UBB.threads Forums Edged Weapons Army, Navy, and Luftwaffe Forum Second Luft Etched Blades

I will start this thread on Luft2 etched blades with my most recent arrival.

This has no maker mark and is a double etch featuring blue centre panels.

The etch is pictured in Wittmann's Luftwaffe book on pages 263 adn 264. It is also shown on a Holler marked bayonet in Wayne Techet's book on page 72, although with different bookends. The big question is why Holler would produce this etch on a Luft2 without their maker mark?

The obverse etch has these intricate leafy bookends that surround a blued Luft eagle. No sprigs under the wings, you say? Well, this is one of the rare cases where the misssing sprigs are not a big red flag.

The reverse etch also has this intricate bookends, but it surrounds a blued panel depicting three Stukas flying over a mountain village.

I collect Luft2s by maker mark, but these etched blades deserve a special place in my Luft collection.

John

The most easily recognized and, I guess, most desireable etch is the Voos etch found on Voos marked blades.

Often also found with ivory grips, this etch pattern has the sprigs under teh Luft eagle's wings.

Mine is marked to Voos, but it does not sport the desireable ivory grip.

Here is the Voos etch on a Carl Julius marked blade.

The Voos etch can also be found on unmarked blades. there are slight differences in the etch itself around the front bookmarks and in the placement of the etch compared to the crossgguard (no need to make room for a maker mark on the blade).

You can see pictures of these and comparisons in Wittman's b\Luftwaffe book on pages 242.

Here is a Voos etch (typical Voos Obverse with sprigs under wings Luft2) with a dedication to Sturzkampfggeschwader 77 on the reverse.

Did I mention the ivory grip?

Here is an etch on an ASSO marked blade. The obverse is a presentation and the reverse has the Christmas 1940 date.

Here is a single etch found on a WKC marked blade.

Not a large etch, but pretty striking.

You can see this pattern on page 247 of Wittmann's Luftwaffe book.

Part of a collection I bought a while back, it included this single etched unmarked Luft2 with a great etch.

Here is another unmarked Luft2. It has a double etched blade, with a neat and busy Luft eagle on the obverse and a dedication to a G Baum on the reverse.

Another unmarked blade.

A sceno of planes flying over a town and a busy leaf etch on the other side make for an interesting combination.

You can find this etch in Wittmann's book on pages 248-249.

One side consists of an etch that has a Luft eagle in one panel (again with no sprigs under the wings) and a biplane in a second panel.

The other side has a dedication to J Rosenbauer.

And, yes, there are traces of the gilted highlights you can see in the pictures.

Ok, that's it for a while. When I come back, I iwll post a couple of Eickhorn etches.

John

John,

As always you have one heck of a nice collection, amazing and thanks for always sharing and thanks for the many comparisons of marked and unmarked etched blades. I believe there's always a very simple reason for the questions we ask and in my opinion etched or not made no difference as you have clearly demonstrated. I've posted this before so here it is again for those that might of missed it.

My theory is this;

Competition by way of advertising their company names and wares required these companies to legally protect their name and their product which was very important. When a company had a registered trademark it gave them legal protection. And as we know companies with "registered trademarks" purchased dagger parts from other companies with "registered trademarks", mostly from the major players of the day, assembled dagger(s) with these parts and then affixed by stamping and or acid etch their "own registered trademark(s)" on the blade, legally protecting their mark, product, business and meant taking responsibility for that product as well. Now they did have the right since it was a registered trademark to either use it or not, it was their choice, but from what we see these registered trademarked companies took this seriously and wanted to legally protect there trademark name and product.

Therefore it is my belief that the unmarked daggers we see, were assembled by some of the many small family orientated cottage assembler(s)/maker(s), that had no registered trademark(s), because they simply didn't have a need to aquire one. These individual business's/cottage makers which were many were just to small... Imo a no-name brand product is for the most part cheaper and will have a market to "whom ever" ordered them for "what ever" the reason. Thank you.

Thank you for your kind words, Mikee.

My theory, which probably complements yours, is that many of these high end presentation pieces were ordered through distributors or uniform shops. These shops often had contractual arrangements with certain manufacuters to sell their items exclusively. In order to get around this and to get access to special orders, they would ask that the manufacturers not put their name on the blades.

And, the manufacturers, wanting the additional higher margin business would, naturally, comply.

John

What a fantastic treat.
Sharing just one of these etches with collectors is not everyday occurrence, but so many in one shot. I think there's more 2nd Luft etches here than in Witty's Luftwaffe tome. Thank You Johnny !

Serge

This exact etch is in Wittmann's Luftwaffe book on pages 250-252.

