Trench Art Dagger? Dont laugh.

[RobertCOUTTS]

Hi,
this item I dont know what it is, as is some form of stabbing implement I put it in the Dagger Forum. It came from a respectable Auction House here. Listed as Dagger, Trench Art. Well someone bought it for me and I dont know whether to laugh or cry. Is dated 1940, Scabbard is wooden with copper inlay, Handle is wooden, Crossguards are marked, now dont laugh here Donner und Blitzen. Santas reindeers yes but in German I think Thunder and Lightning. My first reaction was this is crap, there is a coin dated 1938 inlaid on the pommel. Well check out the photographs, if some soldier made this he must have been bored to tears and not very good with his hands.
cheers Robert

[RobertCOUTTS]

Trench Art

a piece of art

[RobertCOUTTS]

Trench Art

another

[RobertCOUTTS]

Trench Art

the coin in the pommel

[RobertCOUTTS]

Trench Art

now theres a blade

[RobertCOUTTS]

Trench Art Dagger

the handle, if anyone knows what this is let me know, I had to pay for this as I told my friend if they find any German WW2 stuff at auctions to grab it for me. When I saw it I was speechless especially in light of what it cost me.

[wolfeknives]

Robert, that is a .......dagger. There is a lot of work in it, it looks like the guard and blade are integral, so must have been cut from one sheet of steel. Looks like the maker ran out of steam at that point. I don't see any way of prooving that it is actually "trench art". I think if a german had stamped the inscription it would more likely have been "Donner Und Blitz or Blitze" rather than "Donner und Blitzen". I may be wrong on that one though. The patina seems rather heavy to be natural without the steel having been affected.
Regardless, it is a unique weapon.

[jancz3rt]

Hmmm

I cannot judge the originality, but it indeed says "Donner und Blitzen" , not "Donner and Blitzen" as suggested above.

JAN

[wolfeknives]

Hmmmm Jan, The point I was making is that I think it should be Blitz or Blitze rather than Blitzen. Sorry about the mistake.
Wolfgang

[RobertCOUTTS]

Trench Art

Great I paid $170 for a glorified ice pick of doubtful origins. Never get relatives to buy TR stuff without checking out first. Maybe I could put on ebay described as hand made by Hess whilst in prison, yeah that would work.
cheers Robert

[Butch Gooch]

Wow!!!...$170.00!!!!! OMG. Yeah, I'm thinking that the Hess story is all you can do. Butch

[mustang]

this dagger is a rare one from the transport corps. of
"Vaterweihnachten"
special elite group to ensure that he was mobilised and could travel safely every christmas eve , party members were DONNER and BLITZEN , and squad leader was RUDOLF ....easily spotted on period photos !!

[RobertCOUTTS]

Trench Art

This 'dagger' is on estand blitzen is a verb I thought so its use would not be out of place. ? Anyhow Im sick of looking at it someone give it a good home please surely someone must like it.
cheers robert

[LandZack2013]

the inscription means thunder and flash.

[Rich Moran]

Perhaps it was Hitler Youth project ceremonial dagger? The wooden sheath is embossed crudely but effectively with the swaz, and the way the coin is set with the year of 1938. Someone went to some length of work to produce this. Then to see 1940 on the cross guard.

Wonder what is under the pommel & grip?

It would be interesting the see how this is assembled. Seeing that tells a story about how well this piece was made. There were a number of smithies who I believe would have had their kids in service to the Reich.

Regardless of the looks of these things, there is a story somewhere in it. If you can't see it on the surface dig for it.

If it ends up being a nothing the same kind of deal goes on daily at vegas, you win some, you loose some.......gotta sense of adventure???