Help with Kriegsmarine Dagger please

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Hello All,
I just received this dagger as part of a group of items. Kriegs daggers are not something I'm familiar with, I would like opinions on the approximate value and the portepee.
I dont like the portepee but it looks like it has been on the dagger forever and thats how the dagger came.
Thanks in advance
Eddie

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detail

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more details

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bird

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makers mark Eickhorn

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Grip

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back or bird

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etched blade

[25thlight]

Yes this is gold paint that you see on the portepee tassel and crown
I cant find anything wrong with the dagger, but the portepee is another story.
Should I lose the portepee?

[Larry Lipps]

I think the dagger's okay, but the knot is right out of the Twilight Zone.

[schönbeck]

knot is correct put on the dagger. Could it be some kind of replacement. I dont think I have seen a similar golden not on a km.

[lakesidetrader]

No, Don't lose the portepee. It is obviously a period piece showing wear. I like it. There is a story somewhere here. Who knows, maybe a period repair and the guy dunked the ball in lacquer to keep it from coming unraveled. We sometimes see early Navy port's in a golden colour. Far too often original pieces are altered to look "textbook" and in doing so some interesting history can be lost. Congrats on a nice piece!

[Frogprince]

Eddie, I agree with Lakesidetrader. Time is on your side, and the knot is not doing any physical harm to the dagger and can always be removed at any time. Taking it off and trying to reinstall it almost certainly has to cause some harm to come to the knot.

You might also want to see about finding a (commensurate condition with the dagger) original knot to set aside. That way you don’t have to keep thinking about the present knot and can enjoy the dagger. If later on it looks like the knot/alteration is not period you can swap it out. Or if you decide to leave it intact, you can sell the (potential) replacement most probably for a profit. Regards, FP

[Larry Lipps]

It's actually pretty good advice about leaving the knot in place unless you really find it bothersome. If a knot's been on a dagger a long time, you can never retie it where it's not noticable. If you've never tied a Kriegs knot before, you'll have to allow a minimum of half a day and a twelve pack. The painted ball is not the most interesting part to me, but the colors in the cord. If the photo colors are correct, it's the first time I've seen gold thread mixed with that background color.

[Dubar1]

Very nice dagger! I received one my wife's uncle "obtained" when he was in Europe as a G.I. but the portepee and rope have been cut off up to where it would hang off the dagger (my wife just said it used to be there so someone in her family hacked it off ). The handle on mine is also yellowed and cracked from age.

The dagger has a different marking than the one you have however. Instead of a rectangular emblem at the hilt, mine has an oval emblem with the words "Carl Eickhorn Solingen" inscribed.

One other thing...what would be a good price for a portepee here in the states? I've only seen one at a militaria show and they wanted $65 or so for it.