German Air Sports Formation [Deutscher Luftsport-Verband (DLV)]

The German Air Sports Formation incorporated all German civilian aero clubs in March 1933, under the aegis of its newly appointed head, Bruno Loerzer. Its original role was to attract "air minded" Germans into the NSDAP and to emphasise the importance of modern aviation.

Three principle groups made up the initial DLV organisation:

Flyers of motor-driven aircraft

Flyers of gliders

Flyers of balloons

It acted as a training organisation for the Luftwaffe and swallowed up all air clubs and airfields across Germany.

When the Luftwaffe was officially inaugurated as part of the Wehrmacht in 1935 its function was fulfilled, the DLV was dissolved in July 1936.

In 1934 the DLV President, Bruno Loerzer, introduced a dagger for officers of the DLV. It was almost identical to the late 1935 Luftwaffe type 1 dagger

The DLV dagger was much heavier and larger at 55 cm long. The DLV 1934 55-cm dagger was the longest standard dagger of the Third Reich.

Carl Eickhorn, Paul Weyersburg & Adolph Braun and E.F. Hoster, manufactured these daggers. The Eickhorn daggers had a more "square" quillion block and short arms on the crossguard where as the Weyersberg and the other two were more rounded and had longer arms on the crossguard. The Braun and Weyersburg & Hoster look more like a Luftwaffe 1^st than the Eickhorn which looks very crude.

The pommel was again strange on this style of dagger. On the Eickhorn and Weyersburg the tang came through the top of the pommel and was just flatten down over the top of the pommel. Not peened, that would imply that there was a small rod that ran through the pommel throat area and tang, and that is not the case. Its just a square peg run through a round hole then filed off and flattened out to hold the dagger together tightly. The Braun and Hoster style had a screw on pommel and was obviously the example followed on the 1^st Luftwaffe dagger.

All metal fittings were made from nickel silver, with about 5 microns of silver plating and gold finished sun wheel swastikas. Again the Eickhorn pommel was very crude looking in comparison with the other makers.

The grip was made from wood core and covered in dark blue leather. These had no wire wrap and looked very crude by Luftwaffe 1^st standards. Note that on the Eickhorn the grip is stubby and fat next to the Braun and Weyersburg & Hoster grips that appear longer and thinner.

The leather scabbard had three metal fittings that were secured with staples rather than the normal screws found on a steel based Luftwaffe 1^st dagger. This style scabbard is like the scabbard found on a police bayonet, but finished with an invisible seam rather than the thick sewn seam on the bayonet. The leather scabbards body was without any inside steel liner like that found on the 1^st Luftwaffe dagger. It was instead thick leather. This is the reason that the staples were used rather than screws. The lower scabbard fittings end is a give away on these as there are three, and on some, four end spirals rather that the two end spirals found on a Luftwaffe 1^st dagger. Please note that some very early 1^st Luftwaffe daggers can be found with the staples on a shorter scabbard body. These are NOT "DLV daggers", its just a using up of parts. You will note if X-rayed, that the under body is steel has holes drilled to accommodate the staples.

The scabbard was suspended from a plain nickel ringed double chain hanger with nickel clip, very much like a 1^st Luftwaffe dagger. The connector links come in many different forms like s hooks and crude brass links, nickel links, and even a nickel snap clip style so that the dagger could be removed from the hanger.

The blades are odd looking on the Eickhorn example too, and will have the small twin oval trademark. It has a stepped edge on both sides of the blade at the area where the trademark is found. The blades were High carbon steel and had a light nickel plating on them. The Braun and Weyersburg & Hoster look more like a standard Luftwaffe 1s^t blade just longer at 38-39cm. I have never seen one with a buffer pad intact but would think that they did come with one. These blades look very thin too, again something unique to this style dagger.

A42 cm Silver bullion Portapee was used to complete the accoutrements.

The dagger ceased production in 1935/36.

This is one of the most rare standard style daggers of the time. Its was also one of the earliest daggers like the Army dagger and HJ knife. It’s very hard to find in near mint condition for the obvious reasons of age and scabbard configuration. The leather shrunk and created damage to the blade by pressing the runners on to the blade to hard. As well as letting in moisture that lead to rust, this from the ill fitting throat area from the shrinkage. Then thrown in the length, its just a given that these are not going to be in super condition.

Oh and let’s not forget that Germany was raised to the ground during the war