History

The German Wehrmacht was composed of three main branches, the Heer, the Kriegsmarine, and the Luftwaffe. The Heer and the Kriegsmarine had a long history of edged weapons dating back to the late 19th century, while the Luftwaffe did not.

The design of the Marine Sabre (Marinesäbel) utilized during the Third Reich copied the sabres used during the Kaiserliche Marine.

These sabres were permitted for wear by Petty Officer ranks and up. It was worn in conjunction with the blue service dress, walking out dress, reporting dress, parade dress, and informal full dress, and it was also rarely worn with the field-grey uniform. They were not allowed to be worn while on board a ship or in the barracks unless specifically ordered.

This sabre is composed of several main attributes, including the pommel, the knuckle guard, the hilt, the grip, the clamshell crossguard, the blade, the scabbard, the portepee, and the manufacturer, inspection, and official Kriegsmarine marks. The fittings and mounts are composed of brass gilt; they are meant to appear golden. Additional elements could be added to these sabres if the wearer paid additional fees, such as a Damascus blades that were hand-forged in steel.

The pommel features the head of a lion, and the eyes may feature red and green glass inserts. The hilt and knuckle guard are decorated with floral and geometric line designs. The grip is composed of white plastic or ivory with gold-coloured wire wrapped in horizontal rows along the entire grip.

The clamshell cross guard is composed of two pieces, the large front shell, and the smaller rear shell. The front shell features floral designs and a fouled anchor, while the rear shell only has a small hole through which the sabre could be attached to the scabbard. Both clamshell crossguards are generally spring-swiveled and may be folded down for easier storage and wear.

The blade is composed of nickel-plated steel, and it varies in length depending on the height of the wearer. The obverse and reverse of the blade may be decorated with etched naval scenes.

The scabbard is made from black leather and features three fittings/mounts. The top two mounts feature permanently attached hanger rings, and the bottom mount does not. When the sabre was officially manufactured and distributed by the Kriegsmarine, the scabbard and sabre were stamped with an inspection mark. The mark is composed of a stylized national emblem eagle in the Kriegsmarine pattern, with an “M” for marine featured below the eagle. These inspection marks may be located on the bottom of the scabbard and on the sabre’s clamshell crossguards.

The portepee is worn tied around the knuckle guard and grip in a sailor’s knot (webeleinensteg).

The manufacturer marks are acid etched onto the reverse ricasso. Known manufacturers include, but are not limited to, Adolf Braun, Alcoso, E. & F. Hörster, Carl Eickhorn, Paul Weyersberg, and WKC.

The sabres that were officially issued by the Kriegsmarine also feature a serial number accompanied by a prefixed letter. These numbers and letter indicates the sea in which the wearer served (N=Nordsee/North Sea and O=Ostsee/Baltic). These official sabres were also often marked with the Navy ordnance mark "Waffenamt" which features a stylized eagle with an "M" below it.