UBB.threads Forums Edged Weapons German Sword & Miniatures Forum Damascus Sword on Ebay

Did anybody see this:

http://cgi.ebay.com/WW2-German-Army-EF-Horster-Damascus...QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

Somebody got to the seller, it's been pulled already. Interesting looking piece, I'm curious what some of the sword experts out there feel about it.

He had a Buy it now price of like $8900.I cant figure why it has the Waffenampt on the blade.No need to have an acceptance mark on there as it would not have gone through standard procedures as an issued sword,even though its a n Honor prize.

Just for Information: this sabre was shown in July in the WAF.
Regards,

Here's the WAF link, nearly all of the pics posted there are gone now. I didn't see the thread when it was active but I guess there wasn't a mention of the Waffenampt markings because no one commented on it.

http://www.wehrmacht-awards.com/forums/showthread.php?t=231254

I remember the waffenampt pic was shown on WAF but no-one picked up on it - it is a little strange

Jonathan

The waffenampt is absolutely correct as is the blued scabbard, both characteristic of these shooting prize swords.
This example is one of the finest conditioned examples I've seen. It is also one of the rarest because 1938 is the last year they presented them. It was also the only year they featured a Third Reich Hilt.

I would have to agree that it’s the finest example that I’ve seen also. Absolutely correct, the German Army/Wehrmacht Abnahmestempel means that the Heereswaffenamt inspected and passed the item, and that it was government purchase versus one by the officers or men. Part of a morale building process, the army seems to have discontinued at the same time buying swords altogether including the senior grade NCO ‘officer models’. The reason seems simple enough in that unlike the German Navy, and especially the Luftwaffe. The Army at that time was not focused on ceremonies as much as it was focused on training men for combat. FP

Thanks for the info, sounds like someone picked up a very nice and very rare sword !

Jonathan

What a wonderful sword !!

Thank you for posting this ebay link, Craig.
It goes to show that theres always something waiting to be discovered.

Cheers,
Ibrahim,
Singapore.

No problem

quote:

Originally posted by JONATHAN:
I remember the waffenampt pic was shown on WAF but no-one picked up on it - it is a little strange

Jonathan

Check post #12. The waffenamt is mentioned.


Tony

@ Craig: .

For me it is a pleasure to see some very interesting postings recently. Connected to the reappearance of some regrettable nearly lost (?) members. Anyway these threads do run and what kind of opinions are offered in a polite manner, I appreciate them very much and I can recognize a lot of other members do and think the same way!
And I also have to mention that I appreciate each contribution of one of our (imo) most experienced members Jason Burmeister!

Please, keep on.

Regards,

Jason is 100% right of course. I had one also. Mine was from 1936. Very rare swords, Official Heer presentations.
As you can see, my sword was also in fine condition, right out of the woodwork. Also, as you can see, the blade pattern on the earlier ones was different than the later ones and, as Jason says ,the eagle and swastika did not appear on the earlier ones.
Fine products, usually with triple TM's. by Horster.
I might add that one might think these swords are easily tken apart since they have spanners. Not so. There is a peened pin that runs clear through the hilt and blade preventing this. So--most of us wonder--what smith marks are on those tangs?? If any.

2

3

Craig,
Did you buy the saber? I noticed it was from Oceanside. Based on the sellers moniker, it's location, and the photo, I would surmize it's in your hands now. Is this correct?

PS- I need to swing "buy" your office soon. Are you still in Del Mar?

Tom

I was bidding on it at the $8,600.00 mark and was not done as it had 4 more days to go. I never saw the buy it now, as that would have been no problem. I guess I will have to find out what the price is now. Damast

I do not know who did what here, but I was a bidder also. This situation is like having a fellow grap a dagger or gun out of your hand at a show and buy it while you are negotiating a deal.When I made my bid I made a legallly binding contract and it is improper for the seller to cancel the auction and improper for a third person to interfere with the auction. Am I the only one who feels this way or do our rules of collecting etiquette (if there is such a thing) depend on how much money is involved? Just my opinion, FWIW, JOe S

Joe, when it comes to money, there's few individuals that have etiquettes and most are just very greedy.
Though very sad, it is today's reality and we have to live with it.

Many people would do anything just to make a quick buck.

I did not buy the sword either but if a sword has a "buy it now" option it is fair game to buy it in that way, which stops the auction. I recall the "buy it now" option but I thought that amount was too high. Apparently not so for someone.

It appears to be a nice presentation sword.

