Gentlemen,
during my holidays in Cannes at the Cote d�Azur I was able to obtain an original dagger in the city of Nice, France.
This dagger is a perfect example to explain, what collectors should look for, imho.
First of all there is the most important thing which can�t be reproduced, true age and patina. Please notice that a certain amount of the original fire-gild has been rubbed off over the fittings and the scabbard.
On the reverse between the two hanging rings the entire fire gild has been gone because this is the place where the dagger rubbed against the uniform trouser when the dagger was carried.
Scabbard shows some dents, sometimes caused by car doors.
Blade is still in nice condition, one of the points a collector should always appreciate � the blade is the most important thing when we are looking on an edged weapon. Untouched tip, the blade etching still crisp and sharp with the original background frosting. Touching the etching with your fingernails will get you a feeling how sharp and accurate those etchings should be.
Maker mark dates this dagger to a period from around 1935 to 1941, this is not a replacement pommel, so this dagger was made between 1938 and 1941, personally my guess would be just before the war broke out.
The pommel is typical for Eickhorn, the eagle a little bit bigger and taller, the swastika lies deep inside the leaves.
Looking at the scabbard one can easily spot the oak leaves with those uneven edges, one of the signs so typically for Eickhorn.
The silver bullion Portep�e shows true wear and patina, it�s on this dagger since WW2. One can�t replace it w/o leaving any traces. The strap follows so nicely the shape of the Celluloid over wood grip, that�s what we want.
Screws are untouched having the correct dome shape for Eickhorn, both points are important to us.
Grip is Celluloid over a wooden core, exactly what we would expect.
Former wearer was Heinrich Hubert F�rster, he was born August 9, 1898 and entered the Imperial Navy in 1916. He survived the Great War as an officer and served in the Weimar Navy until 1925. Re-activated when the Second World War broke out, he became commander of the Kriegsmarine harbour in Nice, at the Cote d�Azur in France in August 1943. He left the base when Allied troops landed in the South, escaping to the North, leaving some parts of his uniform and the dagger in the house of the French family. He survived the war and died in 1953.
Further researches are on the way.
The dagger was published in a German collectors reference put together by Ralf Siegert, together with the summer tunic of Korvettenkapit�n F�rster.
I would be happy if the fellow members here would add some points and all comments are appreciated.
Thanks for looking.
Regards;
Flyingdutchman
