Opinions needed on Heer Dress Dagger

[SwordFish]

Wolf-
I think you mean Holler. Typically the Holler Berlin or Solingen TM are associated with the Span repros.

[wolfeknives]

Yes, sorry, it is the Holler Berlin mark I was referring to.
Wolfgang

[SwordFish]

Yes, sorry, it is the Holler Berlin mark I was referring to.
Wolfgang

On a side note, there is a market for reproduction pieces. I had at one time owned a Span. Holler Solingen marked 1st Luft...with the typical hideous thermometer, but an example that was early enough. I got rid of the piece, and in retrospect, wish I would have kept it. All that being said, i have no inention of starting to collect repro blades any time soon. If I still had some decent examples, I might think otherwise.

[peterwyndavies]

Thanks Tom and Wolfgang. Ther looks to be silver plating on the item. I really purchased the piece at auction without properly checking it out, a thing I very rarely do fortunately. Also i didn't pay a fortune for it, I think around £50. I saw the screw holding the liners in so neatly placed , the obvious silver plating, the excellent-to my eye -eagle and swaz and thought that I should go for it. It sems that the thing must have cost about that to make. I remember seeing another dagger similar to it at another auction with the clasic Alcoso marks on the blade, but on this one the arms of the swaz were not of an even thickness some being thicker than others.
This has at least turned out to be interesting and provided me with an opportunity to learn about faking, without prohibitive cost.
I take it that no genuine daggers have the "Swirls" in the pattern of the dots, this particular maker's mark, or this type of Tang?
Looking at it closely the scabbard even seems to have developed "Wear Marks" at the tip due to rubbing against clothes whils being worn.
Peter.

[Billy G]

An interesting postscript to this thread, it seems H&M made at least 1 period Heer dagger. I was perusing Johnson's "German Daggers of WWII" & fell upon page 70. According to Johnson, this mark is "undoubtedly the rarest Solingen manufacturer's trademark found by the author to date on an Army dagger".

[DJ Roach]

H&m

I'd bet my retirement the "Johnson" piece is as bogus as this one. H&Ms have started crawling out of the woodwork, s l o w l y...... so as not to raise a lot of suspicion? That's the way it looks to me.

This is the 2nd H&M I've seen along with another 3-4 "super rare" marks of other "makers". Don't think these things happen by accident either.

The fakeroos are out to cash in on these "super rare" marks. Made to sell to unsuspecting collectors.

[peterwyndavies]

Thanks Billy G and DJ Roach. I only have Johnson's pocket book on Daggers at the present. Interesting to see if this mark on Heer Dress Daggers is referred to in any of the other "Heavyweight" literature.
Thanks,
Peter.

[Billy G]

Peter,

Denny Roach is someone I'd consider a resident WAF expert, particularly in the niche of Heer daggers. If he's got a sneaking suspiscion, I'd wager there's good cause.

[peterwyndavies]

Thanks Bill.
I am fairly new to the forum and so will certainly heed your and Denny's advice. I am thinking of getting a set of Wittman's books, I don't know if you think they're the best ? Cost means deliberating a little on this one
Of course there's no substitute for experience.
Peter.