Nazi Army Officer’s Dagger by Eickhorn

Description

The Nazi Army Officer’s Dress Dagger was approved for wear by all army officer’s of the
Third Reich in 1935. It was intended to replace the sword or dress bayonet for full dress
occasions. The dagger had a spirally grooved plastic grip that was secured by a screw-on
pommel cap. The grips varied in color from nearly pure white to ivory and even deep
orange. The dagger blade was typically plain polished steel, although etched and
Damascus blades were available at additional cost. The blades normally featured a
maker’s mark, although later war daggers appear with unmarked blades. The crossguard
depicted the Nazi National Eagle clutching a swastika surrounded by a wreath in its talons.
The pommel cap, grip ferrule, and scabbard carry ring bands were adorned with raised oak
leaf patterns. Initially the dagger mounts and scabbard were silver plated, although later
production daggers often dispensed with this finish. The steel scabbard typically had a
pebble grained texture embossed on the body and featured two hanging rings secured by
embossed suspension bands. The scabbard throat was retained by a single screw on the
reverse of the scabbard.

This example features silver-plated mounts and scabbard. Second style pommel with 12
standing oak leaves and matching ferrule. The crossguard features the open winged Paul
Casberg eagle with high detail to the bird’s features as well as the wreath and swastika.
The one-piece plastic grip is a bright orange. The near mint plain polished 10″ hexagonal-
section blade features the etched squirrel and sword Eickhorn logo used between 1935
and 1941 on the reverse ricasso. First style scabbard with tight pebbling on all the panels
and first style slightly convex carry bands with overlapping oak leaves, the throat retained
by a single screw on the reverse. Condition near excellent with nearly all of its original
silver plating. Tiny hairline surface crack on the grip near the pommel (see photo). One
dent in the scabbard about 2″ from the drag on the obverse side.