KM-Dagger Hörster, opinions please!!

[hellracer1]

Hello,

I can buy these dagger, but I am not 100 % sure, that these one is an original. I have problems with the marker Hörster, I never see these before and don´t found any KM-Dagger with these Hörster Logo by all the dealers in the net. The pictures are very poor, sory for these, but I need a opinion.

Thanks and regards

Winfried

[hellracer1]

Picture 2

[hellracer1]

The marker Logo is very small, sorry

[Tiger 1]

Winfried,

Horster was indeed a legitimate TR era naval dagger maker.

From your pictures the dagger looks like a very nice example with a delux 'Double etched' blade. By this I mean that the etch was expanded in length over a standard etch to include the sailing ship. This is a desirable feature on naval daggers as is the hammered scabbard, another extra cost option. The scabbard screws look to be properly placed on the sides of the scabbard. The portepee looks to be a earlier silk type instead of metallic silver or aluminum thread or the later nylon type. But it could be a faded aluminum type. I can't see it that clearly.

Can you post a clear picture of the front of the eagle pommel to show the swastika?

Am I also seeing that the trademark is stamped instead of etched? This style of Horster trademark is a bit unusual on daggers but not unknown. I have an early TR era Artillery lionhead sword and an early Weimar/TR era dress bayonet with this same style of trademark. Usually the tm is inside a double oval with the firm's name in the oval band.

Tony

[hellracer1]

Hello Tony,

thanks for your infos. The dagger is not in my hands, I have only these poor pictures. Is these a navy dagger 1. model, I never see these Trademark on a navy dagger before. I looking all the dealers (45 ) in the net, but nobody has a navy dagger with these Mm from Hörster. Has anybody a picture from an original KM-Dagger from Hörster with these Mm.

Thanks and regards

Winfried

[Adrian Stevenson]

Hi Winifred, I have one which I know is 100% real and is a direct Vet acquired peice. Photo coming up.

Cheers, Ade.

[Adrian Stevenson]

This dagger was taken in Italy by Sgt. Mike Compton, Indep. Para. Pathfinder Platoon.

Cheers, Ade.

[hellracer1]

Hello Adrian,

thanks for your reply, that trademark from Hörster is known and cery common by Navy daggers, but I mean another Trademark from Hörster. Tony, can you show one from your collection.

Thanks and regards

Winfried

[hellracer1]

Hello,

I found these Trademarks from Hörsterin the Net:

1. upper left = bayonet,
2. upper right = hunting dagger ( from the early 70er)
3. Down in the middle = a German Navy dagger ( Reichsmaeine )between the 2 wars.

I hope it helps

Regards

Winfried

[B. Hastings]

Hello,

I found these Trademarks from Hörsterin the Net:

1. upper left = bayonet,
2. upper right = hunting dagger ( from the early 70er)
3. Down in the middle = a German Navy dagger ( Reichsmaeine )between the 2 wars.

I hope it helps

Regards

Winfried

Winfried,
Here is another maker mark that Hörster used. It is on my new KM dagger.

[GaryMJ]

The Horster trademark without the double ovals is considered to be post-war manufactured. The most accepted Trademark for TR naval daggers is the stamped double oval TM, however the late war Horsters are seen with the etched double oval as shown in Adrian's pic, often with guilded steel scabbards and potmetal hilt fittings. The etched "HS" TM without the ovals as shown on Winfried's and Brad's examples are postwar.

Horster continued to manufacture these daggers after the war with minor differences to the TR period daggers, the most noted differences were the TM etched without the ovals, the blades usually have the "rare" sailing ship etch and the scabbard bands are stamped out of the scabbard instead of being seperate bands. On the hammered scabbards a feint seam can be detected down the sides which is not present on TR examples. If I remember correctly, they also had small holes in the grips where the brass wire fed through, period Horsters did not. Beware of this one... if nothing else, get some detailed pics...

Red

[Saufaenger kid]

The Horster trademark that Hellracer 1 pictured of his Navy dagger from the Weimar period is also a known early 3rd Reich period mark on Hunting (Deutsche Jägerschaft) hirschfängers. I believe it's also known on early 3rd Reich bayonets from this company as well.

Interesting thread

Thanks

Gary

[rood]

Sorry for this bump

So what i understand is that the Horster company still made these daggers after the war? So also with the bird and the swastika?

I have an example (its not mine):

[Serge M.]

That large acid etched Horster trademark is accepted on Navy daggers.
However only on post 1945 examples.
There are no examples I know of that have come from WW2 Veterans.

Regarding the pommels - you will usually find a swas repro on these versions.

I concur with Red Baron - excellent assessment !

-wagner-