UBB.threads Forums Edged Weapons German Sword & Miniatures Forum Eickhorn Prinz Eugen sword and the SS: real or myth?

You probably also heard it before: "the favorite sword of SS-officers was the Eickhorn Prinz Eugen pattern". Some dealers even use this as a sales argument for selling this type of sword...

But is there any evidence to proof this theory?

Just a period photo with SS-officers wearing a Prinz Eugen is a bid meager, no?

Why would SS-officers even carry a Heer sword, they had their own SS-swords right?

Let me know what you think?

Best regards,

Herman

Hello Herman V, there are several errors, in the myth, and also in the question you asked. First dealers like to state and some collectors assume that the -Prinz Eugen- saber has been the favorite saber especially of leaders (officers) of the Prinz Eugen division which is hard to believe as the division was founded 1942 and therefore long after the sword has been introduced by EICKHORN and close to when the production of edged weapons became forbidden.

It is commonly said that there is a period photograph of an SSleader who is wearing the certain saber - and this concerns on a photograph shown in the Mollo series. Which CLEARLY is NO Prinz Eugen saber when you know how this saber really looks like in several differing directions and you know it s proportions and features.

You think wrong when you stated, that SSleaders did have their leaders degen ("SSswords") . The bestowal of the leaders degen of the SS had been chancelled at the beginning of the war (!), at this state even a lot of already existing leaders (officers) hat not got the leaders degen (see the DALs) and naturally there has been a large request for such edged weapons due to uniform regulations and the personal taste.

Now there have been three options: To buy a (beside the emblem) equally looking police officer s degen and to wear it in an unaltered way (I have several period pics which does proof that) or to alter the police degen by either turning the grip or even put a SSdisk in the grip (which has been forbidden but was done) and I again have several period wearing pics which do proof these facts.
They also could (obviusly in rare cases) buy a -by collectors- called SScandidate degen which is nothing more than a certain degen without ANY emblem - naturally I have also proof for this.
And finally they could wear one out of the mass of army lionhead (or dovehead or socalled Einheits-) sabers, either (mostly) silvered (which can be determined for sure if you check the color of the grip fittings to eg the color of the arm eagle, a death head or any silvered or gilded decoration) or still golden. A lot of period wearing pics does proof this.
To the last section there also belongs a wearing studio photograph I do own which shows an SSFahnenjunker of the standarte -Deutschland- wearing a steel helmet on the head and a pistol in holster on his right side of his hip and on the other side he truely wears a Prinz Eugen saber which CLEARLY can be see. This is the ONLY true photograph of an SSman wearing a Prinz Eugen that I know to exist and has never been shown in public. And one side note to some self appointed scientists who tell us that this could be "studio property": These who say or believe hat the photostudios could hold (each necessary) edged weapon at hand, especially those expensives like a Prinz Eugen saber do not have the least knowledge and experience on the history of these times.

I hope this helps, regards,


PS.: Nice PE you do show, I ll add a pic of mine.

Beautiful swords gentlemen.
The Lion Head might be the King of hilts, but the Prinz, is the king of crossguard Eagles. IMHO
Ed

Nice looking sword!!.
- guys, I'm not a blade guy so give me some leeway here!

So IF I understand correctly this sword has no Runics etc. on it anywhere?

Wotan, does yours have runics on the blade?

Is there a period advertisement for it where it is listed as SS sword?

thanks

wotan,

WOW! Still original wrapped. Can't get better than that!

Hello Gaspare, the Prinz Eugen (as ALL Prinz Eugen sabers) does not have runes anywhere. And so did almost all -other- (naturally exept the bestowed degens with the grip runes and the NCO degens with the rnes in the pommel) leaders long edged weapons as sabers. It was my longtime observation that 99,99% of (engraved or stamped) runes on lionshead sabers or doveheads or equal edged weapons are postwar -fake- added!!! I once have had a discussion about this fact with the late Ltc Johnson at a show and he gave me 100% right. I also do own a lot of period photographs with SSmen having lionshead sabers, not one has any runes visually. Even those which are hold in hands backwards. I have seen only one(!) case of a totally devasted lionshead saber, black patinated, which had obviously period engraved SSrunes on the backstap of the grip.

Mikee, ed773, thank you for your kind words. Ed773, the crossguard eagle is a true Casberg work of art.

Regards,

Wotan
Indeed it is.
Yours, engraved, factory wrapped, tagged, and a hilt bag, what can I say.
Thanks for showing.
Ed

Casberg through and through..

Regards,

A real beauty!
Didn't Casberg do the Feldherrenhalle Eagle also??
Another outstanding Eagle of the era.
Ed