German Police NCO Sword

[George Wheeler]

Gents,

I thought I would show a nice German Police NCO Sword (Polizei-Unterfuhrerdegen) that I picked up at a show last week. This is an example of the straight sword (Degen) worn by certain Police NCOs after introduction in 1938. This sword was made by Richard Herder in Solingen and is of the approved official design that is marked with entwined SS runes within a box on the blade below his logo. SS runes will be found on the blades of some SS-Polizei swords and this mark is little understood by collectors today. This SS runes mark is called a SS-Kulturzeichen in period literature and indeed the official notice establishing this SS-Polizeidegen limited manufacture of the swords to only one company, Carl Julius Krebs. Police buyers were specifically told to look for the approved lobster logo of Krebs along with the SS-Kullturzeichen on the sword blades.

These same entwined SS runes will be found on SS-degen (on the guards and scabbard throat) and on the chain hangers of the Chained SS dagger. The runes are seldom found on Police Swords but at some point in time after 1938 other Solingen edged weapon manufacturers were allowed to participate in making these Police Swords. Very few Polizei-Unterfuhrerdegen will be found marked with the SS runes Kulturzeichen however.