Germany, Luftwaffe. An Officer’s Dagger, First Pattern, by Alcoso

(Luftwaffe Offiziersdolch). A well-preserved, first pattern Luftwaffe Officer’s dagger, measuring 49 cm in total length when inserted into the scabbard. It features a 31 cm-long nickel-plated magnetic steel blade with a sharpened tip and edges. The pristine blade is maker marked on the reverse ricasso “ALCOSO, SOLINGEN”, for the former firm of Alexander Coppel, circumscribing its classic scale logo. The blade sits firmly within a nickel-plated alloy crossguard in the form of downward-sloped stylized wings, inset in the centre of both the obverse and reverse with gilded sunwheel-style mobile swastikas. The handle grip is composed of a gently curved wooden core, lined on the exterior with ribbed dark blue Moroccan leather. The ribbing retains an intact twisted and rolled bronze wire cord. It completes with a flattened and rounded pommel, bearing double-sided, gilded, sunwheel-style mobile swastika, screwing in to maintain the dagger’s structural integrity. It is accompanied by its original scabbard, constructed of a magnetic metal shaft lined on the exterior with dark blue Moroccan leather. Nickel-plated magnetic metal fixtures are riveted in place at the tip, mid-section, and throat. Emanating from the latter two are integral loops which retain an aluminum chain that culminates in a functional spring clip for uniform suspension. The clip is maker marked with the logo of Overhoff & Cie, Lüdenscheid. The throat retains a functional spring clip to firmly hold the dagger in place during storage. Minor material fatigue and loss of finish is visible to the leather and nickel-plated elements of both the dagger and scabbard, but the set demonstrates no damage or other issues and is in an overall near extremely fine condition.