Luftwaffe eickhorn officers sword picked up yesterday.

[jimjim91607]

Dear Members,

I picked up this Luftwaffe officers sword on Sunday.

It is an Eickhorn and I now have three of them.

The scabbard is a little damaged, but hey it went through a war !

Anyway any comments are welcome.

Should I clean it, or leave it as it is.

Thanks for any advice.

Regards Stephen.

[jimjim91607]

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it is a very long sword, compared to my other two.

[jimjim91607]

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Any body know what the little stamp is below the Eickhorn stamp ?

[SNOOPY]

...........

Please don't clean it!!! Ruins the history and value of the piece. Never clean!

[David48]

The stamp is a proof mark that the blade has been tested for a specified range of tensile strengths.

[Frogprince]

You see guys who “tart up” items to try and make them look like new, recovering scabbards etc. etc. But that irrevocably destroys their originally, and there are those who might justifiably question what else was done?? But this is not a relic, it's a good “as found” example of a military issue Luftwaffe sword and it’s not rusting or looking like it’s suffering additional damage, so I would leave it alone myself. And you can always upgrade or trade later on if you want a “minty” one. As for the marking it’s a Luftwaffe acceptance mark, as seen on some fighting knives, daggers, pistols, holsters, machine guns etc. which sets it apart from privately owned/purchased swords. FP

[jimjim91607]

Dear Frogprince, David 48, Snoopy,

Thank you for all your comments and advice.

I agree and will leave the sword as is.

Cheers Stephen.

[David48]

You see guys who “tart up” items to try and make them look like new, recovering scabbards etc. etc. But that irrevocably destroys their originally, and there are those who might justifiably question what else was done?? But this is not a relic, it's a good “as found” example of a military issue Luftwaffe sword and it’s not rusting or looking like it’s suffering additional damage, so I would leave it alone myself. And you can always upgrade or trade later on if you want a “minty” one. As for the marking it’s a Luftwaffe acceptance mark, as seen on some fighting knives, daggers, pistols, holsters, machine guns etc. which sets it apart from privately owned/purchased swords. FP

Sorry for wrong Imfo, were the acceptance marks stamped by the Luftwaffe or manufacturer in this case Eickhorn?

[cogwheel]

Well, I just want to provide a counterpoint to this socalled "historical" connection suggested above. In the current condition this sword could represent a piece salvaged from a downed airplane or it could have been worn by some rag tag military outfit that regularly fell out for revelle with a uniform with the ass of the pants hanging out to proudly show off their dirty underwear while eager to go on to breakfast.
This sword is an early nickel silver edition that has the potential to be restored to its original state which would truly represent the history of this spit and polish military unit.
In its current condition it does not represent the German military but provides an example of the neglect and abuse some of this stuff has experienced since 1945.
All I want to do is provide an alternative point of view to collecting in an attempt to strike a reasonable balance.

[Paul Scott]

I agree with cogwheel, you wouldn't leave a vintage car in that state and the sword in no way resembles how it would have looked when the original owner wore it. To be honest I'm fed up of the 'to clean or not to clean' debate, collectors will do as they will with their own artifacts, if you want items that represent the period you'll have to clean and restore, if you want 70 years of collective post war dirt and grime then leave alone, fortunately, for those who can afford them, there are untouched clean and minty pieces out there and contrary to the 'you will devalue it' argument they carry a premium because of their condition.

[Frogprince]

........... were the acceptance marks stamped by the Luftwaffe or manufacturer in this case Eickhorn?

David,  The markings were stamped by or at the direction of Luftwaffe personnel pursuant to the items acquisition by that organization. With the Luftwaffe machine guns being a good example of unique items procured just by them and not rest of the Wehrmacht, or private purchases. FP


As for the restore or leave as is discussion ............ that has been debated for years. And when does a simple cleaning of dust, dirt, and grime cross over the line into something else? I originally started collecting guns and while a reblued, sanded, and refinished gun (mixed parts optional) might present a closer to factory original appearance. When it comes time to buy, sell, or trade most gun collectors will pay much more for a lesser condition original piece versus one that is all shiny and new looking. With even a museum grade restoration still bringing less money than a comparable condition original (without even factoring in the restoration's cost). Also knowing of some daggers and swords that are worth more, and would lose value if the honest patina they acquired was removed to try and make them look new. But to each his own. As I also know that there are some guys who like the appearance of new looking daggers and swords - and that there are dealers (and collectors) who do their best to accommodate them with various and sundry enhancements to the different items being sold. FP

PS: There is also a legitimate place for the repair of especially scarce/rare items, but that is more of a judgement call on a case by case basis IMO.

[David48]

Thanks, FP, for clearing that up about the acceptance stamp.
Regards,
David

[jancz3rt]

Beautiful

In my opinion one of the nicest edged weapons of the era. Congrats on a wonderful acquisition. I would recommend not cleaning and leaving it to tell its story. Congrats.

JAN