Newly Purchased DLV Dagger

[wpheaton]

I picked this up yesterday. Thought you might be interested in seeing it. Any feedback would be appreciated. Sorry for the poor pictures but I have an old, not so advanced camera.

[wpheaton]

I have a question about trying to repair two items. First, if you look at the leather strap it is broken and stitched with one thread. Any suggestions on trying to repair or leave alone? Second, on the handle there are a couple of places where the leather is starting to come loose. You can see them in the pictures I have attached. Would you recommend trying to glue them down so as not to hang loose? What kind of glue?

Thanks

[Larry C]

Hi William the dagger is great!! nice condition...IMO I would leave the hanger alone as if you were to sell it later ,,it may detract from the value for the next buyer. I would find a safe place to keep it like in a small display case. As far as the lifting of the leather lifting..this is something that needs special attention to
#1 you dont want to just put any modern adhesive on it as it may discolor or damage the integrity of the leather..which goes back to my above comment on leaving it alone.

#2 honestly I have never had the issue of fixing loose leather so i would be the wrong person to guide you in that direction unless a well informed member who knows leather can help you out in that area if they feel it would not hurt the leather or detract from the value. Some dealers already do this ,as a preservation application. Which I condone preservation................but only in the hands of those who know what they are doing with leather.
Yet!!............you have a fine example as is. Wait for other comments. Best regards Larry

[maximus71]

Congrats on the new purchase, you made a fine decision, another great decision would be NOT gluing anything, I have the same problem with mine but its the scabbard leather that is split, so when handling it I only grab the metal fittings, the leather is dry and brittle underneath so the more you grab it or handle it the more it will slowly get worse, like larry said, put it in a nice case or hang it up on the wall, there are a few things I tried to fix that didn't really need fixing only to end up saying oh god why did I do that. you do not know what kind of ill effects modern glue may have on 80 year old leather, you could get it regripped but that would be costly and your handle really only has minor wear, also the hanger should be ok with that single stitch as long as you don't try hanging it from your belt and doing jumping jacks, so treat it/handle like you would if it was your 80 yr old grandmother, just don't try hangin her on the wall :P

[octavian]

For sure a fantastic piece. As for repairing i would do nothing to it at all. I have seen it too many times where someone wants to "repair" and item and ruin its value. Other collectors, who are in the know, would spot these repairs and knick your pricing. So i would just let enough alone, display it properly, and enjoy.

[MD Helmets]

I really feel placing it in a frame in a neutral temperature environment is the best way to go.