Original Item: Only One Available. This is an very good condition German Army Officer's Dagger, produced by the rare firm of Rudolf Büchel, Stahlwarenfabrik, located in the Merscheid neighborhood of Solingen. This is only the second item we have ever had from this maker. It comes complete with its original scabbard and portepee sword knot. The pommel of this dagger is in very good condition, showing a little wear and a bit of scratching throughout the bottom, but nothing bad. The silvering has a nice aged patina throughout, and the standing oak leaves and acorns are crisply detailed and have good backgrounds. There is some plating flaking on the pommel, as shown.

The silver plated crossguard is in similar condition, with a nice patinated finish, with oxidized accents, and some areas of finish flaking. The details throughout the eagle are exceptional throughout the head, breast and wing feathering, talons and wreathed mobile swas (hook cross). The grip ferrule looks to be plated steel, and is a bit oxidized.

The celluloid grip itself is a very nice orange color, and is in very good condition, having faded from the original ivory color. There is some cracking around the ferrule, but only a small amount, and the grip fits the pommel and ferrule well. The crossguard has a bit of wiggle, as the leather blade buffer is unfortunately missing. Wrapped around the grip and cross guard is an original aluminum bullion thread portepee (sword knot), tied in the Heer fashion. It is in good condition as shown, only light wear in places.

The excellent blade is mostly bright throughout, showing almost all of the original cross grain in the light. The needle-like tip is still intact, with no bending. The overall finish is great, with only a few tiny scuffs and of areas of clouding. The edge has not been sharpened, and the only wear is from the runners.

The rear ricasso of the blade is etched with the trademark logo of Rudolf Büchel, Stahlwarenfabrik, which is in excellent condition. The mark shows their trademark "Eight Pointed Star" Logo, surrounded by:

Per J. Anthony Carter's book GERMAN KNIFE AND SWORD MAKERS, this firm was founded and registered in 1923 in the Merscheid Neighborhood of Solingen, the legendary "City of Blades." Rudolf Büchel was the son of a pocket knife maker, and had been a salesman for Gebrüder Weyersberg in South America. He founded his own company, and registered the trademark of RBS in a circle within an 8 pointed star. Most of the daggers produced were for the SA, but there were some rarely found Army daggers, possibly assembled from components contracted out. The company continued after WWII into the 1970s, run by his son and daughter.

The scabbard is a fine example, and is plated steel. This straight scabbard has very crisp, finely grained panels. 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, and has flush mount securing screws on the narrow sides. The finish looks to be silver or nickel, and has a great slightly oxidized patina.

A really excellent example of this model of dagger, from a very rare maker and complete with scabbard & portepee. Ready to display!

Specifications:
Blade Length: 10"
Overall length: 15 1/2”
Crossguard: 3 1/4”
Scabbard Length: 11”

The German Army (Heer) first carried a dagger beginning in 1935. The weapon was worn in lieu of occasions not demanding the wearing of a more formal sword. The dagger design was quite attractive featuring silvered heavy fittings with white or colored grip. The crossguard depicted a Wehrmacht open-winged eagle clutching a wreathed swas.

The pommel depicted oak leafing around the outer circumference. The scabbard had panels of pebble designs. Later produced examples were plated with nickel, and late war-made pieces were unplated, finished in a gray color metal. These daggers are often encountered with an aluminum portepee.