Kriegsmarine naval sword

[DBaker]

Hello fellow sword lovers. I thought I would post a few pictures of a Kriegsmarine naval sword that I have had for years. Marker Marked Horster with their classic fouled anchor sailing ship motif. This blade is the triple etch variety with the floral pattern on the upper spine. Also has the official Kriegsmarine stamp on the folding hand guard. I just love these. Enjoy......

[DBaker]

couple of additional pictures.

[larry]

sword

A very !!! nice sword, I need to find one for myself

[DBaker]

Larry
I would have a whole wall of these babies if I could find and afford them. Pretty rare and hard to find in desirable condition. But they sure are beautiful....

[glaser]

kriegsmarine naval sword

I don't like the sword and I don't like the eagle, I hope I am wrong but I have my doubts. Lets listen to some swords specialists here, come on guys?

[km-spain]

Agree with glaser, i¡m not 100% sure about the sword by it self only with these pictures but not good feeling with it, but the stamp is not original for sure IMO. Lattely we are viewing some very good quelity KM sword arround, even in top auction houses as Hermann Historica, so this is a mine field.

[DR DOLCH]

The whole hobby is one hugh minefield.

[DBaker]

some additional pictures

Thought I would post a few more shots of this naval sword. One picture of the numbers under the hand guard. and a few of the matching numbers on the scabbard. These numbers under the crossguard are on the scabbard on all three of the brass components where the belt hangers attach and also on the drag. Both top and bottom of each piece respectively.

[DBaker]

under the crossguard

last picture of the underside of crossguard..

[DBaker]

By the way. I have had this piece in my collection for about 8 years now... I originally bought it from Thomas Wittmann.....I hope he didn't sell me a dud!!! At the time he was very sure about this piece and its originality. I talked with him over the phone prior to purchasing it. He did say the portepee was incorrect and that they were not typically gold but I left it on anyway since it was tied in the correct fashion. This is what I know about this sword.....

[DBaker]

I just went back and cross-referenced this Kriegsmarine stamp mark. If anyone has a copy of Thomas Wittmanns "Exploring the Dress Daggers of the German Navy" You may find within this book on page 500 at the very top is a picture of a Horster piece that exhibits an identical inspection stamp as this piece shown here. It would seem, based on other pictures of other stamped swords, that different makers had different stamp marks and the location of the stamp seemed to vary as well. Alcoso seems to be different than Horster etc...Thought this info may shed some additional light.....

[Barry Brown]

I do not recall seeing an etched blade TR Navy sword with KM acceptance and property stamps. Only on the plain blade issued swords, imo.
I associate an etched blade with a private purchase. But, jmho.

[Frogprince]

I do not recall seeing an etched blade TR Navy sword with KM acceptance and property stamps. Only on the plain blade issued swords, imo.
I associate an etched blade with a private purchase. But, jmho.

I'm sorry to have to say that I'm in agreement with the above, and the supposed Naval acceptance stamp IMO does not look quite right either. These swords were supposed to be the 'plain jane' government issue ones for "Unteroffizier mit Portepee" (senior grade NCO's) - and the legitimate examples in my experience traditionally had plain blades. FP

[km-spain]

Hello, I have to agree with previous comments, I've never seen a sword with etched blade stamped with KM proofmark, and is also very strange a sword stamped with the proofmark and without the naval property number (N or O).

Is true that the provenance is really good, Mr.Wittmann, and this sword is for sure the one that is shown in page 499 of his book, anyway is strange that he doesn't say nothing about the KM stamp and in page 500 show another Hörster piece with very similar stamp, not seen on other pieces, but this time with property number. At least is strange for me, this doesn't mean that this is not a good sword, but I'm still not confortable with the stamp.

[glaser]

KM sword Kriegsmarine

Mr Wittman is referring on page 499 to "the fine blade etch hints only slightly at the swastica symbols in the ensigns flying from the warship's masts".
I don' t see any swastica in the flags on picture #1, but maybe we need a close-up?