Fridericus Damascus Army Dagger

[Billy G]

Johnson listed a Damascus Army dagger by Fridericus yesterday and something jumped out at me, the obvious WKC crossguard. Admittedly I am not an Army specialist but thought this unusual and possibly problematic. The grip does look like ivory but the crossguard still troubles me despit ethe scabbard looking like a WKC product. Why not generic which is what's usually seen on Friedericus products. And the ferrule fit looks poor, anyone else have thoughts on it?

[Billy G]

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[Billy G]

#3

[Billy G]

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[Ron Weinand]

Here is my fidericus damascus direct ww2 veteran buy (from the president of wiu in the early 1970s). It has the same type crossguard.

[Ron Weinand]

Btw its a paul dinger blade and so marked

[Billy G]

Ron,

Thanks for posting those pics. I've owned Fridericus Army daggers in the past & still own a Luft by them. The parts were all generic as were the parts on the example(s) in Tom Wittmann's book, so I guess that was my concern, that this example had specific maker elements.

[WW2-Collector]

Ron yours has a Generic A it looks like - The other a WKC - yes billy that is not a combo i would own for my collection.

[Billy G]

I really have to stop looking at pictures on a small phone screen. Ron's Fridericus does look like a generic A, which I think was my original concern.

I believe Fridericus would be classified as a cottage-maker that would have purchased parts from other manufacturers to complete daggers. No one can say for certain that they didn't use WKC crossguards to produce Army daggers but my experience in seeing the parts made me question this particular dagger.

[Wim Vangossum]

Yes generic A and WKC look very the same from a distance. If I spend my money on a Fredericus It would be a textbook piece with the correct type A generic crossguard.


Regards, Wim

[BobI]

You guys can keep the fittings, I will take the blade!
Bob

[Billy G]

This example of a damast blade by Fridericus appears in Tom Johnson's series "German Daggers of World War II". The crossguard is a generic A.

[Billy G]

Detail

[heers68]

The scabbard appears to be a lesser seen but correct Eick made scabbard procured and then used by WKC with their single screw.. so could very well be correct WKC Heer with a replaced blade.. and possibly grip too? This is all up to what is “normally seen” make your own conclusions on what you are comfortable with. Best, Kevin.

[rob NL]

from these pics blade is NOT an original Fridericus. IMHO.