Scabbard Refinishing

[Stahlhelm]

Hello again,

I see a lot of otherwise nice-conditioned SS Daggers with postwar reanodized or repainted scabbards. Most are very professionally done, but redone postwar nonetheless. However, the asking price for these daggers seems no different from the price of those with the original anodizing and paint. Since I have considered purchasing some of these refinished pieces, I'm just wondering how that affects the value with resale to dealers and typical, serious collectors. I do not know about this, since I have so far only bought rather than sold SS Daggers.

So, should the daggers with postwar refinished scabbards actually command a considerably lower price? Should I avoid these? Or, does that not seem to matter so much to the average collector? It seems logical that it would matter, but I just thought I'd get some opinions, so I know the consensus on this in the serious collecting community.

Thanks,

Chris

[Skipper Greenwade]

Refinished scabbards will definitely have an adverse effect on value. Just how much depends on the quality of the work.

Except in extreme cases, even a well-worn original scabbard is more desireable than a refinished one.

Best,
Skip

[Stahlhelm]

Thanks Skip...

Chris