IMPORTANT TYPE OF 1st LUFTWAFFE DAGGER.

These have come to be known as ‘transitional’ daggers as they are the earliest type of Luftwaffe daggers known. Before this there was only the long 55cm dagger worn by officers of the DLV. This was the Deutche Luft Verband, basically a ‘volunteer’ airforce formed by Hitler in the early 1930’s to circumvent the Versailles Treaty. The 1st Pattn Luftwaffe dagger is a direct design from the DLV 55cm dagger, which although a beautiful design, proved to be too long and impractical. The first 1st Luftwaffe daggers were made using parts from the 55cm piece, mainly the scabbard. It has a very soft body (not metal) covered by dark blue Morrocan leather. The upper, middle and lower scabbard chain fittings are attached to the scabbard body by nickel staples, not screws. The early nickel snap clips are also DRGM marked (as were the DLV pieces). So the factories used up old stock of DLV parts before standardising production later on.
The dagger has all nickel fittings and brass inset swastikas in the pommel and crossguard. The blue leather covered grip has triple silver wire wrap. The scabbard body ‘bulges’ a little due to the internal springs pushing against the soft construction. A textbook example!! The blade is nickel plated and has the wonderful Gebruder Heller ‘balloon man’ trademark. A really great dagger for the Luftwaffe collector.

Code: 4783