Germany, Kriegsmarine. An Officer’s Dress Dagger, by Carl Eickhorn

(Kriegsmarine Dolch für Offiziere). A well-preserved Kriegsmarine Officer’s dress dagger, measuring 42 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. Each side of the blade has dual narrow fullers, as well as finely-detailed, acid-etched designs consisting of central fouled anchors flanked by arabesque and serpentine imagery. The reverse ricasso also bears a maker’s mark reading “ORIGINAL EICKHORN, SOLINGEN”, circumscribing the firm’s classic logo of a squirrel clutching a sword. The blade sits securely within a gilded bronze crossguard, bearing double-sided central fouled anchors, with the seam covered by an intact brown leather buffer pad. Inset into the reverse of the crossguard is a push-button release connecting to a clip emanating from the blade’s ricasso. The handle grip is composed of a single piece of ribbed off-white celluloid, with the ribbing retaining an original twisted and rolled bronze wire cord. The dagger completes with a gilded bronze pommel consisting of a German national eagle perched on top of a wreathed mobile swastika, screwing in to maintain the dagger’s structural integrity. Wrapped around the crossguard and pommel is a matching portepee, consisting of a stylized silver aluminum wire acorn suspended from a strap of identical construction. It is accompanied by its original scabbard, constructed of a gilded bronze shaft bearing etched designs around the outer circumference. 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 catch to lock onto the dagger’s clip, firmly holding it in place during storage. Minor issues consistent with age are evident, and include sporadic loss of finish to the gilded features, as well as fatigue of the portepee. It remains in a near extremely fine condition.