Germany, Kriegsmarine. An Officer’s Dress Dagger, by Lauterjung & Sohn

(Kriegsmarine Offiziersdolch). A very well-preserved Kriegsmaine Officer’s dagger, measuring 41.5 cm in total length when inserted into the scabbard. It features a 25 cm-long nickel-plated magnetic steel dagger with a sharpened tip and edges, and with narrow dual fullers running approximately two-thirds of the length of each side. The blade has double-sided acid-etched designs, with the obverse bearing a central ship flanked by arabesques, and the reverse with a central fouled anchor similarly flanked by arabesques. It is also marked on the obverse ricasso with a maker’s mark of “PUMA, SOLINGEN” for the firm of Lauterjung & Sohn, Solingen, topped by the company’s classic puma head logo. The mark is flanked by a hand-etched presumed owner’s name of “FRANZ”. The blade sits securely within a gilded bronze crossguard, which bears double-sided central fouled anchors, with the seam covered by a partially-intact red wool buffer pad. The obverse of the crossguard is inset with a functional push-button release connecting to a clip which emanates from the blade. 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. It 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. It is accompanied by its original scabbard, constructed of a gilded bronze shaft with etched designs around the outer circumference. The upper third of the shaft has dual integral oak leaf bands retaining loops for the accommodation of a hanger. Two rivets flank the throat, which retains a functional catch to securely lock onto the blade’s clip. Minor issues consistent with age and wear are evident, and include sporadic tarnishing to the blade and loss of finish to the gilded features. The dagger remains in an overall extremely fine condition.