Original German WWII Field Marshal Series Lion Head Zieten Pattern Army Officer Sword by Carl Eickhorn with Scabbard and Troddel Knot

Original Item: Only One Available. This is a lovely example of the "Zieten" variation of the popular Feldherrn Serie (Commander Series) of German Army Officer's swords by famed firm Carl Eickhorn of Solingen, the legendary "City of Blades" in Western Germany. Named after famous figures in German history, many of which were high ranking military officers, the series has a total of nine different variations. These are usually referred to as the Feldmarschall (Field Marshal) series by collectors, even though only four of the nine actually held that rank. These included the Wrangel, Scharnhorst, Freiherr vom Stein, Roon, Derfflinger, Zieten, and Blücher patterns. The Prinz Eugen and Lützow patterns were added in 1938 and 1939, which are the rarest patterns to find.

The swords were made based on drawings by Paul Casberg, and included to "Dove's Head" and "Lion's Head" designs. These drawings in many cases are still in existence, and the earliest drawing, for the “Wrangel” pattern, is dated 1936, while the last drawings, for the “Blücher” and “Roon” patterns, are dated 1938. This means that the swords were not necessarily released in the order that they were designed, however the Wrangel is generally accepted to be the earliest type produced. Many other makers made some similar designs to the series. We have had many examples of the series previously, but we have only had a "Zieten" a few times previously.

The Pattern 1734 - Zieten sword is named after Hans Joachim von Zieten (14 May 1699 – 26 January 1786), a legendary Prussian Cavalry General during the 18th Century. He served in four wars and was instrumental in several victories during the reign of Frederick the Great, most particularly at Hohenfriedberg and Torgau. He is also well known for a raid into the Habsburg territories during the Second Silesian War, known as Zieten's Ride. After engaging in a reputed 74 duels, and fighting in four wars, he died in his bed at the age of 86.

The Zieten Pattern is a very difficult Field Marshall example to find. It is particularly desirable due to the flat knuckle bow as well the great Art Deco look. It is very similar to the Derrflinger Pattern except for it being a Lion’s Head as opposed to Dove’s head. It is very beautifully ornamented and is distinct to the style. This only the fourth example of a Zieten that we have had, and they seem to be less popular than the other styles. This example is from later in the war, with a hilt made from brass-plated and gilt aluminum, not the early war solid brass. The original finish is very well retained, though there are areas of wear through to the base metal, as well as some areas of oxidation, particularly on the reverse langet. It looks like the sword may have been exposed to moisture or some type of lightly corrosive substance over a long period of time. The sword comes complete with its original scabbard and a lovely officer's troddel knot.

The grip is of carved wood covered in black celluloid, which is in good condition and remains shiny, not showing any cracks, chips, or major deterioration. The grip is wrapped with a skein of four aluminum wires, the center pair of which is twisted, however only four of the ten wrappings still remain. The top of the cross guard is hilt is stamped D.R.P., indicating that the design is protected by a German patent. The hilt is secure on the grip, with only the ferrule exhibiting some wobble. There is a very nice aged leather and bullion officer's troddel sword knot wrapped around the hilt. The leather does show wear and age to the finish, but there are no tears we can see, and the rows of bullion are well retained, but showing verdigris over all. The end knot is still in good shape, showing overall oxidation from age.

The nickel plated blade is 30 3/4 inches long, made of high quality spring steel. The plating is in excellent condition, showing just a few spots of scuffing as well as oxidation right next to the cross guard. The edge is still correctly unsharpened, and does not have any dents or nicks. The tip is also fully intact and unbent, making this a fantastic example. The original leather blade buffer is still present and in very good condition.

The reverse ricasso is stamped with the 1935-41 Eickhorn trademark: a seated squirrel holding a sword, with the word ORIGINAL above and the firm's name and location, Eickhorn / SOLINGEN below. Unfortunately the chappe/rainguard partly covers the area, so we were not able to get a complete photograph. Carl Eickhorn is a legendary maker from Solingen, the famous "City of Blades" in Western Germany. According to J. Anthony Carter's book, GERMAN KNIFE AND SWORD MAKERS, this company was founded in 1865 by Carl Eickhorn, and is arguably the most famous of all Solingen makers. Not only could the family trace their history back 500 years, but they could also demonstrate involvement in the hardening and grinding industries for the same period. Truly the nobility of Solingen Edged weapon dynasties. Eickhorn edged weapons are the most desirable of all makers.

The scabbard of this example is in good patinated condition, looking to have suffered exposure to moisture or even some type of lightly corrosive material. The paint is retained at about 60%, and what remains is heavily checked and crazed. There are large areas of the scabbard body exposed showing oxidation to the steel. The still body is however still straight and dent free, so we assume this is due to age and storage after service. The original hanger loop and rectangular loop for hitching up the sword are still present, but have also lost a good amount of the finish. 

This is a wonderful looking sword from the most legendary of all makers! Eickhorn Feldmarschall series swords are always in demand, especially with the original troddel! If you are looking for a nice to hang on the wall, this one should do it!

Specifications:
Blade Length: 31"
Blade Style: Single Edge w/ Fuller
Overall length: 36“
Guard dimensions: 5" width x 5” length
Scabbard length: 32 3/4”

The German Army (German: Heer), was the land forces component of the Wehrmacht, the German armed forces, from 1935 to 1945. The Wehrmacht also included the Kriegsmarine (Navy) and the Luftwaffe (Air Force). During World War II, a total of about 15 million soldiers served in the German Army, of whom about seven million became casualties. Separate from the army, the Waffen-SS (Armed SS) was a multi-ethnic and multi-national military force of the Third Reich. Growing from three regiments to over 38 divisions during World War II, it served alongside the army but was never formally part of it.

Only 17 months after AH announced publicly the rearmament program, the Army reached its projected goal of 36 divisions. During the autumn of 1937, two more corps were formed. In 1938, four additional corps were formed with the inclusion of the five divisions of the Austrian Army after the Anschluss in March. During the period of its expansion by Adolf AH, the German Army continued to develop concepts pioneered during World War I, combining ground (Heer) and air (Luftwaffe) assets into combined arms teams. Coupled with operational and tactical methods such as encirclements and the "battle of annihilation", the German military managed quick victories in the two initial years of World War II, prompting the use of the word Blitzkrieg (literally lightning war, meaning lightning-fast war) for the techniques used.

The German Army entered the war with a majority of its infantry formations relying on the horse for transportation. The infantry remained foot soldiers throughout the war; artillery also remained primarily horse-drawn. The motorized formations received much attention in the world press in the opening years of the war, and were cited as the main reason for the success of the German invasions of Poland (September 1939), Norway and Denmark (April 1940), Belgium, France and Netherlands (May 1940), Yugoslavia (April 1941) and the early campaigns in the Soviet Union (June 1941). However their motorized and tank formations accounted for only 20% of the Heer's capacity at their peak strength.