Germany, Kriegsmarine. A First Pattern Officer’s Dress Dagger

(Kriegsmarine Dolch für Offizier, 1. Modell). A very well-preserved first pattern Kriegsmarine Officer’s dress dagger, measuring 40.5 cm in total length when inserted into the scabbard. It features a 25 cm-long, nickel-plated, magnetic steel blade with a sharpened tip and edges. Dual narrow fullers extend approximately two-thirds of the length of each side of the blade. Unmarked, it sits securely within a gilded bronze crossguard, bearing double-sided central fouled anchors, with the seam covered by an intact brown leather buffer pad. The handle grip is composed of a single piece of ribbed lacquered black wood, with the ribbing retaining a twisted and rolled bronze wire cord. It completes with a gilded bronze pommel which takes the form of a flaming ball, screwing in to maintain the dagger’s structural integrity. The dagger is accompanied by its original scabbard, constructed of a gilded bronze shaft with etched designs distributed around the outer circumference. The upper third of the shaft has two integral rope bands with loops for the accommodation of a hanger. The throat retains a functional catch which meets a clip on the blade’s ricasso to firmly hold the dagger in place during storage. Minor issues consistent with age and wear are evident, and include faint running marks to the blade, slight tarnishing of the bronze elements, and a gentle bend visible to the scabbard shaft. The dagger remains in a near extremely fine condition.