Historic daggers

Makers and marks on historic daggers

Many historic daggers carry the mark of their maker. This page shows where to look for it, how to photograph the mark, and what a mark tells you and what it does not.

How do I find out who made my dagger?

Look first at the base of the blade, the ricasso, directly behind the crossguard, on both sides of the blade. That is where the maker’s mark sits on the pieces described in our sources. 12

A mark names the maker. It does not say whether grip, scabbard and fittings originally belong with this blade.

Where maker’s marks sit

On the museum piece of the Australian War Memorial, the maker’s mark sits on the back of the base of the blade. DG.DE also names the ricasso as the place of the maker’s mark on Luftwaffe sabres. 12

Further marks can sit on metal parts. An auction house and a dealer describe chain hangers of the 1st model of the Luftwaffe dagger with the imprint “OLC” and the addition “Ges. Gesch.” (legally protected). 34

So do not look only at the blade, but also at the hanger, scabbard and fittings. Marks can be worn or shallow and often show only in raking light.

How to photograph a mark

A legible mark is often the most important photo of an inquiry. It is worth taking the time.

  1. Step 1: Do not clean

    Do not wipe or polish the spot. That can damage the mark.

  2. Step 2: Keep the light flat

    Place the piece by the window and let the light fall flat across the blade from the side.

  3. Step 3: Close and sharp

    Move in close, tap on the mark so that the camera focuses there, and hold steady.

  4. Step 4: Several angles

    Photograph the same spot from two or three light directions and both sides of the blade, even if you cannot see anything.

Detailed instructions are on the page Photographing a dagger.

Frontal light and raking light compared

In frontal light, a shallow impression often disappears. In flat side light it casts small shadows and becomes legible.

Examples from the checked sources

This table shows which makers and marks appear in the sources of this page. It is not a list of makers.

Examples from the checked sources
Maker or mark Place Where found
Alcoso Solingen Reverse of the ricasso of a 2nd model Luftwaffe dagger made in 1941; maker’s mark with scales, “ACS”, “Alcoso” and “Solingen” 2
Eickhorn Solingen Blade of a Luftwaffe dagger of the 1st model (auction house); Eickhorn is also named as a maker of Luftwaffe daggers of the 2nd model 35
Pack, WKC, Puma, Weyersberg, Herder not stated in the source DG.DE names these makers for the 1st model of the Luftwaffe dagger; not independently checked 1
OLC not stated in the sources Imprint “OLC Ges Gesch” on chain hangers of the 1st model; the dealer attributes the mark to the firm Overhoff 34

DG.DE keeps a more extensive list: list of makers at DG.DE (external site).

Solingen as a blade-making city

The museum record gives the place Solingen for Alcoso; for Eickhorn, a caption on Wikipedia also gives Solingen. For the other names in the table, the sources give no place. 25

Solingen is regarded as a world-famous blade-making city. The German Blade Museum there shows edged weapons, cutlery and cutting tools. 6

Luftwaffe daggers and RZM codes

According to DG.DE, Luftwaffe daggers carry maker’s or trade marks but no RZM codes. These are number marks found on other types of dagger. 1

If you find such a number on your piece, photograph it with particular care.

What a mark tells you and what it does not

  • It names the maker of the blade or of the part on which it sits.
  • It does not say whether grip, scabbard and fittings originally belong with the blade.
  • It is no proof of authenticity. If a mark is missing, that does not mean something is wrong. It may be worn or visible only in raking light.
  • A legible mark makes the assessment easier because it can narrow down model and period. But it never replaces a look at the whole piece.

Mark found or not found?

Send us photos with the base of the blade in several light directions. We will look at the piece.

Send photos and request an initial assessment

Read on

Sources and status

The examples come from the sources named here. DAGGRS’s source list does not yet contain specialist literature on makers. The table is therefore a selection and not a reference work.

  1. 1 DG.DE: Blankwaffen, Luftwaffe (external site). DG.DE | Historica, retrieved on 2026-10-28. DG.DE’s own description, not an independent source.
  2. 2 Luftwaffe Dagger 2nd Model, Inventarnummer REL35669 (external site). Australian War Memorial, Canberra, retrieved on 2026-10-28. Museum.
  3. 3 Lot 334962, Luftwaffe Model 1935 officer’s dagger (1st Pattern) (external site). Noonans, auction house, retrieved on 2026-10-28. Auction house.
  4. 4 First Model Luftwaffe Dagger with Scabbard and Hangers (external site). Horse Soldier, dealer, retrieved on 2026-10-28. Dealer description.
  5. 5 Uniforms of the Luftwaffe (1935–1945) (external site). Wikipedia (English), retrieved on 2026-10-28. Reference work.
  6. 6 Deutsches Klingenmuseum (external site). museum.de, museum portal, retrieved on 2026-10-28. Museum.
Status of the information
28 October 2026
Publisher
DAGGRS, a specialist service of DGDE GmbH

Have you found an error? Write to us via the contact page.