I agree that buy it now is fair game, but once a bid is entered for less than buy it now, the buy it now option dissappears, I believe, which is why it only appeared for a short time. Furthermore, when you buy it now, the auction is complete because the buyer is still the high bidder. In this case, the auction was teminated early as I understand it. Joe S

Joe S and Pat,

This was on my watch list and I planned to bid at the last minute. What a waste of time that was. The official ebay reason for ending the auction early :

quote:

The seller ended this listing early because the item is no longer available for sale.

Really? How about the real reason ... someone made the seller an offer he couldn't refuse. And the seller doesn't have to pay a hefty commission to ebay.

Regards,
Dane

A while back there were several threads on eBay tactics like last minute sniping and stuff like that. One tactic suggested was to offer the seller a big amount to end the auction .... thereby scooping the pot.

If eBay lets sellers terminate auctions at will that will continue to happen. Is it worse that sniping at the last minute ?

Dave

Fair? Ebay?-Those two don't make a match. It's dog eat dog especially now that you can't even see who's bidding.

I could not agree more Houston. In the past at least I knew who's toes I might step on and could bid accordingly.
This new 'bidder 1', 'bidder 27', etc., just ****s.

Mark

...like what you do thru a straw is what the **** was blocking out.

Mark

Edited for profanity, insults and flamming.

Tom, Check your email, please

Dave

Who bought the sword?

TOM

who?

-wagner-

quote:

Originally posted by Houston Coates:
Fair? Ebay?-Those two don't make a match. It's dog eat dog especially now that you can't even see who's bidding.

Agreed - ebay even makes motel buys look fair and reasonable these days.

You wont get an argument out of me about E-Bay rules, one of which allows a seller to cancel the sale for some very vague reasons, but E-Bay rules are really not the problem in this particular case. Joe S

Am I missing something here? Has nobody worked out that Craig seemed to be relating to a sword on eBay which he (himself) was selling.

Take a look at the images, and also of the photo of him and the customer. You can virtually see that it is the same sword.

Craig is playing games - and the sword might be suspect, but I will leave that issue for our sword experts.

FJS

Come on now. Craig bought the sword from the guy in the picture who had it for sale on Ebay. The sword is NOT suspect. That was a cheap shot Fred-and not a bit of truth to it either.

not a cheap shot.

The sword is without question orignal! Enough with this! As for Craig owning the sword. He does now but as of a few weeks ago he didn't. The seller and I attempted to work out a deal but he wouldn't set a price. He had just obtained it from a veterna source and wasn't sure what he had. In the end, he thougth Ebay was his best bet. I'm not sure how Craig convinced him to end the auction and sell him the sword but he did.

Don't stop posting on here Craig, I like your offerings and feedback.

So this sword is a fake ALSO ???????
COME ONE FRED , is this break down Craig time here or what ?????
This is really getting strange here , your breaking down perfectly good pieces .

OK, here is my view on this. I considered the possibility that the eBay trader called "usmcantiques" might very well be one of Craig's other trading names - especially as he was in the USMC, and I believe that he also trades in that area of collectable item.

It also appears that "usmcantiques" is in the same locality as Craig - although I acknowledge that could just be coincidental.

"usmcantiques" also posted the same images on the WAF site, although most of them have now been withdrawn.

If I am mistaken, and "usmcantiques" is NOT Craig, then I unreservedly apologise for tarnishing that eBayer's name.

Craig is not known for telling people where rare items might be found - especially if he is interested in the item himself. So, as usual, there was some hidden motive in putting that information up at the beginning of this thread.

How is it known that the individual shown with Craig, is in fact the seller of the sword? Is that Mr. "usmcantiques" himself? I do not recall that information appearing in this thread.

Everyone is entitled to an opinion about that sword, and I have mine. I do acknowledge that I base it only from the photographic evidence. I consider that the photos are clear enough to form some reasonable judgement, and I am sticking with mine unless I find convincing evidence to persuade me otherwise.

One feature which I find curious is the presence of the waffen-amt mark on such a de-luxe presentation damascus steel piece. It is not as if this is a standard "vorschrift-massige" ("according to regulations") blade which has been subjected to the ordnance tests.

Here we have something different. Yet it appears that the sword was "tested", and presumably passed as fit for service - and accordingly stamped. Then it is stripped down and the blade taken off for etching and dedicating, and gilding.

It appears to be that the gilding has been done after the blade was tested, as the gilding is in the recessed areas of the waffen-amt. Surely the testing of the blade should be performed after the blade had been completed, and not in the middle of the process?

I must state that I cannot ever recall seeing any other damascus blade Army Sabre that has been waffen-amt marked. Perhaps I have missed seeing it - maybe someone reading this thread has got one that they can show to us?

FJS

I hope Rob NL will have first shot at this sword, after everything he went through lately. It would also be nice to see it on display at the Max, but I am sure it will be sold by then.