Klaas Etched 2nd Luft - from SOS

[F. J. Stephens]

Klaas Luft

Jeff, I don't know. So far nobody I know, except one, has seen this feature on another example. I send him this link if he cares to post.


Billy,
I never understood it quite like I do now, as I see why collectors prefer Klaas etches.


Thanks for the Congrats John. I guess this is a hard etch to find. First one I've come across.


Thanks also for the kind words Ralph, Paul H., Tom, Ron, Craig H. and Wim Van.


Anyone have a theory of why so few of these scarce etch makers such as CJ Krebs, Herder and Klaas are so rarely seen compared to Voos ?


-wagner-

Hi Serge,

Thanks for the link - I confirm that it was myself who mentioned to you at the SoS that I also had formerly owned a Luft 37 which was devoid of the oak leaf decoration on the upper face of the crossguard. This was in about 1964/65. I did take a photograph of it at the time - but I haven't seen the photo for 20 or more years. It will be stashed in a storage box somewhere, probably in my garage.

I cannot recall if my piece was actually a Klaas, I was more interested in the curiosity of the absence of the decoration, which I guessed was possibly a late period production piece (or even constructed out of unfinished parts) although the rest of the piece seemed perfectly standard. It did not have an etched blade (I would have remembered that, if it had been the case), and it was the only example of the missing decoration feature that I have ever seen or heard about - until we had our conversation about your piece.

Most usually the decoration on the upper face of the crossguard is "embossed" in relief - and therefore has to be an integral feature of the die used to strike the crossguard. There are other examples whereby the upper decoration appears to be machine engraved (which would be a separate process in the manufacture of the crossguard), which leaves open the speculation that it is a regular production crossguard from which the engraving finish has inadvertently been missed.

It is pleasing to know that you now have one of these obscure rarities - and it is in much better condition than the exmple I possessed; that etched blade is a real beauty.

I wish I knew the circumstances that resulted in the omission of the decoration, but any reason I suggest would be purely a guess.

FJS

[JohnZ]

Wagner:

My guess as to why other than Voos makers for these etches are so rare is that:

1) Voos 'owned' the etch and would push their mark as much as they could.
2) Voos offered a no maker mark blade with a slight variation etch, probably to uniform shops.
3) Voos would put their etch on other blades as a favour to people or uniform shops, but reluctantly, probably based on their relatiosnhip.

Why would someone want a Voos etch on a Klaas dagger? Because they already had a Klaas dagger and really liked the etch and wanted it and it probably cost a little less than buying a whole new dagger to have it etched on the blade they already owned.

My guess.

John

[lakesidetrader]

Wags, I'm so glad that nobody condenmed this piece due to the crossguard. Don't know how many times we've heard" Oh the Germans would never let such poor quality leave the shop"!! This is a great piece I would be proud to own.
The crossguards IMHO where die cast from molds not die struck. The mold "core" with the top feature may have been out for repair or whatever and someone replaced the core with a flat face. Perhaps to get an order finished up. Doubt this would have happened in 1936, but in 1942 on a Friday afternoon.. yup.

[JohnZ]

Wagner pointed out ot me that the TM differs on the etched blade from the plain blade.

Silly me, I try to think that I am a TM guy and didn't notice that the etched dagger mark seems thinner than the regular Klaas kissing canes. Plus it is placed closer to the tang/crossguard to make room for the etch.

So, the whole blade would have been replaced and put into the Klaas sourced fittings and scabbard.

The Voos style unmarked etched blades differ from these examples since they do not leave room for the TM. So, the Klaas marked blade had to have been etched using the Voos etch that Voos used on their own marked blade.

It is also interesting that there was some kind of relationship between Klaas and Voos (and CJ Krebs and RA Herder... which have examples of the Voos etch on their marked blades). This relatiosnhip is evidenced by the use of Klaas etches on Voos, Herder, Krebs (and the other Krebs, Tiger, Wingen, Spitzer, Schaaf, Grafrath and Hack-Werk) bayonets. So, Klaas would make etched bayonet blades for Voos and Krebs and Voos would make etched blades for Klaas and Krebs and Herder.

John

[Serge M.]

Wags, I'm so glad that nobody condenmed this piece due to the crossguard. Don't know how many times we've heard" Oh the Germans would never let such poor quality leave the shop"!! This is a great piece I would be proud to own.
The crossguards IMHO where die cast from molds not die struck. The mold "core" with the top feature may have been out for repair or whatever and someone replaced the core with a flat face. Perhaps to get an order finished up. Doubt this would have happened in 1936, but in 1942 on a Friday afternoon.. yup.

Paul, I agree completely.
That line of.."The Germans would never let such poor quality leave the shop"...I've heard plenty myself. Too bad that these guys have not been in the hobby long enough to see VG-1-5's, VG-1's, last ditch bayos, guns with lacquer coats or in The white, and all sorts of variants in guns and blades when things got rushed and in short supply.

I suspect this Klaas Luft IS a late war assembled dagger but It doesn't look like they were in a rush to make the etching. So just maybe they had these blades already made earlier and sitting in a drawer waiting for a order that wanted this striking embellishment. Who knows?
One of my favorite sayings we hear all the time..."I've never seen that before'. Well, when this one was handed to me -I never saw a crossguard like that either. Doesn't mean anything, except I never seen one. Not one in Witty's Luftwaffe Bible either. But there it is...and there it is in your hand and you look at it and you just know that it is 'right' and has been like that from the factory.
For me, I just like this unusual stuff...I guess it was 'My Turn' this time.

Here is a Klaas with what looks like a generic crossguard on a white painted gripped version on top of the topic sans version.
Ron W. is correct, someones got to do a 'Variations on a Theme' book with this company.

[Serge M.]

Wagner pointed out ot me that the TM differs on the etched blade from the plain blade.

---------------------edit by wagner---------------

John

Here's what Johnny Z. is talking about.

-wagner-

[Mac 66]

Wags, it must be great to know you own one of these rare 2nd luft daggers with a lovely quality etched blade, i bet there is many blade collectors wanting this peice in there collection as we speak .


Congrats!!!

Also a great learning thread


Regards Mac 66.

[JohnZ]

For comaprison purposes, here is the eagle from a Voos marked blade and one from an unmarked balde... if you look at the top and bottom borders, you will see a difference between the two etch patterns.

John

[JohnZ]

Let's try it again

[JohnZ]

The above is the Voos style on an unmarked blade.

Since I can only load once pic at a time, it looks like, here is the Voos marked blade.

[JohnZ]

And, here is the eagle on the CJ Krebs marked blade.

John