Navys

[Gordon Williamson]

Welcome Bob and Skip!

I'm not an edged weapon collector but thought I throw these images in to help get the ball rolling.

I love the pumpkin coloured handle on a KM dagger, and was fortunate enough to find two, both WKC. The Sword is an Alcoso- I had to grab it if just for the near perfect leather on the scabbard-no cracks or creases.

These are just an accompaniment to my main interest in Iron Crosses and U-Boat stuff (the clock is from a Type XXI).
Like I say, I don't actually collect edged weapons, but I do like them.
Only other thing I'd like to get now is a KM issue marked 98 bayonet.

[Gordon Williamson]

This one has the sailing ship type blade and has the owners name "Willi Poppe" engraved in Copperplate Script on the reverse of the scabbard.

[Gordon Williamson]

This one has the standard blade but hammered scabbard.

[Gordon Williamson]

The Sword. Sorry the photos aren't up to much. I'm far more used to taking pics of small stuff like badges!.

[Bob Rodgers]

Gordon, your blades are nice, keep at it, they make a display look top notched

[Rick Research]

Willi Poppe MIGHT be: born 8.3.XX, joined navy 1933, Leutnant (Ing) 1.10.36, in 1937 on "Königsberg," by 1.1.39 Oberleutnant (Ing) living at Am Heisterbusch 45, Neustadt i. H. with wife Ingeborg born 3.9.XX.

He wasn't in the German Navy Engineers Association 1938, or in the Naval Officers Association 1960 or 1963.

There wasn't another pre-WW2 naval "Poppe," though of course these are made more difficult to search for since Warrant Officers also wore daggers, and there is no List of reserve officers.

[Gordon Williamson]

Rick,

Thanks for the info. At least it is something to go on. So far all I had tried was the Toten & Vermisst Datenbank so I knew that no Willi Poppe had been KIA during WW2, but thats about it.

Gordon

[Skipper Greenwade]

Great Looking sutff, Gordon

Seems there are a lot of blade collectors venturing into decorations and vice-versa these days. May have to do with the fact that one rapidly finds himself in a position where, in order to keep on collecting in his chosen field, it costs more and more to stay and play. Back when I started collecting daggers, it wasn't unreasonable to set a goal of owning a nice example of each of the standard production pieces and then maybe - just maybe - even adding an honor dagger or high leader's dagger a few years down the road. Now, with select examples of SA daggers priced in the $600.00 & up range, a lot of collectors would rather branch out, perhaps pairing up a nice Army dagger with an Iron Cross, a Wound Badge and a General Assault or Infantry Assault Badge. That allows them to present a nice display with a lot of history and eye appeal that's still affordable.

Speaking from experience, it's not that far of a leap from a Luftwaffe dagger to an Honor Goblet grouping or from an SS dagger to an Honor Ring. I'm sure it works the other way, too i(i.e, from a Paratrooper badge to a gravity knife. Of course, you'll have to have both the take-down and non-take-down versions just to cover your bases... either can be had for the cost of a nice Para badge.)

Whatever the reason, glad you 'strayed' into edged weapons. Careful, looks to me like you're just a couple of good reference books away from being a blade collector, too!

Skip

[Billy G]

Gordon,
For a guy who isn't "into daggers" you certainly have good taste. The Kriegsmarine daggers you have are what dagger guys crave in a KM, a pumpkin grip with a hammered scabbard. Great examples and you're right. They do look great with some nice KM badges.

[Gordon Williamson]

Although I don't really collect them, I do love them. I have the whole eight volume Johnston set, Wittmanns three volumes so far (of course the Navy volume is my favourite), Angolias books and of course "Me Fecit Solingen". I could spend many hours happily admiring good photos of rare edged weapons.

Each time I see a nice KM blade some little voice keeps telling me "just think of the number of U-Boat Badges you could buy with that cash", or "there's a nice KM Visor for the same amount of dough". Usually the little voice wins and I regretfully turn away from the blade, but just every now and again, another little voice tells the first one to shut up and the blade wins.

Same thing happened today when I saw an ad for a new 6ft long ful hull model of a type VIIc U-Boat -cost over $1500. This time the voice won out with a very reasoned argument -"Where the f*** would you put that !!!" It was a good argument, especially as I already have a waterline one- but like the daggers, they do make a nice centrepiece for a display of U-Boat items.

I gotta stop doing this to myself

[Billy G]

Gordon,
I know what you mean about space, although I'm usually limited to even smaller items that a 6' U-Boot.

It's ironic but the voice that keeps you from buying a blade in lieu of badges is the same voice that keeps me from buying badges in lieu of blades. Funny. I think of things in terms of whattype of dagger it would buy. Sounds like a sickness