I recently added this huge and handsome gala hirschfänger to my small collection of hunting swords, and hope some of the forumites here might be able to tell me more about it. (Please excuse my lousy photography.)

The blade is etched with the name P. Küll on one side of the ricasso and Solingen on the other. Various internet sources say that Peter Küll ran his business from 1820-1845 and was known to use either his written name, a stamp depicting a stylized skull, or the capital letter K to mark blades that had passed through his hands. Brothers Gustav and August Küll assumed control of the business in 1845 and, sometime in the 1855-1860 period, the brand passed to the Friedrich Neeff & Söhne company.

The 21-inch blued and gilt blade is unfullered and the etchings depict stands of arms, various vegetal motifs, and a hunting dog in mid-leap.

The gilt hilt is a massive six inches in length, and the grip scales are ivory. I have seen this same hilt mounted on both non-gala blades and on hunting daggers in the "Bavarian" section of a well-known US-based hirschfänger dealer's website (send me a PM if you want links to these), but whether the hilt form is truly associated with Bavaria is unknown to me.

The scabbard is relatively plain, featuring a gilt brass throat and a recess for a side knife, which sadly is absent. The scabbard chape is also AWOL, but the scabbard leather has retained the imprint of the chape's decorative edge. I think it would be possible to recreate the chape very accurately, though I don't possess such skills. If anyone knows of a craftsman who does that sort of thing, I'd be happy to have their contact information.

I'd be interested in your thoughts and opinions about this hirschfänger. Thanks in advance.

[Linked Image]

Last edited by Schnabeltier; 08/15/2021 06:20 PM.