2ad3a32e_es__World_War_II__Nazi_Germany__Description
[Grade] NM [Item #] DC289 [Description] 
Luftwaffe Officer's Sword with Genuine Damascus Steel Blade. This exquisite and incredibly rare sword was "veteran acquired" by the consignor, who happens to be a dear friend of mine, and my "dagger guru"...and a few other TR edged weapons collector's guru as well I'm sure. He purchased this beauty directly from the capturing vet around 1973, and it's been in his collection ever since. This simple fact makes this sword that much more desirable and valuable... because it's history is known to the consignor and easily traceable. It's never been circulated in what has become a very corrupt and fraudulent collecting community. It's been in the hands of just 3 owners....the Luftwaffe officer who owned it for the least amount of time during the war, the US Veteran who brought it home and treasured it for at least 23 years, and the consignor whose owned it for approximately 35 years. For those of you who can afford to add a treasure like this to your collection, you have to ask yourself how many times you'll get an opportunity like this again. The sword is still at home with the consignor so all you have to do is email or call me and I'll provide the information you'll need to contact him yourself. He'll be more than happy to answer all of your question, provide as much information about it's history as he can, and discuss payment options if you're serious about acquiring a once in a life time Damascus treasure. And yes, it really is in NEAR MINT CONDITION!!!! The blue leather on the grip and scabbard is near perfect with only a few very slight blemishes. If not for these subtle signs of age, the leather would be rated 100% mint! The seams are still tight and well preserved with no damage or signs of neglect. The grip features an aluminum wire wrap, but the sword and scabbard have nickel fittings with a heavy silver plating, 99% of which is still intact. These features date this sword to a time of production around 1937 when the transitional fittings came into play, and just before they were produced with all aluminum fittings. All four swastikas on the pommel and cross guard retain 99% of the bright gold finish...they're truly stunning. All of the silver plated fittings retain an incredibly rich age patina that bring out the true beauty of this unbelievable sword. The most obvious and appealing feature is the Damascus blade, which is as near perfect as you could ever hope to find. It's never been polished, cleaned, or tampered with so it retains the original and truly wonderful rich age patina to the carbon mix. It's very rare to see this on true Damascus blades found in this state of preservation. Most dealers clean and even polish their blades to make them more impressive and sellable. Looking at the consignor's photos you'll see that the blade and all of the internal parts are stamped the same, and the tang is marked to the Master Damascus smith Paul Hillmann...who trained Master Smith Carl Wester. Hand assembled and precisely fitted, this sword only goes together one way. The attached sword hanger is original to the sword and in near mint condition, but the consignor added the belt strap hanger about 30 years ago to make it more complete. The consignor told me there are only 10 known examples of this sword to have surfaced since the war's end. This sword would be the panicle of anyone's collection bar none!
Third Reich Depot, military collectables, World War II, Nazi Germany
Description