Why so many eagle design variants on the edged weapons?
I was thinking it seems odd there was no standard eagle design that the NSDAP required all makers to conform to. They seemed really concerned with their brand and recognizability, and influence. Is there any history on why they were so lax with liberties on the eagle and wreath designs? There's no way the organization's I've worked for would ever allow variations like these.
Some photo's of various examples of what you're inquiring on would really help this thread old pal, sorta pique folks interest a bit more if you get my meaning.
Regards, Ned.
'I do not think we can hope for any better thing now.
We shall stick it out to the end, but we are getting weaker of course, and the end cannot be far.
It seems a pity, but I do not think I can write more. R. SCOTT.
Last Entry - For God's sake look after our people.'
In memory of Capt. Robert Falcon Scott, Edward Wilson, Henry Bowers, Lawrence Oates and Edgar Evans. South Pole Expedition, 30th March 1912.
wardaggers.com - German Army Dagger Crossguard Makers Reference
All these different eagle designs on the army dagger cross-guards for instance.
Artists conception..before it went to the producer..or sub contractor.
It is not the size of a Collection in History that matters......Its the size of your Passion for it!!- Larry C
One never knows what tree roots push to the surface of what laid buried before the tree was planted - Larry C
“The farther back you can look, the farther forward you are likely to see.” - Winston Churchill
Its quite easy to explain i think.
When Hitler got total control in 1933 suddenly all heads had to look to the same side.
Numerous contract were given to different Factories to produce edged weapons, insignia etc.
They all had different designers, of course there were example where to look at: Speers designs for example.
The RZM was still to develop in the early days, so there was room for different pattern by different designers.
When all was pretty well organised control systems like the RZM & WaffenAmts took over and standarisation was the way to go.
Then for example the Generic Heer Eagle came......the rest is History
Cheers,
Ger
Something I’ve wondered about myself from time to time - with private purchase items you are not going to have the control seen with RZM sanctioned items, much less the more strict ones imposed by the Heereswaffenamt. And in the age of computer graphics it’s easy to forget that many things were done differently “back in the day”. With an old method that was used being a sample sent to different vendors to be replicated. But not always exactly, it not being unusual to have parts with operating tolerances not followed, and batches of items being either rejected or reworked so that they did work. And my point here really being that there was no completely rigid physical standard with private purchases to what we would call “mil spec” standards. And then I have to mostly eat my words for both the Luftwaffe swords and daggers, while also taking into account changes caused by shortages of some metal alloys. And the Navy examples to a somewhat lesser degree. Whereas the Army daggers are actually fairly close in design when you compare them to period Army Officer swords.
With the example here a period Voos Army Officer’s saber (the backwards swastika is an original-legitimate variation). With the legitimate “variations” what makes collecting interesting. Best Regards, Fred
I wonder how many Officers got snickered at by their fellows for wearing a fancy sword that had a backwards swastika on it...
William
"Much that once was, is lost. For none now live who remember it."
interesting subject. I was always curious why even the RZM mark can vary so much. you would think something so simple could be standardized better. like the line through the Z. 2 circles or 1 open under the M or closed etc. here is a picture of different examples, all original RZM marks.
William, Tom ("Swordfish") and myself once discussed this with my recollection being that it was later rather than early. And might have involved a new mold maker for hilt casting. Someone who was less well trained and didn't visualize or test it prior to using it for production. With the example here an early one of their work. Best Regards, Fredby Wagriff
Is Swordfish still around? I sold him a US trench knife 3-4 years ago and a few months later he stopped posting on WAF. There is a thread on WAF asking what happen to him. He was the go to guy on swords.
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