Article about: Hi, I’m new here but some of you might know me from The Third Reich Rings forum where I have been a member for several years. I collect Third Reich rings, however, I know nothing about kni
Hi,
I’m new here but some of you might know me from The Third Reich Rings forum where I have been a member for several years. I collect Third Reich rings, however, I know nothing about knives and swords. I live in Switzerland and a friend of mine here owns this Hirschfanger. He would like to know if it’s real or not. He speaks no English so I promised to post it on a couple of fora that I know and seek expert opinions.
Regarding the Hirschfanger, there are no stamps or maker’s marks as far as I can tell. It and its scabbard are in very good condition. According to my friend, it is at least 50 years old. Question is, is it a genuine Third Reich item?
The blade is inscribed on either side. One side is engraved with the words: ‘Wer nicht hat freud am blanken Swert / Am Falkenflug / Am stolzen Pferd / Am Schoenen Weib / Der hat kein richtig Herz im Leib’ (He who does not rejoice in the naked sword / In the flight of the falcon / In the proud horse / In the beautiful woman / Has no real heart in his body).
The other side is engraved with: ‘Erich Hartmann, zur Erinnerung an den 29.10.1943’. Hartmann, as you may know, was the top-scoring Luftwaffe fighter pilot in WW2. On one side of his name is the engraved signature of Hermann Goering and, on the other, a couple of bronze-coloured oak leaves.
Interested to learn what you guys think. I can post additional photos if required. Many thanks in advance.
Stephen
Last edited by SpitfireVb; 09-13-2022 at 08:45 AM.
Reason: Fix typo
Thanks. Please be more specific? What do you mean by 'the late years'? How do you know it's made in Poland? Have you seen another like it?
Thanks again.
Hi Stephen ...I would say ..late years meaning " Postwar " ...the detail is blunted and is not there at all if this were a presentation award to Erich Hartman.
Gerrit will be chiming in shortly.
I can believe 50 years old which would place it during 1972.
It actually remeinds me of an NSKK Huhnlein presentation style seen on a ton of repros.
More thoughts and opinions are needed.
Regards Larry
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
Stephen the first thing that should catch your eye is the beauty of the dagger, the lines, the shape, how the handle fits the dagger and the scabbard.
This piece of crap has none of the 3th Reich appeal that attracts collectors.
Well nothing fits here, the grip is to clumpsy, and why the hell is there a Wehrmachts marshall insignia attachted to the lower fitting of the scabbard? a rudely casted one?
This should be a presentation piece, with one like this the maker would have had a bullit in his brain...
A very poor piece of east block crap.
Best
Ger
BTW why is the clamshell turned the wrong way in picture number 5?
Stephen the first thing that should catch your eye is the beauty of the dagger, the lines, the shape, how the handle fits the dagger and the scabbard.
This piece of crap has none of the 3th Reich appeal that attracts collectors.
Well nothing fits here, the grip is to clumpsy, and why the hell is there a Wehrmachts marshall insignia attachted to the lower fitting of the scabbard? a rudely casted one?
This should be a presentation piece, with one like this the maker would have had a bullit in his brain...
A very poor piece of east block crap.
Best
Ger
BTW why is the clamshell turned the wrong way in picture number 5?
Thank, all, for your comments. As I noted, I know next to nothing about edged weapons but I did wonder about quality of the eagle device. That look like paint around the swastika. I also wondered why the handle isn't curved like that on just about every other Hirschfanger that I have looked at in the last 48 h while browsing the forum. Cool forum, by the way.
Ger, I don't know what a clamshell is so I can't answer your question. I suspect that, even if I did know what a clamshell is, I still couldn't answer your question.
Interesting to view Stephen, but it is one that can be quickly unmasked. Aside from the quality issues, Hartmann as you point out was a celebrated Luftwaffe pilot, yet nothing stylistically is associated with the Luftwaffe on the piece which would be odd. Further more for such a presentation piece, gold plating is likely. Looks like an etched imitation damascus blade, again that would be unthinkable on a high presentation piece. Interesting example of the fakers art, if you could call it that!
Bookmarks