Army Dagger WKC

[Rancid66]

I was talked about the "scabbard bands", not about the scabbard.

Regards
Vedran

[PeterCollector]

Yes, I understand what you talked about, but I think that we have to judge whole scabbard including scabbard bands - I think WKC purchase them to finish scabbards, because they need to cover contract, scabbard without bands is for nothing, so if you need them you have to purchase them from other company...

Regards Peter

[wolfeknives]

Vedran I agree with you, W.K.C. was the biggest Wehrmacht dagger producer, but he also ran out of his own parts, then W.K.C. use generic "A" parts. It is very hard to tell, if this kind of anomaly, but we learn each day something new, and maybe we will find some proofs in future. If you scan whole example scabbard, crossguard and pommel really match, so that is why I think they belongs to daggers. I also saw several Eickhorn´s pommels on another daggers mostly produced with small companies... so maybe Eickhorn sold some of it parts, maybe not... hard to tell. But I also like textbook examples, despite fact I have some daggers (Hi-Lift with generic scabbard) which I believe that was certainly produced in this way.

Next to dagger which you post - just change the blade for unmarked or W.K.C. marked and after that NOBODY can find difference between original and and postwar! Oh, that is sad

Thanks for posting photos of this dagger.

Regards Peter

Peter, I agree 100%. We don't always have proof either way of which companies may have supplied parts to others at times. But always remember, they were running a business, and were not concerned about leaving textbook daggers for collectors. Many anomalities exist at the very early and very late periods of production.
Of course it is always nice to have a textbook dagger, but sometimes you have to look at the overall condition and context and decide what makes sense. Then you have to decide what you as a collector can accept as period.

Wolfgang

[Rancid66]

And now a question?
We switch up the blade, and we have a new dagger.
From the late period?
(This dagger has some Eickhorn part.)



As I have repeated during past , German daggers are disassemble very easy, and We need some proof for dagger parts trade, for now it's all guesswork.

Regards
Vedran

[Degens]

Horster pommel, Holler crossguard and Eickhorn ferrule. Post war B&A blade.

Anybody who knows army daggers would spot this piece was part's from 3 miles away. Also that previous WKC army dagger with the B&A blade looks completely legit to me other than somebody swapping an original blade out for the B&A post war one

[PeterCollector]

Hi Jon, you are right, but tell my why somebody want to change original blade for postwar...? In my opinion blade could be without WKC trademark and somebody just want to change it for marked one without knowing it is postwar? It is interesting but I do not see so meany B&A postwar blades with Wehrmacht daggers parts, mostly on 2nd. model Luftwaffe daggers and SA daggers.

Regards Peter

[Rancid66]

Otherwise Eickhorn factory was heavily damaged by Allied bombing during WW2, and there is remained very much parts for the daggers.
These parts was buying B&A Solingen, during post WW2 period. Big problem for B&A company was lack scabbard band and scabbard.
One of the "foundation" of these company was just WKC, from whom they purchased most of the parts for daggers.
Of course once when collectors was realized that B&A was post war daggers, blades have begun replaced in mass.

Regards
Vedran

[Degens]

Peter,
The previous page WKC with B&A post war blade was previously discussed here ( Heer dolche B&A Solingen 1939 - Wehrmacht-Awards.com Militaria Forums ) back in 2011. Why somebody would swap out the blade is anybodies guess, probably somebody who posts misleading information on forums and knows nothing about army dagger configs.

Heers68, another member here and an advanced army dagger collector who's opinion I respect also pointed out back in 2011 that the dagger is original. It should really be removed from the "Near Perfect" thread, as only the blade is post war.

On a side note, I do think I have ever seen a Bolte and Anshutz complete post war army dagger. I know they assembled a 2nd Luft and an SA dagger ( I own one ), I suspect that the blade shown on the original WKC, originally came from a post war B&A 2nd luft.

[Rancid66]

Let's gonna read what it says in these thread:

- As far as I know, "B&A" purchased a larger amount of parts for daggers, remaining after the end of their production 1942nd in Solingen.
It is possible that they themselves produce some parts.
Basically, at that time, it was very popular to sell souvenirs Western soldiers.
I know that some collectors consider these daggers "original", but for me the is postwar Frankenstein.

So as it is established, such type of daggers was used after TR. era.
For me, it can not be a legitimate TR Herr dagger.

But if some have a written evidence of trade between parts dagger Eickhorn and WKC, I'm willing to admit that I was wrong.
Until then that is all just speculation, without any confirmation.
After all, why these daggers cost 300 USD, and those from TR period 600USD?
For me, the dagger should remain in reproduction thred, as a warning to other collectors.

I think we all have a right to know what these dagger is.

Regards
Vedran

[Larry C]

I would remove the B&A Posts from the "Near Perfect Reproductions" thread..if there is proof only of the blade with the "Solingen 1939" stamping was used during the period. The blade and the rest of the dagger..of the B&A dagger I have no issues with as all parts of it were produced during a possible mix of periods. The blade was added post war as per Kevin "Heers68" post.

IMO this still a post war put together..if the 1939 Solingen stamping had not been placed on the blade..I would give a 2nd thought about it being authentic. Then the forge would come into play..in deciding its ultimate fate. The post will remain in the Near Perfect thread..unless otherwise proven.

So as not to detract from Rene`s dagger and thread ...I would be willing to move or copy some posts from this thread..and open a discussion about the B&A topic. Regards Larry