Proof marks, date codes, and german firearms international. Proof mark circa proof house type of proof and gun since 1950 e. Solingen, germany swords and knives david atkinson. The book provides good facts, but lacks completeness of the sword manufacturers and is missing a number of swordmakers. The pommel has more than 95% of the original gilt on the swastika emblems remaining. Horstmann held government contracts for 1043 cavalry sabers, 1143 nco swords, 270 musician swords, and 87 light artillery sabers, and is the only known maker of the m1840 marine sword.
In medieval and early modern europe, numerous regions and cities consolidated and expanded their ageold standing and reputation as centers for the production of arms and armor. Sword blades of that period are invariably unmarked, with the. Collectors can find here a big assortment of medals, uniforms, headgear, helmets, documents, award documents, etc. Time traveler militaria german ww2 military swords. Famous makers of arms and armors and european centers of. Albion swords ltd llc does not monitor or sell user web activity. How to identify german manufacturing marks our pastimes. Some marks look like a circle, square, bird or animal shape, etc. Proof marks, date codes, and german firearms the bulk of the proof stamps on this walther ppks.
How to identify german porcelain makers our pastimes. Janssenmilitaria in the netherlands is an online shop for genuine ww2 military collectibles with main focus on germany 19331945. Overall it does provide history of german bladesmithing and lists most of the german sword marks. The blade is stamped with a makers mark under the hilt langet difficult to see but looks like a squirrel so. Different combinations of marks can be seen, ranging from an unmarked blade to a blade with a maker mark and a distributor mark. Swordmaker markings, coats of arms, country marks, inspector and. Prior to 1788, there is very little evidence that other ranks swords went through a rigorous form of official inspection. Confederate states armory, kenansville, nc was one of the top two makers of cavalry sabers in the confederacy, based on surviving examples. Most, if not all, blades were imported from germany, and some still carry marks from their german makers. British army sword markings government issue marks. The german empire was a confederation of semiindependent states. German edged weapons german officer sword rare wwi. The sword illustrations are terrible, the photos are very few and are of poor to average quality.
This book is being sold out for many years and is highly priced on the market of vintage books. Swords in their entirety were produced in solingen, but the resident companies also exported many unmounted blades to other cutlers. All were famous for their plate armor, produced by renowned armorers or armorer families. Edged weapon makers from the 14th to the 20th centuries. Click on the thumbnail below to enlarge the picture. Blade makers marks or symbols greetings all, is there a book available which shows the different marks and symbols as well as names of dealers and makers as found on different sword blades, made in the us and germany, and what periods these marks were used. This saber which is a copy of the us model 1840 or 1860 does not have the typical confederate states armory hilt with roman numerals and distinctive flat pommel caps that is froelichs signature saber. The definitive directory of makers and marks, from 1850 to 1945, complete, fullyrevised edition. In spring 2002 anthony carter pubished the sword and knife makers of germany 18502000 vol.
Maker marks continued to be used on army, navy and luftwaffe edged weapons. This is an exciting and comprehensive site to help identify antique swords and is designed to hold a vast library of information of use to the antique sword collector. Hallmarks of german silver of 20th century from 1888. German ss officer sword eickhorn maker marked blade. These sites have german porcelain makers listed alphabetically and by city, and contain pictures of hundreds of marks. Imperial weimar german army sawtooth dress bayonet ks98 ww1 dagger. The previous system of antique german silver marks was based on different town marks symbols and the silver fineness was indicated in loth 12 loth corresponding to 750, loth 812, 14 loth 875, 15 loth 937. This could have been a special ordered sword for an officer who wished to carry a fighting sword like an enlisted cavalryman. German knife and sword makers marks all about pocket. This is before the mergers, name cages and many different wars. Vintage wwi german sawback serrated bayonet w sheath trench knife.
A good example of an imperial german artillery officers sword with extensively decorated blade featuring regimental designation and numerous motifs including gunners in action, imperial eagle, stands of arms and foliage. Back to the text if you want to contact me, please follow the id service link in the table at the top of the page. Collectors who spend enough time around european firearms will often notice that the guns are littered with a variety of odd markings, letters, and other stamps that seem like some sort of. If known, the inspectors name will appear in the caption box under the picture on the bottom left. Issue stamps, acceptance stamps, and serial numbers. Swords of honoor and regulation by kevin hoffman a photographic aid to identification and variations of u. The sword and scabbard are in allaluminum fittings. This was the first piece in my collection dating back to approx. Ww2 german army officer sword eickhorn wrangel on hold sg175. In october 1934 hans potinger held the ss rank of sturmfuhrer 2nd lieutenant and assigned to hilfswerk dachau. Below are several punch marks for german order decoration makers.
Meissen porcelain history and factory and makers marks. Maker marks continued to be used on army, navy and luftwaffe edged weapons until blade production ceased in 1941 swords and 1942 daggers. The following is a list of known edged weapon manufacturers rzm codes taken from collecting the edged weapons of the third reich by tom johnson who has kindly allowed me to use this information from his. I, listing a detailed description of german cutlers starting with the firms names with the letters a to l. Greetings all, is there a book available which shows the different marks and symbols as well as names of dealers and makers as found on different sword blades, made in the us and germany, and what periods these marks were used. The history of british sword manufacture militariahub. The 2614 inch blade is plain with narrow 10inch fullers on each side running from the ricasso.
