Gentlemen,
I do perfectly understand that most collectors of German daggers are interested in TR daggers. There are still many available, so it makes sense to collect them. To collect just rare or unique artefacts would probably result in a single collection, but we would not have many collectors.
However from time to time I dare to interrupt the stream of daggers here with something special, mostly Imperial naval daggers or German Auto-Corps or Aero-Corps daggers. Today I would like to show you a few pics of a rare bird.
The seldom seen curved naval daggers from the mid of the 19th Century were worn by few sea officers. Instead of a dagger with two sharp edges it's more a small sabre.
This style was influenced by weapons from the Near East and in fashion in the French and British navy. Surviving examples from the British or French are scarce, Prussian curved daggers are just a few in existence. Such a weapon with an engraving relating to the famous Prussian ship Amazone
click is unique worldwide and a center piece of any advanced collection of German military dress daggers.
The inscription was written in the 'Kurrent' script, an early German writing.
S. Lt. Heiner L�tjens
a. Amazone
Second Lieutenant Heiner L�tjens
on Amazone
Unfortunately my earliest rank list dates from 1862, one year after the sinking of Amazone, so Lieutenant L�tjens is not listed anymore.
I've added a photo (!) of the SMS Amazone and an officer from Schleswig Holstein wearing a very similar curved dagger.
Thanks for looking.
Best;
Hermann
