Hi Anderson and Frogprince, I have, somewhat belatedly, just read your comments on this page and would like to thank you both. I have, in the last fifteen minutes, learned more about pre WW1 German manufacturers than I care to admit to!!!!!!!! Although I am no longer a regular on this Forum, I still consider it to be of the highest quality with contributors such as yourselves passing on years of research and knowledge in the furtherance of our respective spheres of military collecting and history. Excellent and thank you!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Here is the actual sword I have that I scoured your posts in their entirety to find, but all I found was the E&F Horster/Solingen trademark logo that is on it.
Hi, Michael. Maybe there was a misunderstanding, bc I wasn’t able to post pics of my dad’s ‘unidentifiable’ sword I inherited until tonight. It doesn’t have a scabbard, and my Vietnam Vet dad was a heavy smoker before he died in 2011, so the sword has been neglected and in a closet for a very long time. I took lots of pics today to post for all to see. I was very skeptical of it’s authenticity until I FINALLY was able to find the E&F Horster/Solingen HHS Trademark logo under the front langet, thanks to you. The blade really needs a little TLC to be honest, and the sword is approximately 38 inches long. Also, the hilt, I just noticed today, has slight damage that was difficult to see bc it’s black. So, I’ll just post pics now and see what you (or anyone else) might have to say about it.
Last edited by Twiggylaine; 09-28-2022 at 07:36 AM.
Is there any hope for the blade? Can it be polished? And if so, do you have any idea of it’s age and approximate value? Thanks so much for your response! I’m still trying to get the hang of this whole posting thing…
Hi Jaime, Your latest sword is what I would consider, a nice quality find. As Anderson says, it is a pity about the condition of the blade, but all is not lost. Looking at the tip of the blade I would say that it is probably nickel plated? If this is the case you could take the sword to a metal plater and provided that the pitting is only of the nickel or very shallow on the steel, they could de-plate the blade and replate it in either nickel or chrome. Either would look better than as is! The scabbard is a real problem as replacements are hard to find and not cheap. Further, these swords are made in a number of blade lengths and to further complicate matters, can have varying blade curvatures. You could buy 10 scabbards and not get the right fit unfortunately. As it stands, it is a very impressive sword with a nicely designed backstrap and dove head pommel. From a purist point of view, the sword is not very collectable, but I would definitely purchase it if I saw it at a reasonable price as to me, unlike a Japanese sword where the blade is all important, with German swords the overall attraction tends to be the hilt ergo the blade is of less importance. As Larry says, the hilt eagle is of a political rather than an Army pattern and from what I can see, the guard and backstrap are finished in gilded brass and are in generally good condition. The black handle covering is damaged but again repairable so not of tremendous importance.
All in all, at least to me, a quite desirable item. If you decide to sell it, please feel free to send me a message. I would love to know what other gems have fallen into your hands??
Thank you, Michael, for the input and the interest. All the memorabilia, knives, bayonets, and a couple of swords were collected by my Vietnam Vet father. However, the last several years of his life, a lot of his collectibles were neglected unfortunately, and they’ve been in storage since he died in 2011. I’m finally researching all the stuff, because they’re doing NOONE any good in a closet, and I’ve found it quite interesting and challenging. I’m sure I will DEFINITELY be looking to sell many of them (except for a couple that my 11yr-old son will probably lay claim to since his pawpaw died when he was only a month old), but I’m gonna take a little time to educate myself on what all I have. It’s not a big collection, by any means, but it is very eclectic and interesting, in my novice opinion. May I add you as a friend so I can get back in touch with you if need be? Also, do you have a personal preference or opinion on how to lightly clean (NOT POLISH AT ALL) light tarnish on blades, crosspieces or guards, and pommels, or how to handle little rust spots on steel scabbards? I just want to make them a little more attractive WITHOUT erasing the ‘character’ of each piece. BUT, if I should just leave them alone, I can do that, too.
.
- Larry C
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