Original German WWII Army Heer Dagger by Robert Klaas of Solingen with Nickel Plated Blade & Scabbard

Original Item: Only One Available. This is a very nice Army Officer's Dagger with its original scabbard, produced by the rare and desirable Solingen-based firm of Robert Klaas, Feine Solinger Stahlwaren (Fine Solingen Steelware). The fittings on this dagger look to have been silver plated and then antiqued, giving them a lovely iridescent look. They are a combination of plated aluminum alloy and steel for the ferrule, and it features a rare nickel plated blade.

The plated pommel of this dagger is in very good condition, showing just a wear and scratching around the edge, with some loss of plating, showing the aluminum base metal. The plating elsewhere is mostly present, with a great patina and lovely darkening on the oak leaf side panel. The plated cross guard is in similar condition, with much of the plating intact, showing wear through on the sharp edges. The details throughout the characteristic eagle are exceptional throughout the head, breast and wing feathering, talons and wreathed mobile swas. The magnetic grip ferrule is also plated, and still retains it relatively well.

The celluloid grip on this dagger has faded just a bit from the original ivory color to a lovely amber color, with no major deterioration present. The grip is in great shape, showing just a bit of light staining and wear, with the antiquing in the grooves still present. The hilt is still tight on the blade, and the leather blade buffer is still present in the recesses of the cross guard.

The rare nickel-plated blade is in very good condition, showing plating loss on the blade flats due to runner wear, which is very common on this type of dagger. The areas where the plating is removed show the original original factory polish grind crossgrain, normally hidden by the plating. This texture is iconic, and is the definitive identifying characteristic for a real WWII German Blade. Everywhere else the plating is well preserved, with minimal oxidation. The needle-like tip is intact and unbent, and the edges have correctly not been sharpened. Definitely a very nice example!

The reverse ricasso is maker marked with a trademark logo that reads ROB'T KLAAS / SOLINGEN under the trademark Klaas "Kissing Storks" trademark emblem. This is a well-known maker from Solingen, the famous "City of Blades" in Western Germany, which produced many fine edged weapons. The company was originally founded by Friedrich Robert Klaas, who married the daughter of knife maker Peter Daniel Pauls. After his father-in-law passed away, all was left to Klaas and his wife, so he merged his scissor business with the knife business, and registered with Solingen authorities in 1869. The company passed to his sons, and then his son-in-law. It survived WWI, WWII, and still exists today, per J. Anthony Carter's fine work GERMAN SWORD AND KNIFE MAKERS.

The scabbard is a fine example, and is silver plated steel, which has tarnished to a lovely patina, possibly by an oxidizing agent applied purposely at the factory. This straight scabbard has very crisp, finely grained panels. The carrying bands have an excellent pattern of overlapping oak leaves and acorns, which are nicely enhanced, though they do show wear removing some of the design. The throat is the thinner style, retained by a single "cheese head" screw on the reverse of the scabbard. The scabbard has a lovely look, with the plating almost completely retained.

A lovely nickel-plated example from a rare and desirable Solingen maker, complete with scabbard and ready to display!

Specifications:
Blade Length: 10"
Blade Style: Spear Point Dagger
Overall length: 14 3/4“
Crossguard: 2 3/4”
Scabbard Length: 11 1/8"

The German Army (Heer) first carried a dagger beginning in 1935. The weapon was worn in lieu of occasions not demanding the wearing of a more formal sword. The dagger design was quite attractive featuring silvered heavy fittings with white or colored grip. The crossguard depicted a Wehrmacht open-winged eagle clutching a wreathed swas.

The pommel depicted oak leafing around the outer circumference. The scabbard had panels of pebble designs. Later produced examples were plated with nickel, and late war-made pieces were unplated, finished in a gray color metal. These daggers are often encountered with an aluminum portepee.