Germany, Kriegsmarine. An Officer’s Dress Dagger, by E. & F. Hörster

(Kriegsmarine Dolch für Offiziere). A well-preserved Kriegsmarine Officer’s dress dagger, measuring 41 cm in total length when inserted into the scabbard. It features a 25 mm-long, nickel-plated, magnetic steel blade with a sharpened tip and with dual narrow fullers running the majority of the length of each side. Acid-etched imagery is visible on both the obverse and reverse, consisting of central fouled anchors flanked by arabesque and serpentine designs. The obverse ricasso bears a maker’s mark of “E. U. F. HÖRSTER, SOLINGEN”, circumscribing the firm’s monogram logo. The blade sits securely within a gilded bronze crossguard, bearing double-sided central fouled anchors, with a functional push-button release set into the reverse, in turn connecting to a clip which emanates from the ricasso. The handle grip is composed of a single piece of ribbed white celluloid, with the ribbing retaining an original twisted and rolled bronze wire cord. It completes with a gilded bronze pommel in the form of a German national eagle perched on top of a wreathed mobile swastika, screwing in to securely maintain the dagger’s structural integrity. It is accompanied by its original scabbard, constructed of a gilded bronze shaft with etched designs distributed around the outer circumference. The upper third of the shaft has two integral oak leaf bands retaining loops for the accommodation of a hanger. The interior of the throat has a functional catch to lock onto the blade’s clip. Minor issues consistent with age and wear are evident, and include some running marks to the blade, loss of gilt finish to the bronze elements, and friction which renders use of the push-button release difficult. The dagger remains in an overall better than very fine condition.