Original WWII German 2nd Model Luftwaffe Dagger by ALCOSO of Solingen with Scabbard and Portepee - circa 1940 - 1943

Original Item: Only One Available. This is a very good example of a mid-war production 2nd Model Luftwaffe dagger. It is a fine Solingen-Produced example made by the Solingen-based firm of Alcoso Werke, Stahlwarenfabrik. The celluloid covered wooden grip of this dagger is a nice light ivory white color, and has not faded to orange as they so often do. It remains in very good condition throughout, showing some light staining and dirt. It has a nice slightly tapered shape, and is tightly wrapped with twisted wires, which show oxidation from use.

The hilt mounts are in similar condition with a lovely patina of age. The pommel is very good and still shows most of the original detail. The "mobile" swass on both sides are clear and the oak leaves around them are raised out and heavily hand enhanced. The pommel appears to be solid aluminum, with a lovely dark oxide coating referred to as "airplane gray", which may originally have been more of a silver color

The cross guard is also made of Aluminum, which was an "Air Age" material, used to make most airplanes. It was considered fitting and desirable for the eagle-shaped guard to be made of this material. The front side is an eagle with a breast and talon area that is vaulted out much more so than the cross guards seen on other types of daggers. This guard shows little wear and has great feathering on the eagle. The bird, of course, flies to the left and grasps a mobile swas in his talons. The reverse panel is decorated with small pebbling, which is still clear. Like the pommel, it has a dark oxide coating on it, which is still mostly present except for the edges, which show wear down to the aluminum.

Tied around the bottom of the grip over the ferrule is an original portepee, which is in very good used condition, and tied in the Luftwaffe style. It does show wear and fraying, with some areas showing tearing in the bullion, showing the underlying fabric cords. It has a great service worn look that is impossible to duplicate. The ferrule looks to be plated steel, and it is still in very good condition, with the plating still fully intact, having been protected by the portepee.

The very good condition blade on this example is not nickel plated, which is common for later produced blades. It is bright and shiny, showing some small areas of past light oxidation and light staining on the surface, which were mostly removed by cleaning the blade. The original factory final grind cross grain is visible throughout the blade, something we rarely see! This texture is iconic, and is the definitive identifying characteristic for a real WWII German Blade. The edge is correctly unsharpened, and we do not see any bends to the tip or nicks in the edge. There is the expected runner wear from the scabbard, but overall this really is well above average. The original leather blade buffer is in place within the deep recesses of the guard, though it has shrunk a bit.

The reverse ricasso is etched with the trademark Alcoso used from 1940-1943. It depicts the scales with the firm's initials, AWS interspersed. Next to this is the firm's name in cursive script, Alcoso, and below the town of business, SOLINGEN, the legendary "City of Blades" in Western Germany.

According to J Anthony Carter's Work GERMAN KNIFE AND SWORD MAKERS, Alcoso is a trade name of Alexander Coppel & Co. KG, Stahlwarenfabrik, located in Solingen, the legendary German "City of Blades." The company was a major manufacturer of edged weapons and tools from the end of the 19th century up until the WWII period. Unfortunately, as NSDAP-control increased, brothers Carl Gustav and Dr. Alexander Coppel, the Jewish owners of the firm, were forced out. In 1936 the firm had been "Aryanized", and started using the name ALCOSO to hide the Jewish family name. By the end of 1936 the brothers were ejected from their Solingen offices, and by 1940 the brand trademark initials ACS were changed to AWS to reflect the change in ownership and name: Alexander Coppel Solingen to Alcoso-Werk Solingen. Carl Gustav Coppel committed suicide in Solingen in 1941, and Dr. Alexander Coppel was arrested in 1942 and sent to Theresienstadt Prison camp, where he died August 5th 1942. The factory itself was destroyed by Allied bombers in November 1944.

The scabbard is a typical Alcoso type, having the distinctive rounded shape to the shell. It still retains much of the original airplane gray finish, with some areas of wear and light oxidation. It still retains the finely pebbled panels on both sides, with smaller oak leaf and acorn panels at the bottom, and we cannot detect any bends or dents to the scabbard. The hanging bands are zinc, and have a lovely dark patina. The throat is the narrower types seen, retained by a single flush mount screw on the rear of the scabbard.

This really is a very good 2nd Model Luftwaffe Dagger from a maker with a somber back story. Complete with scabbard and portepee, this dagger is ready to display!

Specifications:
Blade Length: 10"
Overall length: 15 1/4”
Crossguard: 3 1/4”
Scabbard Length: 11 3/4”