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]

Bob ARTIFICIAL Damascus..... AND here is a pair you don't see very often either... J A Henckels w/1st style EPack fittings and scabbard alongside a J A Henckels mini. The large one also has a type 1 grip, a slant. Both daggers are very difficult finds. DJ [attachmentid=42509]

Another rare Army dagger of mine. Well maybe not rare, but sure hard to find. This a very late Eickhorn that has the unplated, type 4 (Yes Eickhorn did make and use 4 distinctly different types of crossguards) crossguard, last style pommel and scabbard. The "Over the Shoulder" mark. DJ [attachmentid=42508]

I mentioned the fact that the logo appeared on the front of one dagger only to bring out the fact that some believe makers sometime positioned their marks on the front of the blade to give their product name more exposure. I don't have a preconceived notion about that, myself though.......They could have very easily done it either way.. DJ

Heller, Balloonman, reverse side (in all but 1 anyway and this is the position logo was in originally or at least when I acquired it, obverse) .......logos. DJ [attachmentid=42502]

AND a few others that I own.... ALL of these are by Heller, Balloonman version. All have same type fittings and are clones of one another. All have the 1st style EPack fittings that are so nice to look at. EPack was, in my mind, a major producer and supplier of parts to many of the smaller companies engaged in Army dagger manufacturing starting in 1935 and continuing well into the start of the war. I enjoy seeing a group of Army daggers from one maker that conforms to one style and validates each other's authenticity. These Balloonmen all conform and were produced early, as shown by their tapered tangs and EPack 1st style fittings and scabbards. DJ [attachmentid=42501]

I've seen some really beautiful, rare and interesting daggers shown here. I'm just a beginner (since late 60's), but take pride in what I own. Here is another that I own. An artificial damascus blade that I believe to be the "small rosebud" pattern/look with the inscription of something to this effect: He that doesn't take pride in a blade, a noble horse or a beautiful woman has no lust for life. This piece is personalized with initials engraved on scabbard. Generic type A fittings and generic scabbard. DJ [attachmentid=42500]

In the pic above, I show a, starting from the left, 1935 Rail by Klaas; a tagged mint Eickhorn w/small stamped mark; an ivory gripped, type 1 grip design, unmarked but undoubtedly made by WKC that is distributor marked; a VOOS marked & etched w/ivory grip. 4 pretty hard to find Army daggers. DJ

Bob Hunter I'd also be interested in seeing a forum dedicated to TR Daggers and accoutrements. I think it would enhance this site's "draw" and provide much needed, factual information on TR daggers to new and old collectors alike. The field of collecting TR daggers is a large one and there is always interest in that area. An additional forum would allow building a base of interested people and provide an alternative to other sites. I collect Army daggers primarily. Attached is a picture of but a very small sampling of my collection which includes many rare and beautiful Army daggers. DJ [attachmentid=42392]