Every albion product is etched with the albion mark. Distributor marks identify the retail outlet which sold the edged weapon. Deutsches reichs gebrauchs muster, german empire utilty design sufficed. The marks listed below are grouped as far as was possible in a logical order, with similar signs, graphics, shapes, etc grouped together. Proceeds and commissions from these sales in part go towards the purchase of additional reference materials and. German, suhl 1st black powder proof for smooth bored barrels since 1950 e. For example, the eyelash or sickle marks of genoa and elsewhere are well known and often imitated, that is, added to blades originating in german or the caucausus. Hossauer or the silver content mark 938, so you know right away, what they are there for. This is the signature of albion quality and commitment. This is a very nice smf solingen maker marked german air force officers dress. This is the gold standard, the equivalent of goins encyclopedia for german makers of knives, razors, and other forms of cutlery. I see references to different trade mark or makers marks, but very few actually show the mark itself, and when they do, it is just a.
The blades of edged weapons can carry various types of identifying marks. This imperial artillery sword is a fine example in choice condition. Marks with letters are listed in alphabetical order. The book provides good facts, but lacks completeness of the sword manufacturers and is missing a number of sword makers. Hans pottinger, an early member of the ss, was born june 28, 1896 and was an early nsdap party member having number 52,978.
Many varieties of blades and weapons bear the citys name in addition to their cutlers marks. The king of prussia served as the imperial head of state and was given the title kaiser emperor. Marks added to such blades do not necessarily indicate the forge, armory or original swordsmith. All listings follow the same basic format an introduction, the main product lines, information on how they are made, known issues and where to buy them as a minimum.
Casberg was a renowned artist and graphic designer based in berlin and was contracted by eickhorn to submit new patterns or designs for edged weapons and german daggers, swords, and related regalia produced throughout the third reich era. Rather, they may be added locally as markers of quality or power of the blade. It is intact and complete with 58 inches of threads, a nice sharp point never repointed. Walter the sword and bayonet makers of imperial germany. The first section is a list of 262 currently identified dagger manufacturers totalling 440 marks. For instance, the ludwigsburg factory, established in 1763, changed its mark every few years throughout the 18th century. Antique old german germany ww1 folding guard engraved sword. German swords and sword makers presents the most information ever published on german sword equally important to the knowledgeable collector are the histories of the men who designed, manufactured and sold these prized weapons. This exact sword is listed in the imperial era wkc catalog.
Meissen porcelain started in dresden, germany in 1709, by johann friedrich bottger, under the sponsorship of augustus the strong, augustas rex, the elector of saxony. This is a 2912inch long blade 3414 inches overall carl eickhorn maker marked ss officers sword blade only. The high regard accorded arms and armor throughout history also reflected on their origin of manufacture and their makers. Examples of manufaturer marks on german daggers by solingen firm carl. Trademarks have their origins in the masons marks of the middle ages and in the marks applied by guild members thereafter, which helped to differentiate the work of individuals in an era where literacy was an exception instead of the rule. Edged weapon makers from the 14th to the 20th centuries kindle edition by bezdek, richard h download it once and read it on your kindle device, pc, phones or tablets. The monarchs of the other german states held the title konig king.
Both the bayonet and scabbard have matching regimental markings. This sword has features of known georgia makers and scabbard mounts appear identical in style to those made in macon. Proceeds and commissions from these sales in part go towards the purchase of additional reference materials and acquisition expenses. This is a very nice smf solingen maker marked german air force officers dress sword. Remember that marks for particular companies changed throughout the years.
German speaking countries armor production in the german speaking countries centered on several hubs. Swords and sword makers of england and scotland scottish arms makers a biographical dictionary of makers of firearms, edged weapons and armour working in scotland from the 15th century to 1870 scottish swords and dirks an illustrated reference guide to scottish edged weapons stackpole arms and armour. The definitive directory of makers and marks, from 1850 to 1945. A collection of pottery marks using photos and images from our antique collection for easy reference and as a quick guide to the possible attribution of your latest porcelain collectible or pottery marks. Atkinson is licensed under a creative commons attributionnoncommercialsharealike 3. Selected european and related swords updated february 25, 2008. Hallmarks, punch marks, maker s marks sometimes they are fully written out, like.
The history of british sword manufacture is a tale characterised by a series of economic highs and lows, due in part to the changing necessities of military conflict, government intransigence, and an ongoing war conducted by british sword makers, against a flood of cheap, sometimes inferior foreign imports, most notably from solingen, germany. Critical factors in the establishment and success of any such. Visit our shopping site pages and buy from us direct or visit our books for sale pages and buy research materials from one of our affiliates. The sword manufacturers we list below are some of the most well know, well respected sword makers that produce the vast majority of functional swords currently on the market. Every mark corresponds to an albion product line, and each line is defined by its. We have a huge image library of thousands of swords and hundreds of examples of official patternsmodels from many different nations.