Ivory gripped, the obverse etch has the typical Eickhorn fleur de lys bookends with the SS motto 'Meine Ehre ist Treue'.

The reverse sports the 35-41 seated squirrel TM and the date of March 30, 1942 also within the panel bordered by the fleur de lys bookends.

This is a weird one. It has a dedication to a shooting prize in 1943!

It also sports the small stamped squirrel TM. And a small etch on the obverse.

That's it for me, guys.

Maybe one day , I will do a small thread on Damascus and artificial Damascus Luft2s.

Enjoy,

John

John,
WOAH! Now that one is my favorite! If you ever decide to part with it. I'm ready! Thanks

Some outstanding examples. Thanks for sharing them with us.

Any one of these daggers would be the highlight of a collection - Just a mind blowing assortment of etched 2nd models. Congratulations John on compiling this beautiful collection.

Magnificent!!! Congratulations on assembling such a fine collection. I love them all.

John, you have a wonderful collection of etched 2nd Lufts, I thought I might add this one to the thread, given by his father to his Son Rudolf Walther, after some research I did find the pilot who flew on the Russian front, scoring 22 victories. This one is by Horster, it also has a great undamaged Ivory grip, it came with it's original hangers and knot.

Gary

Gary, that is a beauty!

John

Here's another one, an unmarked Voos type,this also came with the original hangers and knot.

Gary

I hope there might be others who could post their etched 2nd Lufts, there must be more out there somewhere.

Gary

How about this one:

http://www.wwiidaggers.com/35378.htm

For the sake of open reporting, this dagger is on consignment to Witty, but it is mine.

John

Great Lufts here! Thanks for showing. Kevin.

Gary,

I remember seeing your two fine etched Lufts & I love them more now. Really fine work & their conditioning is superb. I,think I'm sweet on the Horster more, especially with the dedication from the guy's father.

Interestingly, "Furchtlos und Treu" was one of the unofficial mottoes of the Feuerwehr, I wonder if there was any FW connection with the original owner.

Gary truly a treat!!
Love to get in your bunker some day!!
John I've seen that 1st luft in hand and it's truly a sweet one!

Two fine examples Gary. Love that perfect ivory grip.

Serge

Very nice daggers John, thank you for showing.

I only have the "normal" Voos and this one.

Regards Henrik

Typical ALCOSO.

John, that's a very nice and special collection of Luft daggers you have there!

Here is a new one for me... shown on an earlier thread by Serge, it now resides in my collection in the Great White North.

A Voos-style etch on a Klaas marked blade, how's that for rare?

Here are my pics.

Rare indeed John. It's getting harder to outdo yourself on this thread but I see that doesn't stop you from trying, well done.

This dagger is pictured in Wittmann's Luft book on pages 244-45.

An Alcoso product with the small ACS logo across the blade, this is a double etched presentation piece with the presentation panel left blank (probably a factory or uniform store sample) and a floral decorative pattern on the reverse side. Along with an Alcoso tag, this is a brand new addition to my collection in the Great White North.

Interesting note: I had this sent to me from Virginia by USPS registered mail. It took five days to get to New York, from where it was sent to London, England, of all places. Then from London, forwarded to Montreal, Canada, for customs clearance, then 3 days later onto Calgary. Government efficiency at its finest.

Enjoy,

John

Here is another Luft2 with a double etched blade and pictured in Wittmann's book on page 258.

The blade has no maker mark, but does show a kinda sorta Voos like etch with a dedication on the obverse 'In memory of the war years 194/41 from your sweetheart' and the name 'Erich Schon' on the reverse. Overall, a very nice addition to the Great White North.

John

There were three Hans Mullers in the Luftwaffe who were awarded Knights Crosses.

This Hans Muller was in a recon squadron and was awarded the Knights Cross. He survived the war and died in 1994.

He was also awarded a goblet dated 6-6-42, RK dated 11-18-44, DK-G dated 8-2-42, EK1 and EK2, and an observer operational clasp.

This collection (dagger and goblet) came from his wife to Helmut Weitze to a collector in Canada to me.

Here is the dagger, an unmarked double etched blade with a blue paneled etch on the obverse containing his name, Hans Muller, and a blue panel Luft eagle in the reverse etch. The etch pattern and the blued eagle looks exactly like the etched dagger shown in Wittmann's book on pages 263-4, which byt the way is also in my collection.

Here is Hans Muller's goblet.

We all know of the famous Voos etched daggers. I have shown you examples of the Voos etch on an unmarked blade, on CJ Krebs, on Robt Klaas and on Voos marked baldes.

Here is the Voos style etch on a Horster marked blade.

John