UBB.threads Forums Edged Weapons Army, Navy, and Luftwaffe Forum Early J.A. Henckels Slant Grip Army

Tom,
Gorgeous piece and patina, the fittings are still very well defined and the intricate handwork is exquisite. The blade condition would not bother me personally in the slightest as this is a tough maker to find with the earliest Pack parts. I would hazard a guess that there is every possibility that yours and VB's where chiseled by the same hand.
As for the unique crossguard.....not for me, I think they all started out as 1st Packs and each company added their own artistic enhancements. Some to the extreme.
A trick that I still use today on daggers that have been heavily enhanced, disguising the origins of the base crossguard is to view it from about 3-4 foot away ( dependant on your eyesight ) so the enhancing does not affect your judgement....you will be suprised how often your first impression is the right one!.
Glorious dagger and one that I would have added in a heart beat,
Congrats.

p.s Is the tang numbered?