I've been collecting for 6 years now. At first I bought every german dagger I could get my hands on, SA, NSKK, Rad, DLV, DRK, you name it. Over the last few years I concentrated on Navy, Army and Luftwaffe daggers, with a special interest for early slant gripped heer daggers the last year or so. Last week I took the time to put all my navy daggers together and took some pictures. It's facinating how many different types there are. I realize I only have a small part of all the variations that exist but I enjoy them alot. I thought I'd share my pictures with you. Enjoy.

Danny

...

...

...

Last one

Very nice!! No wonder i cant find a nice navy dagger.You bought them all.

Very nice,navy daggers

Superb, I used to think I had a lot of these but never this many and such a variation - well done !

Superb collection well done I really love the hammered scabbards. I bet you have a few rare makers in that group?

Wow! I love those ivory grips.

John

Very nice collection!

Thanks for taking the time to share!

PVON

Beautiful, just beautiful, a fantastic collection and in only 6 years.!!!!

Stunning

Gary

Great grouping and variety. Got to love those Imperial daggers though.

That is a great collection of German navy daggers. Other than Tom Wittmanns, it is the best I have ever seen.

Thanks for showing

Dave

Outstanding collection. Your attention to detail and quality is evident in your great photos.

Never seen a photo with that many in one place. Wow!

Fantastic collection,thanks for showing it! Love the Imperials!

most impressive collection I've ever seen !!!! Those have been 6 very busy years.

beautiful collection-navies are great looking daggers. paul

I thank you all for your kind words. They are very much appreciated.

Danny

Just seen this WOW and WOW again superb collection and in that short period of time too.

Really nice thanks for sharing
tony

Here's my latetst addition to my navy collection. A nice imperial Eickhorn dagger with ivory grip and damascus blade.

Dr:

They just keep getting better and better!

John

dr73,

Where to start..?

... great job putting together this collection of fine navy dirks, better than many museums.

Good photos of your latest addition, too, a textbook example. So nice to see the ivory in this prime, toned and well cared-for condition. A good ivory grip lends so much to the visual impact of these elegant imperial weapons, a great contrast next to the dark-blue and gold-tressed naval dress uniform. Finished off with an ornamental, hand-forged steel blade, it's easy to see why you gents collect navy patterns, they're simply classic.

Much continued good luck!

Bill

Thanks for the nice comments guys.

Danny

Danny,

nice things you have there in your collection. Always great to see collectors interested in Imperial navies, keep on the good work.

Regards;
Hermann

you've cornered the market and driven up prices LOL.

very nice photos and well compositioned.

Thanks guys! Sorry for driving up the prices Spacey. I just couldn't resist these beauties

Danny

someday i wish i'll have a nice navy collection like yours.

I'd like to show you my latest addition to my naval collection. It's a kriegsmarine dagger by R. Klaas, a very rare maker for this type of dagger. The plane blade is really nice. I also like the worn and patinated look of the portepee.

Danny

World Klaas collection of navy daggers – The Klass is fantastic and as you said very rare especially in a non etched configuration.

Thanks for the kind words Tom. They are much appreciated.

Danny

Congrats on your dedicated hobby labor for acquiring such great examples of Navy daggers in just six years.

Here's my latest addition to the collection. A nice KM dagger by Eickhorn with a beautiful ivory grip.

Danny

dr73,

Where to start..?

... great job putting together this collection of fine navy dirks, better than many museums.

Good photos of your latest addition, too, a textbook example. So nice to see the ivory in this prime, toned and well cared-for condition. A good ivory grip lends so much to the visual impact of these elegant imperial weapons, a great contrast next to the dark-blue and gold-tressed naval dress uniform. Finished off with an ornamental, hand-forged steel blade, it's easy to see why you gents collect navy patterns, they're simply classic.

Much continued good luck!

Bill



I think Bill really said it!

Have to love the ivory and the Imperial beauties!

You have really done a fine job of putting together this collection!

Just blown away with the beautiful collection!

I love those dark handles also! Almost red!

Ea dagger needs to be photographed and talked about!

Its that special of a collection!But thats what happens
when you become the caretaker of such peices!

So many collectors would be glad to own 1 of these beauties!

PVON

World Class Collection !!! Absolutely the best !!!

What a great collection and thanks for taking the time to show us.

Thanks for the nice comments guys!

Danny

Hello Danny,
impressive collection on one type of dagger. How large is the daggers collection interest !
Abraço.
Frank

Danny
Not sure how you manage to ferret out these great pieces but you always seem to have a line on another great acquisition. Great collection and thank you for sharing it with us navy collectors. Your enthusiasm and dogged determination is infectious!

Rick

Great colllection

Frank, Rick and Frederik: thanks alot!

Danny

I finally found a navy dagger with a chased scabbard. It's a very nice example by Alcoso. The detail on the scabbard is great. Here are some pictures.

Danny

Some pictures of the blade with the nice sailing ship etch and the early Alcoso makermark.

Danny

Great looking Navy this piece exemplifies the quality of craftsmanship available during the period.

Danny

That etched blade by Alcoso with stunning chased scabbard
is a real beauty!

Thanks for sharing!

PVON

Ehen you see a chased scabbard, the others just fade away by comparison.

John

Outstanding John!


Chased daggers are the cream indeed!

Collectors should always get a good look as
they are almost always hidden in collections!

Thanks for showing!

PVON

Thanks guys, these chased scabbards are really something special. Even better in hand. John, yours is a very fine example too.

Danny

Outstanding collection, Danny! Words fail me!

