Heer Dagger - A Very tired example

[yellow]

Hi chaps just popping in from the Ken Jasper British forum.

I`d appreciate if you could have a look at this dagger for me. I realise that you are a little spoilt on this forum since more often than not what people show are near mint examples......so I apologise for showing this veteran bring back in poor shape

Moving onto my question.............I realise that the rule with daggers according to the famous "Skipper Greenwade" is to always buy the best condition you can afford. Since the Heer dagger is common and the market is currently flooded with mint examples which dealers cannot sell e.g. mint with hanger for as little as £350.......would anyone dare put a retail price on this example?......in other words what is it realistly worth? Would anyone even want to buy it?

The officer who once owned this has engraved his initiasl on the guard......HP. All the parts match perfectly and the blade is an Eickhorn......in fact the blade is the only thing going for this dagger since it is mint with not so much as a finger print on it. Sadly the silver plate has been polished off the eagle, the scabbard is dented on one place, and much of the plate has become tarnished.

Thank you for all your help chaps, much appreciated.

Steve.

[Bob Hartman]

Looks like someone assembled the blade/cross guard with the makers mark on the wrong side.

[Wim Vangossum]

Looks like someone assembled the blade/cross guard with the makers mark on the wrong side.

Indeed, besides that it looks a nice honest example.

Regards, Theo
(Wim Vangossum)

[JasonS]

It is my opinion that inside the collectors world this dagger could get $300. If you were to sell it on ebay, you might get twice as much.

[Luftm40]

That is actually quite a nice dagger. From the looks, an early one, w/ a nice dark patina that many people (myself included) prefer over the shiny "mint" examples. Also love the coloring of the handle. Blade condition is very important in a dagger, and yours looks excellent. Yes, "minty" is best I suppose and Heers are common, but I will say this about daggers in general: I have collected this stuff since the mid 70s. Daggers were my first passion. They were one the first truly collectible pieces of TR militaria. Even when stuff that is now prized was considered junk, daggers were sought after for their quality and beauty. That said, daggers have been faked, cleaned, assembled from parts and otherwise monkeyed around with for fifty+ years. A completely pristine, untouched dagger of any type, "common" or otherwise is a special commodity these days......

[yellow]

Thank you for all your expert opinions gentlemen. It is good to hear that all is not lost with this example at it is merely a matter of collectors taste.

I have decided to show you the other side which offers a possible explanation as to why the cross guard is not in the correct position. Perhaps removed for engraving?

Thank you again for your time, it is very much appreciated. I am very new to this particular field of collecting.

P.S. I hope you dont think it cheeky of me for asking.....but....if you have a look over at the "Imperial Militaria" Ken Jasper Forum I have posted some very difficult questions regarding some imperial edged weapons. If your up for a challenge please take a look. Thank you.

[Luftm40]

Wow, that got a whole lot better w/ the engraving...again, nice dagger. It looks like it spent a great deal of time lying w/ the obverse side up, given the darker patina there. The lighter spots on the handle were probably once covered by the wrapping of a knot

[Phil Borchert]

Looks like a pretty early dagger. The scabbard is Eickhorn and the crossguard is the first stlye. I think Andy is right about the difference in grip color the result of a portepee being on it fir a long while. No bir deal about the blade. It could have been reversed at any time including by the original owner.

[JasonS]

I like that engraving. My Heer dagger is also engraved, but it is not that nicely done. That photo is much better looking and I would say that the dagger has lots of character and I would be a nice addition to a collection.

[Larry Lipps]

While even beater daggers will always have value, I agree with the now infamous "Skipper Greenwade" that purchasing the best item you can afford will usually pay off should you ever need to sell. That being said, I really like the grip on this one and believe it has enough character to overcome some of its flaws. The real problem is that it's not just the mint examples that are sitting around. There were dealers cases full of daggers in this approximate condition at the start of the SOS that were still there at the end.

[Skipper Greenwade]

Okay, I'll weigh in here (no autographs, please)



Steve, the dagger is quite a nice one with enough attributes to somewhat offset the condition (which - incidently - isn't that bad). They are:

• It's an early, maker-marked dagger
• It's personalized, and the personalization appears to be original
• It has the dark orange grip many, including me, find desirable. I would love to see it with a slightly worn portepee on it. seeing the lighter grip color underneath the cord at the top and bottom of the grip would be akin to seeing the lighter colored upper scabbard on an early silver example when the dagger is taken out - speaks volumes and looks great.

In the end, though, you've got to go with what makes you happy and the excessive cleaning and scabbard dent are definite negatives, so if you decide to pick this one up, don't overpay. I would set a top price of $400.00 - or the equivalent - on this one as-is (no knot or hangers). At that price, you'd better plan on keeping it awhile, though.

Hope that helps,
Skip

[Adrian Stevenson]

Hi Steve, I think the dagger is alright too. I would agree with the guys here.

Cheers, Ade.

[yellow]

Thank you for everyones honest replies. When I first started this thread I assumed that there would be little to talk about..........Heer Dagger........yup........the end

I wish I could say that this dagger belongs to me. I have the opportunity to buy it from a wealthy lady who's father was a WW2 vet and collected weapons during and after the war. I`m of the impression that she thinks this is a worth a lot and no doubt when I offer the money suggested I`m going to look like the bad guy in her eyes I think she thinks shes going to get a holiday to Australia out of it. You know what Joe Public can be like with daggers they seam to think they are worth thousands regardless. Any way....I`ll try my best. and let you know how I get on.

[yellow]

I`m sorry gents, I could not secure the dagger. I offered the full money Skipper suggested and it just wasn't strong enough, oh well. Thank you again for all your expert advice.

Kind regards,

Steve.

[peterwyndavies]

Hi,
I might sound a bit of an idiot here, but can anyone tell me why I can't get any pictures on this thread?
Thanks,
Peter.