Officer sword of Third Reich [Carl Eickhorn]. Stamp – Ges. Gesch.. Field Marshall Series Wrangel №1693

Following the restoration of German armed forces, the saber was reintroduced as a ceremonial cold weapon for officers, continuing the traditions of the Imperial Army and the Reichswehr. Unlike the army dagger model of 1935, officer sabers were produced in numerous design variations by various Solingen manufacturers. In May 1943, saber production was discontinued due to military industrial requirements; however, specimens already in service continued to be worn with dress uniforms. At the end of 1944, the wearing of ceremonial cold weapons was abolished, and officers were ordered to carry a pistol instead of a saber or dagger.

The Carl Eickhorn company was founded in Solingen in 1865 and became one of Germany’s largest producers of cold weapons. The company trademark featuring a squirrel (Eichhörnchen) was a guarantee of the highest quality products. During the Third Reich, the enterprise produced a wide range of regulation cold weapons: daggers for all branches of service, SA, SS, NPEA, NSFK, and TeNo daggers, as well as ceremonial daggers, sabers, and dress swords. Carl Eickhorn products are distinguished by superior steel quality, meticulous finishing, and are highly valued by modern collectors.

The mark “Ges. Gesch.,” an abbreviation of the German “Gesetzlich Geschützt” (Legally Protected), indicates patent protection for the product or its elements within German territory. This marking was widely applied to Third Reich cold weapons, primarily on daggers and daggers of party and paramilitary organizations, designating patented design solutions for hilts, scabbards, or decorative elements. The presence of an original mark attests to the authenticity of the object and its manufacture during the period when German patent law was in effect, which serves as an important attribution characteristic for collectors.

A special place among army sabers of the Third Reich era is occupied by the famous “Field Marshal Series” of Carl Eickhorn, Solingen. The series consisted of nine different models, each bearing the name of an outstanding German military figure or historical personage: Wrangel, Scharnhorst, Blücher, von Stein, Roon, Derfflinger, Zieten, Prinz Eugen, and Lützow. The term “Field Marshal Series” is a traditional collector’s designation. The models had their own catalog numbers and differed in the design of their hilts, pommels, and decorative elements. A significant portion of the designs is connected to the renowned artist and weapons designer Paul Casberg. Today, the “Field Marshal Series” represents a special collecting interest precisely as a complete thematic collection: nine catalog models from one of Solingen’s leading manufacturers allow for assembling a complete, historically established series of Eickhorn army sabers. Individual models are considerably rarer than others, making the creation of a complete set a serious collecting objective.