Original Item: Only One Available. This is a very rare Railway Protection Service Enlisted Man's Dagger, produced by the Solingen-based firm Robert Klaas. The design of this dagger is essentially the same as the Heer (Army) model dagger, but with a black celluloid grip. The pommel of this dagger is in very good condition showing a little wear but nothing bad. The silvering has a nice aged patina throughout, and the standing oak leaves and acorns are crisply detailed and have wonderful backgrounds.

The silver plated crossguard is in similar condition, with a nice clean finish, with oxidized accents. It does show a bit of the plating lifting near the edges, which is somewhat common with the alloy fittings used on these. The details throughout the characteristic eagle are exceptional throughout the head, breast and wing feathering, talons and wreathed mobile swas. The grip is black celluloid, most likely over a wood base, and is still relatively tightly held between the guards. This grip is in very good condition throughout, with just a bit of wear, and no cracking or chips that we can see. The grip ferrule is silver plated steel, which has had the plating wear, and now displays a lightly oxidized patina.

The dagger is fitted with a bright steel blade without plating, which is typical for a wartime production dagger. The very good condition blade is bright throughout, still showing the original factory final polish grind cross grain on most of the surface. This texture is iconic, and is the definitive identifying characteristic for a real WWII German Blade. It is a bit faint from runner wear and cleaning, and there is also an area near the tip where there was some water stain type oxidation cleaned away. The edges of the blade are correctly unsharpened, showing no nicks or other damage, and the needle-like tip of the blade is intact. The original leather blade buffer is still present in the recess of the cross guard.

The reverse ricasso is maker marked with a trademark logo that reads ROB'T KLAAS / SOLINGEN under the trademark Klaas "Kissing Storks" trademark emblem. This is a well-known maker from Solingen, the famous "City of Blades" in Western Germany, which produced many fine edged weapons. The company was originally founded by Friedrich Robert Klaas, who married the daughter of knife maker Peter Daniel Pauls. After his father-in-law passed away, all was left to Klaas and his wife, so he merged his scissor business with the knife business, and registered with Solingen authorities in 1869. The company passed to his sons, and then his son-in-law. It survived WWI, WWII, and still exists today, per J. Anthony Carter's fine work GERMAN SWORD AND KNIFE MAKERS.

The plated steel scabbard is a fine example, still straight and showing no major dents or other damage. It has very crisp, finely pebble grained panels, and the carrying bands have an excellent pattern of overlapping oak leaves and acorns, which are nicely enhanced, but also show some wear. The throat is the thinner style with flush mount securing screws on the narrow sides. The original plated finish is well retained, and still quite bright.

Attached to the scabbard is a very good condition belt hanger, with functional pebbled spring clips with a great patina. The buckles and keepers are engraved with the same oak and acorn motif seen throughout the dagger. The hanger straps show light wear, with a bit of fading on the bullion side, and the black velvet plush material on the reverse is almost completely intact.

A great example of a rare German WWII Railway Service dagger, complete with hanger and ready to display!

Specifications:
Blade Length: 10"
Overall length: 14 3/4”
Crossguard: 3 1/4”
Scabbard Length: 11”

The German Railway (Deutsche Reichsbahn) by the 1930's had become a very modern transportation system, serving the needs of the country, as well as a acting as throughway for other parts of Europe. It was nationalized by AH in 1937. A special protective section known as the Bahnschütz was established using Railway employees. The organization was charged with protecting the Railway system against sabotage, espionage and larceny. The first dagger allegedly worn by this organization was an Army configuration, equipped with black grip. Whether it was actually a Railway dagger is still speculation. Original examples were usually marked with the Robt. Klaas "Kissing Cranes" logo.

Deutsche Reichsbahn (1937 to 1945)
With the Act for the New Regulation of the Conditions of the Reichsbank and the Deutsche Reichsbahn (Gesetz zur Neuregelung der Verhältnisse der Reichsbank und der Deutschen Reichsbahn) of 10 February 1937 the Deutsche Reichsbahn Gesellschaft was placed under Reich sovereignty and was given the name Deutsche Reichsbahn.

World War II and military use
The Reichsbahn had an important logistic role in supporting the rapid movement of the troops of the Wehrmacht, for example:

In all the occupied lands the Reichsbahn endeavored to incorporate the captured railways (rolling stock and infrastructure) into their system. Even towards the end of the war the Reichsbahn continued to move military formations. For example, in the last great offensive, the Battle of the Bulge (from 16 December 1944), tank formations were transported from Hungary to the Ardennes.

The railways managed by the "Eastern Railway Division" (Generaldirektion der Ostbahn) were initially run from that part of the Polish State Railways within the so-called General Government gelegene Teil der Polnischen Staatsbahnen (PKP), but from November 1939 by the Ostbahn (Generalgouvernement).

In the campaigns against Poland, Denmark, France, Yugoslavia, Greece etc. the newly acquired standard gauge networks could be used without difficulty. By contrast, after the start of the invasion of Russia on 22 June 1941, the problem arose of transferring troops and materiel to Soviet broad gauge lines or converting them to German standard gauge. Confounding German plans, the Red Army and Soviet railways managed to withdraw or destroy the majority of its rolling stock during its retreat. As a result, German standard gauge rolling stock had to be used for an additional logistic role within Russia; this required the laying of standard gauge track. The price was high: Reichsbahn railway staff and the railway troops of the Wehrmacht had to convert a total of 16,148 kilometres of Soviet trackage to German standard gauge track between 22 June and 8 October 1941.

During the war, locomotives in the war zones were sometimes given camouflage livery. In addition, locomotives were painted with the Hoheitsadler symbol (the eagle, Germany's traditional symbol of national sovereignty) holding a swas. On goods wagons the name "Deutsche Reichsbahn" was replaced by the letters "DR". Postal coaches continued to bear the name "Deutsche Reichspost".

The logistics of the Reichsbahn were crucial to the conduct of Germany's military offensives. The preparations for the invasion of Russia saw the greatest troop deployment by rail in history.

Expansion
Characteristic of the first six and a half years of this period was the exponential growth of the Deutsche Reichsbahn, which was almost exclusively due to the takeover of other national railways. This affected both parts of foreign state railways (in Austria the entire state railway) in the countries annexed by the Deutsche Reich, as well as private railways in Germany and in other countries:

The logistics of the Reichsbahn were also an important factor during the Shoah. Jews were transported like cattle to the contingent and extermination camps by the Deutsche Reichsbahn in trains of covered goods wagons, so-called Shoah trains. These movements using cattle wagons, for example, from the goods station of the great Frankfurt Market Hall thus played a significant role in the genocide within the extermination machinery of the Shoah.

Breakup of the Reichsbahn
With the end of the Second World War in 1945 those parts of the Deutsche Reichsbahn that were outside the new German borders laid down in the Potsdam Agreement were transferred to the ownership and administration of the states in whose territory they were situated. For example, on 27 April 1945, the Austrian railways became independent again as the Austrian State Railway (Österreichische Staatseisenbahn or ÖStB), later renamed as the Austrian Federal Railways (Österreichische Bundesbahnen or ÖBB) on 5 August 1947.