Germany, Heer. An Officer’s Dagger with Hangers, by E. & F. Hörster

(Heer Offizierdolch). A very well-preserved Heer officer’s dagger, measuring 400 mm in length when inserted into the scabbard. The dagger features a 255 mm-long magnetic metal blade, with a sharpened tip and unsharpened edges, which presents plain with the exception of a reverse maker’s mark of “E. & F. HÖRSTER, SOLINGEN” circumscribing the firm’s logo of a sword double-overlaid by a dual letter “H” above a letter “S”. The blade sites within a silvered zink upper crossguard, the obverse of which presented as a raised, finely-detailed Wehrmacht eagle clutching a wreathed mobile swastika. Wrapped around the upper crossguard is a portepee constructed of multiple rows of twisted and rolled silver aluminum wire, completing in stylized acorn. A magnetic metal band with raised oak leaves transitions into a handle constructed of knotted light brown celluloid. The dagger finishes with a silvered zink pommel surrounded by raised oak leaves. The dagger is accompanied by its period original scabbard, constructed of pebbled magnetic metal. The throat of the scabbard is held together by a single rivet and retains a functional spring catch, securely holding the dagger in place during storage. It features two integrated bands, each of which bears a length of raised oak leaves, with magnetic metal loops for the accommodation of a dagger hanger. The accompanying hanger is constructed of two straps of field-grey doeskin wool, with the obverse of both bearing a silver aluminum wire tress. The straps are set through a dual zink loop and each bear zink buckles presenting as oval oak leaf wreaths. Both straps have functional zink spring clips for attachment to the dagger. Some tarnishing and loss of finish is evident to the metal and zink features of the dagger, scabbard, and hanger, and the dagger has some loosening of the structure. The set is in an overall better than very fine condition.