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Hi,
I’m new here but some of you might know me from The Honor Ring forum where I have been a member for several years. I collect Third Reich rings, however, I know nothing about knives and swords. I live in Switzerland and a friend of mine here owns this Hirschfanger. He would like to know if it’s real or not. He speaks no English so I promised to post it on one or two fora and seek expert opinions.
Regarding the Hirschfanger, there are no stamps or maker’s marks as far as I can tell. It and its scabbard are in very good condition. According to my friend, it is at least 50 years old. Question is, is it a genuine Third Reich item?
The blade is inscribed on either side. One side is engraved with the words: ‘Wer nicht hat freud am blanken Swert / Am Falkenflug / Am stolzen Pferd / Am Schoenen Weiss / Der hat kein richtig Herz im Leib’ (He who does not rejoice in the naked sword / In the flight of the falcon / In the proud horse / In the beautiful white / Has no real heart in his body).
The other side is engraved with: ‘Erich Hartmann, zur Erinnerung an den 29.10.1943’. Hartmann, as you may know, was the top-scoring Luftwaffe fighter pilot in WW2. On one side of his name is the engraved signature of Hermann Goering and, on the other, a couple of bronze-coloured oak leaves.
Interested to learn what you guys think. I can post additional photos if required. Many thanks in advance.
Stephen
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