Here's a pattern you don't see very often, as far as I am aware the use of this special style clamshell is a sure sign of an Eickhorn product. This piece has the 1933-35 small double oval mark and is of early 3rd Reich manufacture.

Gary

It's quite a heavy piece,gilted brass fittings that still have much of the gilt on them.

The silver clamshell is a separate piece and is Ges Gesch marked.

The lower scabbard mount

Both the frog and knot are original to the piece, I had always wondered about this type of knot, it has all the hallmarks of a hunting/forestry knot.
The skinning knife shows much of the original cross graining.

The blade has the standard Eickhorn etch pattern

Early small double oval mark, the knot is still tied as it was from the original owner.

A special touch and why Eickhorn were such a great company, the top of the pommel.

Gary:

I just love that dagger. Eickhorn is a maker that you can spend a lifetime studying.

Thank you for showing.

John

Very, very nice piece. Love that portapee.
Congrats!!

Very very nice Gary, and a terrific skinning knife to match-lucky to be there at all, and in top notch condition to boot-well done mate

P

Gary, thanks for showing another great blade and bird clamshell.

For more views of the Auerhahn Wood Grouse clamshells check my post of July 15 2009.

http://daggers.infopop.cc/eve/...70972702/m/399101312

Sincerely,
HUBERTUS

Ralph

I always check your site first, I remember that you had an Eickhorn with this clamshell, why not post yours here as well, I think yours is a slightly different pattern.

George

I too like the portepee and are especially pleased to be able to conclusively prove what type of dagger this particular knot was used for. It has the colouring that you would expect but it's nice to be able to tie it down.

I'm glad you guys liked the hirschf�nger.

Gary

Gary

Beautiful complete rig.

Thanks for showing.

Here is earlier model (back-to-back squirrels) w/ same fittings overall to yours except no provision for a side knife...the economy version.

Roger

Beautiful hirschf�nger,is your silver insert Ges Gesch marked, it has a lovely dark patina, very nice.
In the Eickhorn 33-35 catalouge they show this pattern without the skinner, I believe Eickhorn used the same pattern # during all 3 periods.
Anybody got an Imperial Eickhorn catalouge and can show us this pattern in there, come in James(Damast).

Gary

Re: Ges Gesch... there is no marking on the clamshell whatsoever.

Is your clamshell insert attached w/ 4 bent prongs?

Roger

Yes the clam is held on with 4 bent prongs, I'm sure when the 3rd reich period started Eickhorn wanted to protect their designs hence the Ges Gesch.

Gary

At the bottom of the 1st page on the "PERIOD REFERENCE" thread, on the "HUNTING, FORESTRY & SHOOTING" forum, it shows the Carl Eickhorn Nr. 1456 model (without skinner knife) and the Carl Eickhorn Nr. 1446 model (with skinner knife).

Last night I took a big chance on a popular auction site and won a Carl Eickhorn Hirschfanger. I think it is a special order Nr. 1456 model. It will take some time before I have it in my hands.

There is a presentation on the blade that is hard to read from the seller's photos. I think it is a prize from Der 7 Komp. Reichwehr Inf. Regt. 17 to Der Inf. Regts. Herzog Ferdinand u. Braunschweig 8. Westf. Nr. 57 on 7. 3. 31. (7 March 1931). And on the clam shell is probably the monogram of the Inf. Regt. Herzog Ferdinand u. Braunschweig 8. Westf. Nr. 57.

The other side of the blade has a very different etch. The blade is not in the best condition. The bottom scabbard mount is the type with 2 lines, not the type usually found with the Nr. 1456 Eickhorn. The top scabbard mount is also not the type found with the Eickhorn Nr. 1456. This Eickhorn model is also the silver-plated version. I won this for $810.00 and $22.99 S&H for a total of $832.99 with 26 bids on Sep. 10, 2023. When it gets here, I will take some better pictures of the blade which is hard to read with many abbreviations.

C. Wetzel-20609

I hope you'll show us more when it comes in.

Dave

Is there a consensus on the direction of Eickhorn maker marks for pre-WWII and WWII period blades?

--dj--Joe

Houston Coates on 01/25/2007:


"No-On the oval this is the correct position. On the 35-41 the head should be on the cross guard end and the feet toward the point".


Source: "Hunting, Forestry & Shooting" forum, page 14, Thread "Eickhorn Hirschfanger" by MRW.

This is the Eickhorn mark that Houston Coates was talking about on 01/25/2007, thread: "Eickhorn Hirschfanger" by MRW.

Wetzel, Congratulations on the dagger for i think it is a nice one. Too bad i was the back up bidder. Had a feeling i would see it again today on this forum. James

Wow James,

today my sister thought a person on German Daggers.com might have been bidding too.

I was thinking it would be about $750.00 to $1,100.00 to win. I bid $844.00 which was the time (8:44 pm), the auction ended.

Next highest was $800.00 and at that price level it goes up at $10.00 per bid. The auction started at $9.99 on Aug. 31, 2023.

Again, i think you have a very good dagger and little has to be done to clean it up, I got caught up in a birthday party and distracted at last minute. Let us know what you think once received. My best, James

Wetzel,

Really nice catch! Congratulations and thanks for showing it.

Hello, the inscribtion is very hard (if not impossible) to be read only due to these pics from the auction but it says (first words in last line) that it is a "Wanderschießpreis" (...als Wanderschießpreis gestiftet von der... ehem. 57(?)er am 7.3.31). Which means a shooting price which could be gained from different persons at different occasions, always held by the last (date) winner until the next shooting occasion. Especially the mentioned units are for me impossble to read, but the date 7.3.31 is obviously correct.
Very nice and interesting hunting dagger, congratulations!
Regards,

Thank you, very kindly wotan, I was working on that part last night and today. I thought it was "Wanderschiekpreis", I had no idea it is Wanderschießpreis.

