I picked this Navy Dagger up at a local auction for next to nothing. I think 10.00 was the price. What do you think real or not. I have seen some old pot metal crack like this pommel. Has anyone seen a dagger do this?

Mikebiker,
I have never seen a pommel do this but the cheap pot metal fittings are consistent with the late Eickhorn trademark. IMO the dagger is genuine but a very late, last ditch piece when brass was substituted for ersatz materials. You probably have noted that the blade, buffer pad plate and release button or all of the highest quality suggesting use of existing stockpiles of materials. I have also seen this finish on late navies....almost like paint.

I have a horster that is like this the pommel has split in half nearly

I have seen pot metal fittings with stress fractures but I have never seen an Eickhorn with such
a lousy pommel. Yes, the materials used were inferior but this pommel has most of the gold finish
(whatever that may be) remaining and has not had significant wear but the detail is lousy.

Here is a pot metal pommel from ACS (Alcoso). It is not a great picture but it is very evident
that there is no comparison! IMO that pommel never left the Eickhorn factory gate.
I do agree that the blade looks like it may be ok; & if it should prove to be I can offer no explanation
other than the possibility that the dagger was assembled post war for the G I souvenir market
- (or later) - for whatever reason. For ten bucks I guess its a deal. Just trying to be constructive
in my critisism.

I like old looking things so I kind of like the look,it sure gives it an antique look. Never seen this happen before.

I really have no explanations except to say both of these came from the same lot at an auction and must have been stored under the same conditions to allow both pot metal pommels to crack in such a way. It may have been from extreme heat in an attic over many years.

I agree that it's unusual to see late Eicks with such a poor pommel, but this looks to be a typical last model period Eickhorn. These usually have the same characteristics, the inverted logo, it faces the hilt, potmetal fittings with either a gold lacquer or paint and a steel based scabbard with the same gold wash. Usually the Eickhorns don't break apart like this one, but I think this one is period, just the last to leave their gates...

Red

eick2

eick3

Here's mine

Cor blimey! They are bad! they look to have gone in the same place. An alloy of dissimilar metals that do not bond on a molecular level. It does look like Red`s has reasonable detail even though it is breaking apart. Mikebiker`s does not have the detail one would expect but you guys may be right and it is original but just very poorly finished.

Possibly the thread wasn't tapped quite deep enough and the pommel was forced that extra bit to get it to line up thereby stressing the casting which overtime has become too much for the pot metal hence the fracturing/cracks