Mark M

The dagger is very beautiful. I do have a question about it that I am sure one of the TR specialist might be able to answer better than I could. Isn't the Alcoso logo used on your blade a post 1940 logo? I thought that the imperial logo was simply the scales.

Mark

And finally a photo of the knuckle bow. Any and all information or speculations would be welcome.

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The second is a photo of the obverse hilt. Please note the Reichsadler and shield on the langet. The same design is engraved on the blade below the langet.

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I was offered an interesting sword for purchase today that is quite unusual. The sword itself is a massive grosser sized lion head with a 34" blade. The scabbard is the nickle double ring style worn pre 1908. The sword itself was manufactured by W K & C with the twin king/knight heads logo. The overall condition is suberb! What is so unusual about the sword is the insignia that appears to be cast into the sword itself. The obverse langet usually will have an indication of the wearer's service branch - crossed cannons for artillery, crossed swords for cavalry, and so on. This sword has an Reichsadler, with the enameled shield on chest, with the Prussian crown and ribbons above it cast into the design. On the knuckle bow is the same crown/ribbons over the insignia for Kaiser Wilhelm II. This insignia also appears cast into the design and must raise out at least 1/4" from the surface. I know that the officers could wear their regimental insignia on their equipment but I can not find any Imperial regiment who used this insignia. This pattern sword is not shown as an option in the 1907 WKC catalog, nor have I ever seen another use this insignia. So, my questions are:

1). Is were there any regulations at the time which would have specified who could and could not wear this, and

2). Has anyone else ever seen a sword use this insignia in this manner?

Sorry for the quality of the photos but this is all I have of the sword.

The first photo is of the reverse side - the sword looks ordinary enough.

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I have no problems with dealers selling repo's as just that - reproductions. Reproductions fill a void for some people who could not afford a rare piece for their collection otherwise. My beef is with the dealers who knowingly sell the repros as legite. Lets face it - those 7 people with von Richtofen's medals all bought them from someone selling them as such.

However, there is a mentally of collectors out there who collect on whims at best. They collect for the sake of collecting. What they collect today is something completely different from next week and so on. I collected pocket knives for years and recently sold off some of my duplicates on ebay. A doctor from Texas bought them. He asked me if I had any others. When he heard what I had he asked me to name my price for the entire collection. I thought he was kidding and gave him a price over 4 times their value. Three days later I had his money order in had. I shipped the knives and never heard a word from him. When I asked his secretary if he had received them she told me he never even opened the package. He was collecting vintage automobiles that week. Another fool and his money....

WOW, what timing! I just got an email from the Nigerian Oil Minister needing my personal banking information to help transfer some funds! What luck!

There is a psychological/emotional need by many ignorant collectors to get over on someone and "steal" an item, and that makes them sucker bait. 95% of people collecting WW1 aviation badges, for example, aren't going to pay more than $350-450! That creates a market opportunity. eBay is the perfect marketplace for "rarities" at all price points. All you have to do is believe, and avoid forums like this!

Fair is fair. The same can be said about a lot of dealers and sellers too.

The old saying is true - a fool and his money soon part their ways. If these folks weren't throwing thier money away on obvious fakes they would find somewhere else to spend it.

Kaiser's cypher

Mike

Nice sword - and with history to boot! Thanks for sharing them. The swords I have shown are all pre-war swords. Your sword was produced after the war started. Initially the base metal of sword hilts was brass with fire gilting. After the war started both brass and gold became too valuable to be used for swords. Steel was substituted for brass, and you will sometimes find gilt over steel versions. However, steel did not hold the gilting very well. When the regulations changed making all metal parts of uniforms non reflective the hilts were switched from gilted to black enamel. To be honest it is a lot harder to find this version than the gilted as the only made the painted variety for a very short time.

Mark

Here is a closeup of the Braunschweig coat of arms.

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Here is the sword knot. It is dirty but the colors are easy to see.

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Here is another unusual sword I came upon. While not in the condition I normally try to collect it is a rather rare sword. Instead of the usual gilting most Imperial lion heads would have this sword's hilt is heavily silvered. The blade is engraved with the coat of arms for Braunschweig. The sword also has an original Braunschweig sword knot with the blue/yellow insert on the knot. Braunschweig only raised 1 cavalry regiment which was the 17th Hussars. Their pre-war tunic colors were black with silver frogging. The only explanation I have for the silver hilt is that perhaps an officer wanted something that matched his regimental colors?

