UBB.threads Forums Edged Weapons Army, Navy, and Luftwaffe Forum Navy dagger for opinions

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Hello, what I see in these pics is a period WKC navy dagger with hammered scabbard and dolphin etching. Portepee seems original to this piece. Like the engraved eyelets which, due to my personal experience, fit to an etched blade, the same with the hammered scabbard tip (those without engraving and hammered scabard tip have an unetched blade - which imho some few collectors without proper experience like to classify as postwar).
The scabbard has some small bumps but is still in good collectible condition. Blade is VERY nice.
Regards,

Hi Paul as Wotan states a period dirk cheers and best, Ryan

The whole thing is silvered?

Looks like a beautiful Navy dagger. Could this be an administrative dagger?

That's my question...

That would be my guess Paul. This is one of the very few times I respectfully disagree with Wotan, my sense is the knot looks more recently added than 1945.

I suppose one has to accept that naval administration daggers were produced Is there any period reference to support this? Regards, Ryan

Hello, sorry for my late reaction, have been absent. I did not and do not recognize any silvering in these pics. For me it is just a kind of light due to the direction of photographing. Paul you have it in your hands.IF there is any real silvering it was -due to my experience- for sure done postwar. Although again and again there is a rumour about navy administrative dagers with silver finish there is not the least period hint to such a beast. Keep in mind that these daggers were "duty" equipment (although sometimes bought and owned by the wearer) which could not be altered due to personal taste! Imagine somebody would let engrave or nickle his duty M16......
The certain navy branch was declared by the uniform and the hangers, the dagger always (until the very few cases of official honor daggers) stayed the same. Equal to army generals where the uniform and the hangers did show the high rank, the dagger stayed the same "simple silvered" one.

@ Billy G, when we look at the portepee it has wear exactly on all the proper positions. If it has been already on a dagger and was honestly worn, as we see, it is nearly impossible to open the knot and bind it this way on another dagger. BUT it might have been taken from an opened dagger (the portepee still "bound" - and reattached on this, in this state "open", dagger). The knot looks a little loose so you could quite be right that it has not been on this dagger since WWII.

Regards,

Wotan,

I do recognize that there is some fraying in the key points but the overall knot appears, to me anyway, to be slack a bit. I’ve been able to reattach slightly worn knots to daggers to mimic where the spots typically are. Not easy I admit and I’ve only done it with Army daggers but I’m sure it can be done. Such are the things hobbyists do with their free time.

So I did some research and did talk to Witty. His opinion is that most of these "silver" dagger are actually zincers that have lost their finish. This one is not zinc rather all brass. So when was the silvering done? The thing with this one is all the wear is right and consistent with period wear. My feeling is that the silvering was done after purchase by the original owner. Interesting the things that still show up. Warm regards to you all and as always thanks for sharing your knowledge so freely.

Paul, IF (and I do question this very strongly) the dagger has been silvered by the original WEARER it for sure was done POSTWAR. By no means he could wear such a dagger between 33 and may 45! The theory of TTW is imho quite right, not to forget that late scabbards by EICKHORN also were done in steel and also did loose their brass color easily. And EICKHORN did late dagger fittings in zinc too.
As already stated, there is not the least period hint of existance of such a beast during 33- may 45.

Regards,

Thanks for that.

There is a story in Germany about "Silberlinge" Marine Dolche.
These marine dagger appear to be silver coloured.
I have owned one of these in the past and the maker is Krebs.
Krebs has made these dagger in Nickelsilver, and gilded them.
When the gilding has significant wear or even ran off completely these daggers turn into silver.
Closes to what a silver coloured marine can look like imo.

Ger