UBB.threads Forums Edged Weapons HJ Edged Weapons Forum Early Eickhorn HJ Leaders

I am trying to assemble photos of the various initial issues of the HJ Leader by Eickhorn. So, if you have an HJ Leader with the 1935-41 trademark (no RZM M7/66 marks please), please contact me concerning construction and blade finish. There are several and I am trying to put together an article for reference. Photos would be helpful also.
Ron Weinand, relic@warrelic.com

NO ONE HAS ONE?

Only HJ Leaders I've seen by Eickhorn are the M7/66 marked. Do you have photos of a good one?

Vern:

I owned this one up to about a month ago.

I wonder where it is now?

John

Wonderful, I love it.

Very nice! Never saw one with a maker's mark before. Is it early production? Soft scabbard? I noticed the seam on the back of the scabbard similar to the early 55 cm DLV and transitional 1st Lufts, along with the screws in the scabbard fittings.

I first discovered this very dagger in Springfield Il in the hands of the veteran's daughter and could not get it away from her. Then, many years later, Jason Burmeister's crew ran across her again and tried to buy it, but couldn't and the crew managed to get her phone number and Jason made arrangements to buy it and subsequently sold it to John. After a while, we decided to enhance each others collections: I gave up my eagle head shooting prize bayonet and my honor hilt engraved shooting prize bayonet and get the HJ Leader in return. It has the Eickhorn TM and soft leather scabbard with screw on fittings (which I believe are silver)and a screw on pommel like and army dagger. Natural finish blade, not plated. Shows minor wear, but its a beauty. I have seen other ones with screw on pommels and natural finish blades with the Eick TM, but this is the only soft scabbard. So I'd like to assemble the photos of all of these early Eickhorn types for a reference flyer or book. Help appreciated.

Interesting, that at least the scabbard eagle, the blade etching and the leather washer (naturally beside the whole scabbard construction) are so totally different to what we know from other EICKHORN HYleaders.
I do have three early EICKHORNs with the squirrel trademark in my files (never did own one) two with the TM the other way round and the one shown here which has the TM this way.
Regards,

Yes this is an interesting dagger. Notice the pommel assembly method? No brads rather it's solid and screws on.

I have an Eickhorn HJ Leader and it has a screw on pommel. The Horster HJ Leader uses brads but I believe all Eickhorns use the screw on type pommel, at least all I have ever disassembled did

I never did dissemble it... too chicken, I guess.

Even with my Luft2s, only if the pommel unscrews very easily.

John

I unscrewed the pommel when it was in the vet's daughter's hands in the early 1980s when it first surfaced, but didn't take it completely apart as I did not own it. I have seen three different varieties of this trademark type, but this is the only one with this style scabbard. The other two had solid body types.
These unplated blade types with the 1935 - 41 trademark must have only been made in the initial run in late 1937 or early 1938.
This is why I want to see how many are out there and what the construction is.