Luke

very, very nice collection!
and in only 6 years!
congrats! I'm a little bit jealous :p i hope to own me ONE one day myself :p

I never knew there were this many!

Here are some pictures of my favourite imperial navy dagger.

Danny

...

Last one

I can see why this is one of your favourites.

John

Danny
Beautiful 1902 pattern piece. Just love those aged ivory grips, damascus blades and hand chased scabbards. What is harder for me to find are the Imperial era hangers. I have found two sets in 16 years. Thanks for sharing with us.
Rick

That Last Eickhorn is a Beauty ! What a collection !

Here are some pictures of my Ivory gripped Alcoso navy dagger.

Danny

Beautiful piece Danny. Looks like a M1929 but with 1938 "replacement" pommel?
Don't know how you manage to find so many nice daggers. Keep them coming for us mere mortals to enjoy.
Best, Rick

Danny,
Photos of one of my favorite Imperial Navy daggers. Max Dinger (marked M+D on blade tang) damascus blade. Small knight head WKC logo. Deluxe scabbard. About 90% original guilt remaining.
Cheers, Rick

Thanks for posting these great daggers Rick! Absolutely fantastic pieces! I love them all. I hope you will show these daggers individually on this forum one day.

Danny

Thanks Danny. Finally getting around to retirement and will have time during May to photograph and share them. Stay tuned.
I must ask however, you usually have a deal going. Any new acquisitions?
Kindest regards...Rick

Rick,
I have acquired some new pieces in the last few months but had no time to properly photograph them. Here's the last one I took some pictures of. Some others are still to come.

Danny

...

Danny,
Another spectacular piece you have acquired. I have never seen this scabbard style. In at least one of the current reference books the author claims that these scabbards were peened after application of the traditional motif indicating reuse and modification of existing stock. Obviously this is not the case. I also have one that indicates that the traditional tassel motif was added after the scabbard was peened.

The blade on your dagger has a really long ricasso similar to the 1919-1921 model blades. It is in fabulous condition. Any indication of the manufacturer? Great dagger!! Thanks for sharing.

Kindest regards, RIck

Hi Rick,
I have know idea who the maker could be. I believe the long ricasso can be explained by the fact that the blade was shortened to fit the delux scabbard. I was told this was quite common in the imperial period.
Here's one of my favourite imperial cadet daggers. I love the extremely long size of the blades.
Danny

Some more pictures.

Sorry,but I am thinking it is fake dagger.

1.The C.Eickhorn design scabbard is in combination with WKC mark on the blade.

2.The design of the pommel and the anchor on the crossquard are the little bit different than in the C.Eickhorn cataloque.

3.The remains of gilding in crossquard,pommel and scabbard hollows are absolute missing.

4.The blade is not damascus but artifical damascus (but it was possibly in imperial naval daggers).

regards.Sergiy.

Sorry,my post is particularly by the Dannys post in 07\19\13.

I don't know how I should respond to comments like this.

Danny

To refute just a little bit first item from my list.

Sergiy.

Sergy,
As experienced collectors know a line drawing in a catalogue is hardly the definition to use for identification. Please remember that variation is common during these times and uniformity and mass production was not a part of the process. These daggers show variation as they each are hand crafted by artisans and each one has variation. I honestly have never seen two alike in all of my collecting years.

1) This is a custom scabbard, not standard as shown in the catalogue. All makers offered this option and there are many, many variations. This is a topic in itself.
2) See opening comment
3) That is not what I see. Remainder of guilting is clearly evident.
4) Looks like damascus to me. What is it that makes you think otherwise?

Dealing with Imperial Navy daggers is not the same as Third Reich. There are many good references by Johnson, WIttmann and Hampe on Imperial Naval Edged weapons. It took me a great while to really learn this topic and I am still learning today, 15 years later. I suggest you handle as many genuine pieces as possible to get a feel for them.
Rick

Rick,

I don`t agree with you for all four points.I never do believe the WKC firm had to use the Eickhorn design with pommels,crossguards and scabbards produktions.Similarly we are to suppose the Daimler Chrysler used the BMW design or on the contrary.The legends about mutual useing fittings of COMPETITIVE firms-was a good calling of unfair dilers for growth of postwar daggers and part daggers retail.

About p.3. I don`t see the remains of gilding and laquer and dirt or grey scurf(setting) in the crossguard and scabbard holes as well after 100(!!!) years of living this dagger.Instead of this I may see the the pink hint of new brass item in the holes.

P.4.The distinctive feature of the true damasc steel is the absolutly different patterns on the different levels of blade thickness.In this dagger i see the lines are not interrupted in the jump from ricasso to edge.This is testify about not real "damast stahl".

This dagger was made "yesterday"(recently).

Regards Sergiy.

Sergiy,
Regarding your first comment, I do agree with you as to your point applying to the Kaiserzeit era and that there is no documentation that manufactures bought parts from one another. However, later in the late 1930-40s, there is documented evidence from factory records that indeed they filled orders for one another. Tom Johnson has documented this in his reference works.

Point 3, I think the lighting of the photo makes detail such as guilting difficult. The pink color could be a reflection of the copper flash coat that was applied prior to gold glutting. Quality daggers had a two step procedure. The wear patterns seem original to me.

Point 4. We simply have to respectfully agree to disagree. I understand your point but my all WKC damascus blades feature a similar trait.

In summary, I think this dagger is all original and I would be happy to buy one like it from you at any time.
Best, Rick

Rick

I wish you good luck in collecting!

Sergiy.

Likewise Sir. Cheers!

Rick, thanks for your detailed and clear explanation. It is highly appreciated.

Danny