The 17th Inf. Regt. was part of the 6th Division (Reichswehr) Jan. 1921 to Oct. 1934.

The Infanterie Regiment "Herzog Ferdinand von Braunschweig" (8.westfälisches) Nr. 57 (Wesel), was establish in 1860 and I found an image of a Tinnie, from 1935 for the Regiment.

Calvin

17. Infanterie-Regiment
Infanterie-Regiment Braunschweig
Infanterie-Regiment 17

Das 17. (Preuß.-Braunschw.) Infanterie-Regiment wurde bei der Bildung des 100.000 Mann-Heeres der Reichswehr am 1. Januar 1921 aus Verbänden der ehemaligen königlich-preußischen Armee im Wehrkreis VI aufgestellt. Für die Aufstellung wurden hauptsächlich Abgaben vom Reichswehr-Schützen-Regiment 7 und vom Reichswehr-Infanterie-Regiment 20 verwendet. Garnisonsstadt des Regimentsstabes war Braunschweig, im Wehrkreis VI. In der gleichen Stadt waren auch das I. Bataillon und die 13. (Minenwerfer) Kompanie vom Regiment stationiert. Das II. Bataillon vom Regiment war in Göttingen, ebenfalls Wehrkreis VI, stationiert. Das III. Bataillon war in Goslar, ebenfalls Wehrkreis VI, stationiert. Das Ausbildungs-Bataillon vom Regiment wurde in Celle, ebenfalls Wehrkreis VI, stationiert. Mit der Aufstellung wurde das Regiment der 6. Division der Reichswehr unterstellt. Taktisch unterstand das Regiment dem Infanterieführer VI.
Die Traditionsträgerschaft im Regiment war dann bis zur Erweiterung der Reichswehr wie folgt verteilt:
1. Kompanie: Braunschweigisches Infanterie-Regiment Nr. 92
2. Kompanie: Preußische Fliegertruppe
3. Kompanie: 10. Rheinisches Infanterie-Regiment Nr. 161
4. Kompanie: Braunschweigisches Infanterie-Regiment Nr. 92
5. Kompanie: 2. Kurhessisches Infanterie-Regiment Nr. 82
6. Kompanie: 2. Unter-Elsässisches Infanterie-Regiment Nr. 137
7. Kompanie: 8. Westfälisches Infanterie-Regiment "Herzog Ferdinand von Braunschweig" Nr. 57
8. Kompanie: 3. Ober-Elsässiches Infanterie-Regiment Nr. 172
9. Kompanie: Hannoversches Jäger-Bataillon Nr. 10
10. Kompanie: 7. Westfälisches Infanterie-Regiment "Vogel von Falkenstein" Nr. 56
11. Kompanie: Rheinisches Jäger-Bataillon Nr. 8
12. Kompanie: Hannoversches Jäger-Bataillon Nr. 10
13. Kompanie: 3. Lothringisches Infanterie-Regiment Nr. 135
14. Kompanie: 1. Unter-Elsässisches Infanterie-Regiment Nr. 132
15. Kompanie: 2. Hannoversches Infanterie-Regiment Nr. 77

I think this is on the Eickhorn blade:


Der 7. Komp. Reichswehr Inf. Regt. 17

TraditionsKomp. d. Inf. Regts. Herzog Ferdinand v. Braunschweig 8. Westf. Nr. 57

Als. Wanderschießpreis gestiftet von der vereing. ehem. 57er am 7. 3. 31



I hope soon, I will know for sure.

The Carl Eickhorn Nr. 1456 Hirschfanger arrived yesterday afternoon 09/14/2023 from Wyoming. The Renaissance wax arrived later that evening and I put a little on the blade.

The inscription on the blade it was I thought it was. Der 7. Kompanie Reichswehr Inf. Regt. 17 was known as Der Inf Regts. Herzog Ferdinand von Braunschweig 8. Westf. Nr. 57.

This military shooting prize was "Gestiftet von der Vereing. Ehem. 57er am 7. 3. 31." (donated by the organization formerly 57er on 7 March 1931). Wotan can probably correct my rough translation.

Size overall is 19 5/8" with a 13" blade and the dagger is 19" in length.

Could someone please tell me what leather frog and portepee was used on this military shooting prize?

Wow, looks great! Wish I would have known about it lol

Another Carl Eickhorn Nr. 1456 Hirschfanger was sold on 23 Sep. 2023 for $921.00 with 24 bids. This Hirschfanger was sold from Reno, Nevada on the popular auction site.

The Carl Eickhorn Nr. 1456 Hirschfanger that was sold, looks to be identical to the example posted above by Foxart on 06/11/2010, this example sold on 23 Sep. 2023, has the same clam shell with dark patina and the same "back-to-back" Carl Eickhorn maker's mark squirrels on the tang.

The sheath has two large creases on the front about mid-way.

This time I came in 2nd place with a bid of $911.00 and 3rd place was a bid of $696.00.

As with most Eickhorn Forestry patterns they can come with the plainer lower scabbard mount or the more deluxe, you have a very nice Military themed shooting award forestry style hirschfänger in a silver finish which was not common at any time.

Gary

Thank you for your comments, Gary, I was hoping to know what you thought, and your experience is well noted.

My thanks to James, Mikee, Wotan for the "Congratulations".

This Carl Eickhorn Nr. 1456, dated 7 March 1931 has the Carl Eickhorn "Triple-Oval" maker's mark.

There is the numeral "57" under the monogram on the clam shell. Today I took 2 more pictures for better details.


Regards, Calvin