Here is a picture of the sword.

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Here is a picture of the detail in the hilt backstrap.

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Here is a picture of the engraved balde.

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Buchholz was commissioned SekLt 22.3.91

Oberleutnant 22.3.00 C2c and was Adjutant of the IInd Essen Landwehrbezirk in 1905

Back to Inf Rgt 16 he went

Hauptmann 18.5.07 Y4y

acquiring a Red Eagle Order 4 between 1913/14.

Major 22.3.14 B

and

char. Oberstleutnant aD

He died 23 April 1923.

Now, no thanks to the horrible Prussian gazetting of Hohenzollern House Order 3X awards during the war, there were TWO such awards to a "Major Buchholz," either of which could have been him-- one 3.11.17, and the other 19.2.18.

Rick

Thank you very much for adding the bios here. Does the gazetting of the HHO 3X mention the senority date for the Major Buchholz? It might be possible to determine if it was this one from that.

Also, what do you use for a resource? The 1914-1918 Honors Ranklist doesn't provide anywhere near the detail you turn up.

Thanks again,

Mark

What a fantastic selection of the art of sword making. With Wilkinson going out of the sword business, who is left?

I have a 1796 Pattern Brit. Hussar (LD) Saber with a Damascus Blade I just love but the Damascus pattern has darkened and hard to see. Anything you can do to bring out the pattern again that won't damage the blade? The scabbard is leather with iron fittings.

It is possible to have the blade acid etched again. From what I understand of the process they use a mild acid which removes a little of the softer metal making the pattern more visible again. The harder metals are untouched so the blade retains its natural shape. I know of a person who specializes in sword restoration who can do it. If you are interested send me a PM and I will dig out his name, address and phone number. He can probably give you more information about the process and cost.

And reverse.

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Obverse blade.

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Here is a nice Bavarian KD89 engraved to the Bavarian 2. Chevaulegers Taxis.

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Here is another unusal sword. This would have been worn by an Austrian civilian official. I love the pierced hand guard on this sword.

Here is the whole sword.

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And a close up of the Austrian eagle worked into the hand guard.

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Absolutely beautiful!!!

How do you keep the blades so well preserved?

One of the tricks is finding IN this condition to begin with. After that, regular cleaning with Semi-chrome (a non abrasive cleaner designed for polished metals) and keep them free from finger prints. I only handle these with cotton gloves to keep the oils from my skin off the blades.

You wouldn't possibly have an Imperial hunting dagger or short sword to post?

Sorry, but I don't. I always wanted one of those Bavarian ones with the black grips and the huge lionheads but I have never been lucky enough find one.

Here is the reverse presentation of the Buchholz sword.

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Obverse presentation of the Buchholz sword.

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Here is a Prussian Infantry presentation sword. I apologize for the pictures of the blade. The engraved section is over 12" long and I can not get a good photo of it in 1 picture, so I had to break it down into a couple. The presentation has beautiful blued panels and the blade is genuine plated damascus. The obverse presentation reads "Dem Schneidenden Bezirksadjutanen Oberleutnant Buchholz von Inf. Regt Freiherr von Sparr No. 16". The Reverse reads "Der Offizier Verein der Landwehrbezirke I und II Essen 1905". Here is the sword.

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Here are a couple of others. Nothing as glamorous as the others. The first is a minty enlisted mans KD89 with an engraved blade to the Uhlan Regiment Nr. 17.

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Rick

I thought you might like that one. He also wrote the official regimental history for the Bavarian Chevauleger 5th Regiment sometime after the war. Any chance anyone might have a copy that would have his photo in? I would like to match up a face with this information.

Here is a close up of the badge.

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Here is another of my favorites. This is a lionhead for an officer from Wurttemberg. The nice thing about this sword is that it has an enameled badge pinned to the obverse langet. The only Regiments permitted to wear this badge were Dragoon Regiment 26, the 4th company of Eisenbahn Regiment Nr. 4 (the other regiments were Prussian), and of course Wurttemberg generals.

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Here is the engraved name. I believe the full name is Franz Ritter und Edler von Schultes.

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