Original WWII German 2nd Model Kriegsmarine Naval Dagger by Carl Eickhorn with Lightning Bolt Scabbard - Post 1941 Trademark

Original Item: Only One Available. We just purchased this Kriegsmarine dagger at a large military show. It is a fine Solingen-Produced totally original WWII German 2nd Model Naval Dagger by the legendary firm Carl Eickhorn, complete with the original gold-plated "lightning bolt" style brass scabbard. This is a very nice service used example, which looks to have seen long use in service during the war.

This example was almost certainly purchased by a high ranking officer later in the war, as the pommel fittings are plated alloy, not the gilt brass they were early in the war. It has very deeply inset wings and an impressive vault wreath. The crossguard is the standard Eickhorn type, very well executed and heavily hand-enhanced. The plating is worn on the contact points of the grips, and we can see a good amount of the base metal in those areas, There is also overall wear and oxidation on the fittings.

The grip is in very good condition, still showing the original ivory color, without any of the discoloration that we usually see. It shows just a bit of wear and some dirt in the grooves, with no chips, cracks. or other major damage. The twisted brass wire wrapping is in very good condition. There is little wear to the grip overall, so it does not appear to have been handled often. The scabbard locking button is fully functional, and shows light wear and patination.

The blade is an unplated example, and does not look to have originally had any etching on the blade. We can see that it has had oxidation peppering occur in the past, which was then cleaned off, probably several times over its life. It now shows a nice lightly aged patina, with some of the past peppering evident even after cleaning. We assume it saw service at sea, which would definitely cause oxidation to an unplated blade, as well as to the fittings. The tip of the blade is still intact, and the edges are correctly unsharpened.

The blade's ricasso is stamped with the post 1941 Eickhorn simplified trademark: a seated "regardent" squirrel looking backward over its shoulder, with the firm's name and location, ORIGINAL / EICKHORN / SOLINGEN below. Carl Eickhorn is a legendary maker from Solingen, the famous "City of Blades" in Western Germany, and were particularly desirable even among other Solingen producers. Their "Field Marshall" series of officer's swords are all highly collectible.

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 lightning bolt scabbard is in very good condition, and does show some denting and bending from use, but still looks great. The original gold wash is completely worn away, now displaying a lovely aged brass patina. The scabbard is stamped with well-defined palmettes around the bands and lightning bolts, ermine feet and acanthus leaves down to the chape. The bands feature overlapping oak leaves and acorns. The ring ferrules are the triple serrated type, and the rings are still present. The throat is retained by "cheese" headed screws on the narrow sides, however only one is present. The finish overall is still very nice, with a lovely patina.

Overall a lovely service used example of a hard to find dagger by a legendary maker, complete with the original scabbard! A worthy addition to any knife collection. Ready to display!

Specifications:
Blade Length: 9 7/8"
Overall length: 15”
Crossguard: 3”
Scabbard Length: 11 1/4”