Description
RARE Early Example – Dagger – Strong excellent, hangers – near mint!
Original WW2 German Land Customs Dagger with post war portepee and original deluxe hangers by E&F Horster. This early original example exhibits mild wear/usage, but remains in very collectible condition. The hilt fittings throughout have an early silver plated finish with an untouched tarnished appearance. The vast majority of Horster Land Customs Daggers are aluminium type with no silver plating. The pommel displays carrying wear to the edge and top. The standing leaves, running around the perimeter, are the pointed style, showing hand enhancing at the center veins. The grip is fine original green leather over what appears to be a wooden base. The green leather has some honest carrying highlight wear in a few spots. The leather is tightly wrapped with springy silver wire that has tarnished to an attractive black color. The aluminium ferrule has matching hand-enhanced leaves.
For the new collector or anyone who is not familiar with this magnificent model dagger, the crossguard eagle is a unique bird. The wreath is much larger than the army type, while wings are upward tipped at the ends. The silver plating grades 85%! All in all, the crossguard is truly stunning, with hand chiseling to the bird’s head, checkering at the breast, feathering in the wings, enhancing to the wreath and pebbling to the swastika background. The guard edges remain crisp while the reverse side is smooth. Mounted to the hilt is a post-war Land Customs portepee, grading mint, which is a nice placeholder until an original can be found.
The blade remains bright and shiny, being the nickel plated variety. The edges and tip are crisp. there is an extensive faint smudging to both sides. The crossgraining grades to almost 100%. The reverse ricasso is etched with the double oval trademark that traps the company name and location, EF Horster/Solingen within. Inside contains the logo with the larger H and S inside, that is pierced with a sword. The small brown leather washer is present, grading excellent. The blade grades excellent to strong excellent. The scabbard is totally straight being a steel base covered in fine-grained green leather. The leather shows no hits, cuts or bruises. The scabbard fittings are a steel base with a silver plated finish, grading 98%. Additionally, there are some areas that still retain the original factory lacquer, grading 15% The obverse side of each fitting is hand cut with three slanted decorative lines that are mounted by three flush mounted headless side screws that display minor period turning signs. The thin scabbard throat is built into the fitting.
Accompanying the dagger is an original set of Land Customs Dagger hangers, measuring 11″ in overall length. The upper closed box clip is adorned with oak leaves with the upper portion of the clip marked D.R.G.M. The obverse silver finish remains at 40%, while the smooth reverse side grades 15%, with even wear throughout. The straps are retained to the box clip by being folded over and attached by brown leather retainers (SCARCE option) The oval buckles and slides are the oak leaf variety, retaining at least 50% of the silver finish. The obverse brocade aluminium fronts are exhibiting faint age here and there. They are decorated with thick green stripes that run the length of both edges. The reverse side has a gorgeous thick kelly green colour that appears nearly like new. The lower snaps are the deluxe push-up design with at least 70% of the silver finish still intact. The reverse side of each clip is marked D.R.G.M.
