Germany, Heer. An Officer’s Dagger

(Heer Offiziersdolch). A well-preserved Heer Officer’s dagger, measuring 39.5 cm in total length when inserted into the scabbard. It features a 26 cm-long, nickel-plated, magnetic steel blade with a sharpened tip and edges. Fully unmarked, the blade sits securely within a silvered alloy crossguard which bears a raised Wehrmacht eagle on the obverse, and with the seam covered by an intact black leather buffer pad. The handle grip is composed of a single piece of ribbed brown celluloid. It completes with a rounded and flattened pommel which bears raised oak leaves around the outer circumference, screwing in to maintain the dagger’s structural integrity. Accompanying the dagger is its period original scabbard, constructed of a pebbled magnetic metal shaft. The upper third of the shaft has two integral oak leaf bands retaining loops for the accommodation of a hanger. The throat retains a functional spring catch to firmly hold the dagger in place during storage, secured together with a single side rivet. Issues consistent with age and wear are evident, and include some running marks to the blade, loss of finish to the metal alloy fixtures, and tarnishing throughout the blade. The dagger is in an overall very fine condition.