also stamped with a “Luftamt” Luftwaffe inspection stamp. The handle on this dagger is very well-preserved and has great character, with a very nice, uncleaned old nicotine patina on the crossguard and pommel. All of the metal fittings on the handle show only light wear and retain fine detail. The pommel swastika is the harder to find, desirable gilded type. The desirable deep orange Trylon grip is free of chips and cracks, and the grip wire is tight. This second model Luftwaffe dagger with gold swastika is complete with its original scabbard. The scabbard has a nice nicotine patina that perfectly matches the handle, and shows traces of honest wear. There is one slight dent at the bottom of the scabbard, near the drag. This dagger is complete with a nice set of second pattern Luftwaffe dagger hangers. The hangers are complete, and feature bold original color, perfect detail on the metal fittings, and functional clips. This set has wonderful character, and displays exceptionally well. The overall condition is a very strong excellent.

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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