German Colonial M1889 Sword?

ussguppy said:
Hi Ron,

Yes, typically, if you see one or two wire wrapping, it means that it was for an NCO. Either that, or it just fell off over the years...

I am unsure of the 92 stamp. I haven't seen where they mark the year made on any of my other swords. It could be plausible for it to be an inventory number from the quartermaster, but its just a guess. It is not in any of my books, so maybe ask around on that one.

Sword length is based off of the height of the wearer, even today. The width of the blade changes a lot per manufacturer, so variance is normal.

I have a sword with a similar handguard that falls lower into the handle like yours. Its not uncommon.

Gabe
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Thanks a bunch Gabe; I feel much better every time I realize it was actually a great find... Not to mention I actually got it for peanuts... or almost: $250 !! (no zero missing)
As for the '92' on my Prussian sword, I went back to my notes--I keep an Excel log of all my militaria acquisitions--and it seems this is a theatre company's ref. number indicating that the sword was 'recycled' by a theatrical supply company for use as a theatre prop post-war...
 
Now i need to find the officer portepee to go with my latest toy… not gonna be easy since the WW2 polizei used the same one (black & red) if I’m not mistaken…
 

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Hello Ron,
a nice IOD89.
Concerning the one with the Royal monogram, with a hunting horn, I think of the Chasseur à cheval detachment of the Expeditionary Brigade in China.
And here I add my own, with the monogram ‘Kaiser’, of an Officer of the Reichsgendarmerie of the Reichsland Alsace-Moselle.IOD1913 Reich 250€Vincey2017.JPGIOD17 Colo Imp. Reichsgend. BIBI.JPG
As this Degen was purchased privately from the trade, it has no hallmark. The manufacturer's mark is not in full with the town, but the commercial logo. (Weyersberg & Kirschbaum, WKC with a king's head and a knight's helmet ) There is no regimentation or year of manufacture.
The blade is nickel-plated, but not engraved, as on ceremonial or honour sabres.
Below is a photo of the France-Reichsland Elsaß-Lothringen border at Mars-La-Tour.

The Reichsgendarme on foot shows the sabre-court, and the Reichsgendarme on horseback, the Degen.
Gend zu Pferde& zuFuss Reichsg_.JPG
 
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Salut Clovis, super épée!
So are you saying my Prussian M1889 sword with the Jäger horn could have seen action in East Asia? But wouldn’t they have used the model with the Reichsadler instead of Prussian on the guard?
 
RON said:
Salut Clovis, super épée!
So are you saying my Prussian M1889 sword with the Jäger horn could have seen action in East Asia? But wouldn’t they have used the model with the Reichsadler instead of Prussian on the guard?
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That's right Ron, I went too fast. It's true that we should have had the Reichsadler. So I withdraw my proposal. Sorry, Ron.
 
Well, speaking of occupied Alsace-Lorraine and the (imperial) Reichsadler, here are a couple of pickelhaubes I’ve had for a while which were the subject of another post here on the forum. Who knows, maybe the helmet to the left is the exact same one the Reichsgendarme on foot is wearing in your photo above? 🤓
 

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Ron, I really like your two helmets.

Your helmet is the regulation model supplied by the army and is probably marked R.G. with the date of issue. The one in the photo is an ‘Eigentum’ helmet, with an ‘officer's’ finish, silk or basane liner with guilloche pattern and tulip tip.
P-F Bibi 4.JPG
Left: Reichsgendarm helmet (Eigentum)
Right: Prussian customs officer's helmet (Eigentum)

Your other helmet on the right is an ‘Executiv-Reichspolizei’. It too was bought off the shelf. (Eigentum).
 
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Hi Clovis.
My Reichsgendarmerie EM Pickelhaube M1895 (left) is indeed marked RG 18 on the inside as for the one to the right, it’s a Schutzmannschaft (Imperial Constabulary) Polizeiwachtmeister (Police Sergeant-Major) Pickelhaube M1895 with no markings whatsoever (private purchase as you mentioned). Here’s a photo i found of the latter on the net (Schutzmannschaft in occupied Alsace-Lorraine, 1914):
 

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Hey Gabe @ussguppy, while doing the annual cleanup of my swords, i noticed another number (“62”) engraved on my Prussian M89 sword but on the folding part of the guard this time, close to the hinge:
 

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RON said:
Salut Clovis, super épée!
So are you saying my Prussian M1889 sword with the Jäger horn could have seen action in East Asia? But wouldn’t they have used the model with the Reichsadler instead of Prussian on the guard?
Click to expand...
Even so, you have to be careful with officer's parts. They kept a certain latitude of freedom.
Freiherr von Willisen, for example, had a superb spiked helmet built for himself when he was transferred to China. He kept his beautiful Garde-Adler, the unit from which he had previously come.
We know that other Guards officers kept their helmets intact, even though they were appointed to a line regiment, for example, at the time of mobilisation.


Chine 0ff Baron von Willisen.JPG
Chine v.Willisen TransylvanieWW1.jpg
Hull type 0stasiatisch ‘officer’, colonial-type officer's point, but Garde-Adler with Garde-Stern, instead of Reich-Adler
 
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Nice sword collection Paweł! Thanks for sharing. How can you tell this isn’t a WW2 portepee? Especially that it looks in mint/unissued condition?
 
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