UBB.threads Forums Edged Weapons Army, Navy, and Luftwaffe Forum First Post - Intro with my Luftwaffe dagger

Hi Everyone. I'm new to the forum having just found it while doing research on my dagger. I thought I'd post some pics of it and get your thoughts. Thanks!

Here are a few more pics.

Great dagger and discussed sedom seen hangers thanks for posting nice ensemble totally original to include rare style hangers/straps cheers and best, Ryan

Can't go wrong with that dagger, quality maker and very nice accoutrements, very good start.

Gary

Hi Bruce, and welcome to GDC.

As Baz says, you can't go wrong with that one and it would be hard to upgrade.

Dave

Hello brucef, welcome to the forum! You show us here a nice second Model Luft dagger from the prestigious firm WEYERSBERG. They did produce a lot of edged weapons for the german Luftwaffe (eg. daggers 1st and 2nd model, swords, Fallschirmkappmesser), It has a socalled "Abnahmestempel" next to the trademark on the blade which is the sign that this certain dager had been delivered directly through Luftwaffe distribution channels. The hangers are special and sometimes discussed (because of the rivets) but in my personal opinion absolutely period. Together with the portepee and the dagger a very impressive group. The dagger is in remarkable good condition, the scabbard coating shows nearly no traces of wear or age.
Regards,

Thank you all for the comments. As I learn more about this dagger, I realize that I totally lucked out with beginners luck on the purchase. I do feel the dagger is special and I do have a few more questions if you all wouldn't mind helping me out more. I've been reading alot about these daggers, and have watched a few Wittmann videos, all of which show me that this is not a parts dagger (which I thought it might be given the low price I paid at auction). But the hanger has also concerned me, with the lack of felt on the backside, I wondered if it was a reproduction.

You've said the hanger is more rare/special. Can you tell me why?

Is there anyway to approximate the date of production?

Also, based on Wittmans video, I think the blade is nickel plated, and the scabbard is silver plated. Is that correct?

thank you!
bruce

I can only say that it seem to be always a luck if you get a good, original, homogeneous dagger today.
The hangers are of late poduction. There IS a backing material, not the more common velvet material but a kind of woven linen. In the pic the front material (kind of "brocade") is marked within the arrows, beside, in marked cercles, the backing material shows up. Together with the rivets these hangers are looked at as uncommon.
Hangers with this configuration had been looked at as reproductions for a long time but getting more to know, when such hangers did come from families of a former wearer or as you like to say from veterans, the collectorship did accept them as period produced.
I personally am not able to tell you when this dagger had been produced. Some makers with their during the years differing maker marks might be dated, but WEYERSBERG was none of them. So the timeframe for this dagger can be from starting of the 2nd model luft dagger until end of dagger production. As it lookes to be in nice nearly unworn condition and the hangers are of late production (IF they were always with this dagger) I would assume the rig was produced early in the 40ies.
The blade really looks nickled as it comes often (always?) with WEYERSBERG´s luft daggers. The scabbard is NOT silver plated, it is a special coating (perhaps phosphating) to resemble the color of the Luftwaffe mostly used by all producers. Real silver plated scabbards were an expensive extra treat to be ordered before the dagger was bought, have a certain look and are seldom to be seen.
Regards,

Bruce,

Very nice dagger, thanks for showing it and hope you find many more.


wotan,

Thanks for the info I like learning something new. I saw a pair of hangers like this but wasn't sure about them.

That's a very good looking dagger, and I like the late-war ersatz hangers, they look a lot like the ones I have.