DJR

Just bought this from a good friend in UK..... Gottfried Weyersberg Army dagger. Fitted with E&F Horster hardware and scabbard. Much lacquer still evident and has the splotched look due to some air under the lacquer.... DJ

Mark eMail me at djr46@cctc.net I may be able to help with your problem........ DJ

Fritz I sure would like to own that Cat..........and I'm a Dog man....... Denny

I've always thought that there must have been a reason for the difference in length whether it be for a 1935 Rail or ??? It does seem to generate a lot of discussion as to why it was done.... KLAAS did some odd things and maybe that explains it. Possibly to get a better market share by making and selling some oddities. I used to believe in 1st Rails, but I have begun to think it's but another Army variation......for lack of much if any information around a 1st Railway...... DJ

Scott The dagger does have a nice patina, I think in most part due to the early heavily plated brass base metal used in most of the early fittings like these EPacks. I especially like the type 1 grips, like this one. You've got some nice looking Armys yourself..... I have always believed that for the most part, some if not nearly all of the smaller makers that we don't see many examples of, they did make Armys and then stopped the practice and moved on to other things since they were unable to break into the bigtime production like some of the makers. Some other small outfits that are rare makers, seemed to continue making well into the period. Confusing at times... DJ

Maker mark of the same Army dagger......Quite rare.....Gebr Grafrath. DJ [attachmentid=42980]

Another view of my Army..... DJ [attachmentid=42979]

Here is an Army you don't see every day. 1st style, brass based fittings and scabbard by EPack. Type 1 grip. Made very early in the period. Dagger was made by another of the small time outfits that didn't spend too much time making Army daggers. They obviously used parts they bought from someone else.. DJ [attachmentid=42978]

I don't own a 1st mod Luft anymore, but SCOTT's pictures are a sight for sore eyes. EXCELLENT job of picture taking...... J-TempleWest' picture above is Outsatnding as well. Wish I had the talent to do that. NICE looking LUFTS, too, everyone........ DJ

Bob The "collage" was built using a program named "PhotoMix". Nice little program that I bought via the Internet. DJ

Laurence Unless my eyes deceive me at my advanced age, you do have a relatively early crossguard like type 3. The chest feathers on type 3 are more pronounced/courser than those on either type 1 or 2. Beautiful crossguard design.... DJ

The grip wire resmbles "springy wire", but has a smaller wrap from what I see with my tired eyes. The painted grip has approx. the same length and contour as the grip without any paint.....

Attached is a pic of my Klaas Army daggers. Klaas was known for making some really unusual stuff and mine are but a few examples. From the left: Mid period Klaas; next 2 are Early examples with brass based 1st type Klaas fittings and type 1 grips; Klaas Glass type grip with wire wrapping in grooves; black grip that was painted and paint is beginning to peel; another early Klaas with 1st type Klaas fittings, brass based and type 1 grip; last on right is a 1935 Rail or blackgripped Army, whichever one subscribes to on that theory. Klaas made a nice dagger from parts that were unique to their business and also used some generic parts as they got further into the manufacturing business. DJ [attachmentid=42627]

Attached below is a picture of the currently accepted different types of crossguards used by Eickhorn from 1935 until they made their last dagger, probably sometime in 1942-43 time frame. It has always been widely accepted that they made 2 different types. That later changed to 3 different types. That has changed during the last couple of years to the types shown below. Jason Burmeister brought this information out and it has been seen and widely accepted by Many. Some of the differences are difficult to see until you study them closely, but they are distinctly different at that point. DJ [attachmentid=42626]

Obverse side of the pair....of J A Henckels.... DJ [attachmentid=42510]