Hi there - i recently picked up this Holler up and was wondering had any insights into what appears to be a variant or perhaps interwar sword. It looks to be a Holler number 8 (no maker mark but definitely a Holler lion head) but it has a silver scabbard which doesn't look like its been stripped back from black. Also the handguard is missing the Nr8's most salient feature, namely the national symbol with the eagle. So has anyone seen this variant before?? is it a different model? i have checked my reference books and i don't have a period Holler catalogue to compare to so any help gratefully appreciated.

Your sword appears to be a composite. It has the guard of the Holler Nr.7 which does not have the eagle/swas. It has the backstrap and pommel of the Nr.8 or Nr.4 it seems. The ferrule is different than is shown on any Holler sword in the catalog. The nickeled scabbard is either from the time of the Weimar Republic or typically designed for a Verein sword.

Wether this was assembled like this at the factory or later to deceive is hard to say.

I hope this is helpful.

Hello,
That is a strange beast indeed ... 12 gripwire Vs 11 for the N7 model ... so we can assume that is basically a a N8 that had the P-guard switched for a N7 ...
Period or not, we will probably never know but that is still a good looking piece !
Congrats
K.

thanks for the feedback on this one. I have ad a closer look at the top of the lionshead and you can see a crack in the tang which may indicate tom foolery!