Original Item: Only One Available. This is a lovely example of an early production 2nd Model Luftwaffe dagger with a very nice unmarked blade, complete with its scabbard, portepee knot, and a very nice belt hanger. The dagger has aluminum mountings, which originally had a lovely gray oxide finish, still well retained on the pommel but not as much on the cross guard.

Unlike most example that we see, the celluloid grip of this dagger still retains the original ivory color! These almost always faded to orange or darker over the years as the material degrades due to light exposure. It remains in great shape throughout, and has a nice tapered shape, still tightly wrapped with twisted wire. There is just a bit of wear and light staining, and not any major cracks or other damage.

The hilt mounts are very good condition, showing some wear from service, but still looking great. The pommel is very good and still shows most of the original detail. The "mobile" swas (hook crosses) on both sides are clear, still retaining the original bronze powder "gold paint, the oak leaves around them are raised out and heavily hand enhanced. The pommel appears to be solid aluminum, and still retains about most of the original oxide coating in the recessed areas o the design.

The crossguard 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 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 oxide antiquing is still visible in the recessed areas of the guard, while more raised areas show the aluminum base metal well.

Tied around the grip just below the guard is an original aluminum bullion portepee, which is in very good condition, showing moderate wear from use. There is some minor fraying, as well as oxidation in areas, and the bullion has worn off the threads in areas. The grip ferrule looks to be plated steel, and it is still in very good condition, having been protected by the portepee, and it shows a nice gray oxidized color.

The blade on this example is not nickel plated, which is common for later produced blades, and it is in very good condition! The original factory final polish grind cross grain is retained throughout the blade, with just a bit of runner wear on the blade flats. This texture is iconic, and is the definitive identifying characteristic for a real WWII German Blade. The edge is correctly unsharpened, however it looks like the very tip was reprofiled after taking some damage. There also is a bit of denting on the edges, but nothing major There is some light wear from cleaning overall, with a bit of oxidation staining in areas.

There are no maker marks that we can see, but that is not uncommon for Luftwaffe and Army officer daggers. Outfitters often purchased unmarked blades from major makers, and would do the fitting themselves. The unique cross grain is definitive for WWII German production.

This steel scabbard is in very good condition, dent free and with almost all the original plating intact. It looks to have nickel or zinc plated, which now displays a light gray oxidized patina overall. The hanger bands are plated zinc, and are well defined with have hand enhanced oak leaves tipped at a 45 degree angle. They show light wear, with the plating mostly intact. The throat is the wider version seen, secured by a dome head screw on the top narrow side of the scabbard.

Attached to the scabbard is a very good condition belt hanger, with both scabbard spring clips fully functional, while the belt clip has a broken spring. The spring clips are all zinc alloy, while the sliders, buckles, and end loops are aluminum, fitting for a Luftwaffe hanger! All the fittings now show a lightly worn patina, and the hanger looks to have seen rather heavy use during the war, as the straps show a good amount of wear on the edges, and particularly near the aluminum top fittings. There is also oxidation around the eyelets by the buckles.

This really is a very nice 2nd Model Luftwaffe Dagger with belt hanger & portepee, offered in very good condition and ready to display! This is the full setup!

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