SS Sword. Any Opinions?

[malborghetto]

Hello,
any opinions to this SS sword?

http://sammlerstuebchen-coburg.de/ca...products_id=66

Regards, Christian

[JONATHAN]

looks good to me, photos on the small size - has the handle been touched up with laquer ?

[The Red Baron]

the handle was what stuck out to me as well, my SS Führer Degen maintains all of its lacquer still, but it is much more "dull" and matte than this. It just doesnt look right! Everything else looks pretty nice, hard to tell 100% with such small photographs too...

[cogwheel]

Some of the early SS swords had a glossy finish. On most of these the paint has worn off or became dull. Dachau sword grips had a semigloss finish, most of the time.
Of course, there is the possibility that the grip was refinished. But it sure looks good.

[cogwheel]

If the finish seems too glossy there are ways to dull it down a bit. Take a soft grade of Scotchbrite and rub the handle GENTLY.
When I restore an SS or police sword grip I always use semigloss paint and then polish it up to the desired gloss.

The point is that whatever finish there is you never know if it had been manipulated along the way.

[wolfslair]

Ebony grip has been re-done with a gloss finish - otherwise a nice degen.
The ss knot looks good - seems to have the right amount of wear.
Don't think the presention case is period..but that's obvious.
Does it come with the ss collar tab too?
Steve

[The Red Baron]

Interesting that the majority of the piece seems to be in such a nice condition, why would the grip need to be redone? possibly simply faded brown over the years? Either way, still a nice piece....

[malborghetto]

Collar tab and case is not included. Only sword and knot.
Thank you for your opinions!

Regards, Christian

[cogwheel]

Red Baron: You are asking why a grip would have been redone. I can only answer from my own experience. It has nothing to do with the loss of paint on the handle. Nearly all the early SS swords I restored had grip damage that resulted from someone unfamiliar with the hilt construction trying to take it appart. I have never encountered this type of damage on officer or NCO Dachau made SS or police swords.

[The Red Baron]

I don't see how, from these pictures, we can tell that any damage has been repaired though. How do we know the grip was not simply re-lacquered....

[cogwheel]

We don't!!

[The Red Baron]

As an aside, I've noticed that on an NCO degen I owned, it had two layers of some sort of lacquer, the base layer remained 100% but there was another, over layer that remained just around the ferrule. My Führer degen, on the other hand seems to just have one layer that remains in its entirety. I'm assuming this is a vintage issue or perhaps manufacturer.