Gentleman, For my next question, -- How many of you who own SS officer swords have a sword that slips in and out of the scabbard without any tension? In other words, if you turned the sword up-side-down, it would fall out. This is due to the wood slats shrinking over the years and no longer pressing on the blade. If loose, have you left the sword/scabbard as is, or have you taken the scabbard apart and tried to fix this problem. If the sword is loose in the scabbard, do you think this effects the $ value in any way?

Thule: If the sword slides out upside down but doesn't rattle inside the scabbard I would leave it as is. It it rattles around it should be fixed. To replace the slats all you need to do is remove the upper scabbard fitting and a one inch long steel sleeve That holds the slats in place. If you have a rifle cleaning kit run the cleaning brush down to ensure that no residue (whatever) is left before installing the new slats. If you want to make your own slats buy a roll of one inch wide edge trim in a lumber store.

Thule, a great question and I am interested in the answers. Mvogel, just wondering why you would replace the slats if the sword rattles. Any particular reason? I'm not questioning your knowledge (never!), just wondering about your rationale. And do you think it decreases the value?

There might be some misunderstanding here. No offense meant, but I'm not asking how to fix the problem (I have done it before). I'm asking if other collectors have found this to be very common and 1. Have they decided to fix the problem, or leave as is? 2. Does anyone think the looseness affects the total value of the sword? (I for one have passed up a few swords at the MAX Show because the sword practicly fell out of the scabbard).

MaxR: The reason why I suggested a change of the slats is that from experience the blades rattles when the original slats are damaged or shredded and the blade makes contact with the steel shell. Thus, when the slats are damaged they should be replaced.

Thule: The value may depend on the degree of looseness. But most importantly, this depends on the perception of the buyer. If he considers this to be a big problem (purist extremist) he might be afraid to spend the money. At any rate, if there is something 'wrong' or perceived to be wrong with the sword, particularly an SS sword that involves big bucks, it is always better to fix any problems that may raise questions. So if you want to sell the sword without having to make excuses for any deficiencies it is best to replace the slats. A blade sliding in and out of scabbard smoothly always makes a positive impression on a buyer.

Thanks for the info, Mvogel. I would rather have a sword sleeping soundly in its scabbard than touching the metal shell. Makes sense now that I think about it.

I believe it wouldn't effect the value but, might hurt a sale. A lot of buyers would think the scabbard had been swapped and the sound of your degen hitting the floor when they pick it up wrong is not good.

If the sword and scabbard appear to go together otherwise, I would probably buy one that is loose and replace the slats. Sometimes, you can use the original slats by reversing them. I agree it is a "turn-off" to many, who would probably pass on such a sword. I once bought a "parts sword" that was advertised as such because of a loose scabbard fit. It was bargain-priced because of the "flaw." When I received it, I found one of the slats had worked loose. I just reattached it and it was fine. It is an early SS officer's sword which I still own.