(Luftwaffe Offiziers-Dolch mit Gehänge). A superb, high quality Luftwaffe Officer’s dress dagger, measuring 42 cm in total length when inserted into the scabbard. It features a 26.5 cm-long, nickel-plated, magnetic steel blade with a sharpened tip and edges. The blade bears double-sided acid-etched designs, with the obverse decorated with a Luftwaffe eagle clutching a mobile swastika, flanked by arabesques, and the reverse featuring arabesque latticework throughout. The reverse ricasso bears a maker’s mark of “EMIL VOOS, SOLINGEN” circumscribing the firm’s snake logo. It sits securely within an aluminum alloy crossguard, the obverse of which bears a raised Luftwaffe eagle clutching a mobile swastika, with the seam covered by an intact black leather buffer pad. The handle grip is composed of a single piece of ribbed off-white polished bone, with the ribbing retaining an intact twisted and rolled silver aluminum wire cord. It completes with a rounded pommel, bearing double-sided wreathed mobile swastikas, which screws in to maintain the dagger’s structural integrity. It is accompanied by its original scabbard, constructed of a pebbled magnetic metal shaft. The upper third of the shaft has two integral oak leaf bands with loops for the accommodation of a hanger. The throat retains a functional spring catch to firmly hold the dagger in place during storage. Issues consistent with age and use are evident throughout, and include running marks and loss of nickel plating to the blade, minor chips and cracks to the handle grip, and surface oxidation to the majority of the scabbard. It remains in nearly extremely fine condition.
Accompanying the dagger is a matching hanger, consisting of a functional gilded zink alloy spring clip with two loops emanating from the lower edge. Descending from each loop is a dark grey doeskin strap topped by dark grey rayon, in turn flanked by silver aluminum wire tresses. Each adjusted with gilded zink alloy buckles, the straps culminate in functional gilded zink alloy spring clips to lock onto the scabbard’s loops. The reverse of the clip is marked with a Reichzeugmeisterei (RZM) logo and code of “UE 10” for an unconfirmed manufacturer. Measuring 28 cm in length as presented, loss of gilt finish to the metal fixtures is evident, but the hanger remains in an overall near extremely fine condition.