Jim,
I have avoided comment on your sword for one simple reason. I have no proof of what I am about to say...but I will say it anyway since you ask for candor concerning this sword.
*There are other examples of this very distinctive etching style. Look on page 240-241 of Angolia's "Swords of Germany." There you will see a couple of swords with this same very distinctive oak leaf etch. They also have the equally distinctive etched initials on the ricasso that are usually associated with what have come to be called the Dachau Forge or Paul Muller swords. One of the swords on page 241 has an undistinguishable maker stamp that is not PMD or L�neschloss (PDL). This is a big red flag for me. In fact, these pictured swords raised questions when I first saw them in the 1988 book. My question now is why is this same etch seen on SS swords by three different makers?
*The sword that you show seems to be made of original bits and pieces, but not those normally associated with the Dachau Forge. Perhaps not associated with PDL, who is not known to have made this style of sword. Another red flag. The sword itself (apart from the etched blade) appears to be made of original parts from what I can see of the photographs and I trust your judgement in describing the period wear. If you have Hannibal's sword, but it has had a couple of replacement blades and a new hilt, is it original? Is it still the sword of Hannibal?
*I suspect you are absolutly correct that if you put a Krebs blade on this sword it would be accepted as original. It might in fact be an original Krebs sword. But if this is true, why does it have a distinctively etched PDL marked blade?
*Peter Daniel L�neschloss most certainly made edged weapons before and during the Third Reich. I have a very nice Hunting Association Cutlass with the PDL in oval marking that is as original as the Imperial swords you mention. The fact is that quite a few fakes were made in the 1960s and 1970s using his helmet marking that is seen on your sword blade. This particular marking is another red flag for me. Not so much that it is a PDL piece, but the style of marking (which might even be correct for a dagger - but that is another subject entirely) seen on your sword blade.
Jim, my gut feeling is that the sword is probably an original sword with an enhanced blade. Frankly, Paul Muller made/assembled so many swords after the war that I am unable to sort out which ones are "of the period" or are "postwar assembled." So, being associated with Dachau Forge examples is certanly not a plus IMHO. What seems to be obvious is that the same hand etched all these blades. When were they etched and when were they assembled is the real question. If they were etched at Dachau, for instance, why is this etching found on blades of other manufacture? I am afraid that my candid opinion is that this blade etching is postwar and was not done in 1942.
I hope this discussion is helpful.
George
