Original Item: One of a Kind. This is a lovely early 1st Model Luftwaffe Dagger, made by the desirable maker E. & F. Hörster, Waffenfabrik of Solingen, Germany. It was made in the mid to late 1930s, before 1938 when the change was made to use aluminum fittings. It has plated mounts throughout, looking to be either brass or nickel alloy with plating. These were probably all originally oxide coated to give them a lovely blue color, however cleaning and use have worn away most of that, and the base metal is even exposed in some areas.

The rim of the pommel shows some usage but there are no major damage, just a few small dents. The gently vaulted pommel shows the original "Broken Sun Cross" swas medallions, which are probably the type that is inserted, and the brass on the emblems has matured to a lovely golden color. The grip is a carved wood base covered in blue Moroccan leather, which is very well preserved, showing just a bit of wear through the finish layer along with a few small tears. It is triple wrapped with oxidized brass wire, with the center example being twisted. There is a very nice aluminum portepee tied around the crossguard, and the original leather blade buffer is still present.

The blade of this piece is a high quality nickel-plated example, which is in excellent condition, still bright and shiny. There is no damage to the tip or edges save for a bit of roughness on both edges, and there has definitely been no attempt at sharpening. There is just a bit of plating loss on both sides from the scabbard runners. Really a great blade!

The reverse ricasso of this dagger is acid etched with maker name E. & F. HÖRSTER / SOLINGEN in an oval "lozenge" around ;the company's trademark downward pointing sword piercing interlocking HHS initials. E. & F. Hörster & Co Gmbh, is a well-known maker from Solingen, the famous "City of Blades" in Western Germany, which marketed many fine edged weapons. Originally founded in 1850 as "Friedrich Hörster" in 1850, the company was renamed to E. & F. Hörster in 1870 at the behest of Friedrich Emil & Fritz Hörster. The firm lasted long after WWII, finally being declared insolvent in 1996. For more information please see GERMAN KNIFE AND SWORD MAKERS by J. Anthony Carter.

The steel scabbard shell is straight throughout with no major dents or bends. The Moroccan leather covering the scabbard nicely matches the grip and is in very good condition, though it does show a lot of denting and bruising from use in service. There is some leather flaking away along the seam, and there is a bit of oxidation on the steel shell that we can see. The mounts on the scabbard body look to be brass or patinated nickel alloy, which still retains some of the original oxide coating in areas. The locket and chape still have their original retaining screws, though they are worn.

The attached nickel alloy chain has nine ringlets making up the upper chain and fourteen on the lower. These two chains are attached to a nickel alloy snap clip, which is not marked. The chain and clip have a lovely mellow patina from light oxidation.

A great example of an early pattern 1st model Luftwaffe dagger by a very desirable Solingen maker, ready to display!

Specifications:

Blade Length: 12 1/8"
Overall length: 17 3/4"
Crossguard: 4 1/4”
Scabbard Length: 13 1/2”