Original WWII German 2nd Model Luftwaffe Dagger by F. W. Höller of Solingen with Scabbard and Portepee

Original Item: Only One Available. This is a very nice example of a mid-war production 2nd Model Luftwaffe dagger, complete with a scabbard and portepee. It is a fine Solingen-produced example made by the well-known firm of F.W. Höller, Waffenfabrik (Weapons Factory), a highly desirable maker of edged weapons. 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 has the typical Höller tapered shape, which is wider than those used by other makers, and is wrapped in twisted brass wire, which shows oxidation. There is some chipping near the pommel, and also a bit of wear through on the reverse, both of which show the wooden base material.

The hilt mounts are in very good condition with a lovely lightly worn patina of age, lookin to be made of oxide highlighted aluminum. The pommel is very good and still shows most of the original detail. The "mobile" swas (hook crosses) on both sides are clear and show only light wear on the edges, though there is a bit of oxidation. The oak leaves around them are raised out and heavily hand enhanced. The pommel and grip are still tight to the tang.

The crossguard is also made of Aluminum, which was an "Air Age" material, which was 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 crossguards 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 (hook cross) in his talons. The reverse panel is decorated with small pebbling, which is still clear. The leather blade buffer is still present in the recesses of the cross guard. The ferrule looks to be nickel plated steel, and it is still in very good condition, though it has oxidized a bit.

Wrapped around the grip and cross guard is an original aluminum bullion portepee (sword knot), which looks to be an arsenal spare, as it shows a lot less wear than the dagger. There is some fraying to the bullion, especially on the slider, and it is not currently tied the correct way for a Luftwaffe dagger.

The blade is in good condition, and looks to have seen light overall oxidation staining at some point, which is worn away from the blade flats due to running wear. We can also see a bluish color about 2 inches from the tip, possibly from polishing or excessive heat. The original factory cross grain is all but removed, though the shape of the blade is still correct. The tip is intact, and the edges are correctly unsharpened. We did not make any attempts to clean the the blade to avoid disturbing the lovely patina.

The ricasso is maker marked with a "losenge" style trademark logo that reads F. W. HÖLLER / SOLINGEN, surrounding the trademark Höller "Thermometer" emblem. This is a well-known maker from Solingen, the famous "City of Blades" in Western Germany, which produced many fine edged weapons. F.W. Höller, Waffenfabrik (Weapons Factory), located in Solingen, the legendary "City of Blades" in western Germany. During the WWII Period they manufactured many SA and NSKK daggers, both with their "thermometer" trademark and later with the RZM code M7/33. They also produced numerous 98K bayonets and other edged weapons. The firm was founded in 1866, and registered in Solingen in 1883. By 1900 ownership had passed to Emil Höller, and it continued manufacture after WWII, finally closing in 1974. For more information please see J. Anthony Carter's fine work GERMAN SWORD AND KNIFE MAKERS.

The steel scabbard is in good condition, and looks to be made from zinc plated steel, which has an area of pit rusting about 2 inches long on the pebbled panel below the lower hanger band. This shows heavy oxidation, with rust blooming and scaling away, and there are now holes along the seam as well. The other pebbled panels are still in good shape, as are the oak leaf and acorn panels below them near the bottom. The hanger bands look to be made from zinc alloy, and are well defined with hand enhanced oak leaves tipped at a 45 degree angle, showing an oxidized zinc patina. They do however show wear, and it looks like the lower one may have been replaced, as it is about an inch lower than it should be. Definitely a nice salty example.

This really is a very nice 2nd Model Luftwaffe Dagger, made by a well-known maker and offered in very good service used condition, complete with its original scabbard and portepee. Ready to display!

Specifications:
Blade Length: 10"
Overall length: 15 1/8”
Crossguard: 3 1/4”
Scabbard Length: 11 3/4”