Klaas Heer/ Luft with non-plated blade question

[fdodge]

Just a question, but Klaas Heer and Luft blades are commonly plated. How often are they found with polished blades with crossgrain? Would one be considered a turkey?

[fdodge]

Just answered my own question.

[fdodge]

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[Billy G]

I had an identical one with the white paint over black grip previously & it was polished like yours. Beautiful looking example.

[dr01]

Klaas blades with crossgrain are very common. I’ve seen plenty and have a few in my own collection as wel. Klaas used plated and polished blades. The one you show is perfectly fine and with a rare white painted grip! Instant buy I’d say.

Danny

[fdodge]

The one you show is perfectly fine and with a rare white painted grip! Instant buy I’d say.

Danny

That one is in my collection.

[dr01]

That one is in my collection.

Congratulations! It took me years to find a decent Klaas with white painted grip. Most of them were transformed into socalled railway daggers

[Frogprince]

From a manufacturing perspective the plated blades should probably be seen with the early blades versus the later ones. My reasoning being that nickel was increasingly used for military production and became scarcer as time went on. As a practical matter that is why (IMO) the later 4th generation M1936 SS daggers had a very thin plating later that is/was fairly susceptible to corrosion. The later timing factor also applying (IMO) to the black grips as a more readily available plastic resin, and easier to manufacture. FP