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DDR NVA Officer Sword


SARGE
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Gents,

I wanted to show and discuss an original DDR Officer parade sword. I have looked for an original for some time and I picked this one up and thought I would show it.

This East German sword differs from most of the recent reproductions in that it has a proper silver color DDR Wappen on the obverse langet. The colored ones are almost all fakes that have been made from cap insignia and are an easy way to spot fakes. The shape of the hilt is also slightly different in that the pommel is much better formed on originals. The grip material on this sword is well fitted leather while reproductions usually have poorly fitted black leather grips and odd wire wrap. Originals also have serial numbers stamped on the reverse langet but some of the fakes now have this feature too. This plain P guard Saxon Sword style were the only item of issue swords used by the East German military and they were utilized by the NVA without a Portepee.

Anyone else with an original DDR sword to show?

 

 

 

DDR sword.JPG

DDR sword hilt.JPG

DDR sword hilt back.JPG

DDR sword langet.JPG

DDR sword drag.JPG

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Originals of this NVA sword are actually quite scarce. The design was copied from the Saxon Police sword worn before WWII and it has a distinctive hilt. Notice the silver colored P guard has no "ears" on the backstrap. The P shaped guard has an extension where the P meets the crossguard. This was originally there to better support the Portepee but the East Germans did not wear a knot on their sword so it was made with style over function. These swords were issued out to officers of parade units and were not privately purchased.

 

Here is a pre-war example of the Saxon Polizei sword that this later NVA sword was modeled from.

 

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Sax Gend sword.JPG

Sax Gend sword hilt.JPG

Sax Gend sword hilt back.JPG

Sax Gend maker.JPG

Sax Gend sword mkgs.JPG

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