UBB.threads Forums Edged Weapons German Sword & Miniatures Forum help with silver hilt sword id/info

i have a silver hilt wkc sword in excellent
condition.sheath about 85%.
would some be kind enough to id branch of
service(early ss, heer ?)no other markings.
source is ioo% reliable without question.
also what is estimated value?
thnk you rhj

That's a "toughie." Many experienced, knowledgeable collectors attribute these to the SS. No doubt many silver-hilted sabers were owned by SS members. There are more than a few around with runes on them, SS dedications, etc. Some believe other organizations may also have used silver-hilted sabers. Some also believe they were simply an option the purchaser had over gold-finished models. My personal opinion is most were intended for SS purchasers. Some manufacturers listed specific SS models with silver hilts in their catalogs, WKC being one of them. It's difficult to tell from the photo which WKC model the sword is, but it looks like a model 1059. A clear shot of the eagle would help. As to value, again, it's hard to say. I have seen them advertised in the $4000 to $5000 range, more, if they are SS marked somehow. I have also seen them in the $2500 range, which is more realistic, in most cases. However, they do not appear to always sell that well, so an appreciably lower range ($1200 to $1500) may be better for a quick sale.

here is photo of silver hilt eagle
grumpy: thank you for your knowledge
and help. rhj

You are quite welcome. Yes, it is a Model 1059 and a beautiful example. The earlier SS sabers seem to have been made without the national emblem. An excellent example is the Alcoso 113. The earlier silver-hilted examples mostly carry a cavalry motif. Probably about the time the SS honor degen came into being, or slightly before, the silver-hilted sabers with the national emblem (eagle) appeared. The silver-hilted sabers were probably made to accommodate SS officers who did not receive the degen, which was awarded. Some may have been worn, to some degree, as "everyday" swords by some degen recipients. Since there are relatively few silver-hilted sabers to be found, it would appear the early SS military groups and the Waffen-SS used the gold-hilted sabers in order to conform with the sabers of the army and navy.