SMGO-0018 Heer dagger by Eickhorn

This Eickhorn dagger has the second type guard with an “R” scratched into it and appropriate pommel and ferrule for the maker and period. The grip is a desirable deep orange color. It does have an old stress crack on each side. Due to their position, they are mostly out of sight while in typical display. The cracks are very dark from years of debris and oils getting in there. This indicates that the cracks are old and not likely to worsen as long as proper care is taken. Upon inspection, the grip was found to have a small fingernail sized piece missing under the ferrule. Again, there is no worry of further damage occurring with proper care, but the new owner should know about it before they decide if the dagger is right for them. It does not affect the integrity of the grip or the position upon proper tightening by hand. The blade has no major oxidation issues, but it has developed a “haziness” to it. There are also a few dings to the edges. Not a top blade, but not horrible to look at either. Maybe a 6.5 out of 10. The scabbard is the correct later single screw type for this maker with generic style scabbard bands that clearly sit higher up on the scabbard then originally intended. I would assume they are replacements that were added very late in the period. A well-worn dagger like this could have easily needed new ones, as the rings tend to wear away the holes over time.

This is a nice value dagger for someone looking for a deep orange grip and not wanting to fork over $1,000+ for it.