[Larry Lim]

Hi,

Hope I post this thread in the rightful place:)

Recently, a friend of mine found a set of old daggers while clearing the belongings of her deceased dad, and decided to pass them on to me. On cleaning the daggers, I discover the words "FESSER&CIA, SOLINGEN, GERMANY" stamped on one of the blade's ricasso. This came as a pleasant surprise to me.

I'd very grateful if someone here can help shed some lights to this Solingen dagger, such as possible dates of manufacture, model, etc.






Thanks

[Ken Speed]

Larry,

The utensil you're showing us is not a dagger but a very ordinary hunting knife that some would describe as a hunting bowie knife. Given the construction of the handle, I'd guess this knife could date from around the 1950's or 60's. Later hunting knives generally had a different type of handle although similar blades were and are still produced.

[Glen A Cleeton]

Esser products range from the 1850s until the 1960s

I do not have this stamp in a guide from 1875 to 1945 but Fernando Esser & Co.first registered a trademark in 1903.

A comprehensive Goole search and read on Google will yield a fair amount more about the firm. As the leather is stamped Made In Germany instead of West Germany, that would also be indicative ot was no later than the 1960-1961 timeline.

The cast alloy pommels can predate WWII but not by much so we can then probably put it somewhere from the 1930-1960 mark but exclusive of 1939-1945. Odds are, as mentioned previously by another, 1950s seems right.

Cheers

GC

[Craig Shackleton]

My Dad used to have that exact same knife, same sheath, everything. He may still have it for all I know. He used it for camping and general farm use etc. I don't know where he got it, but other than being a generally useful knife, there wasn't any big story behind it that I ever heard. My guess would be that he got it in the 50's. I'll ask him if he remembers next time I see him.

EDIT: I just spoke to my Dad on the phone, and he knew exactly which knife I was talking about, and remembered the inset pommel-nut and that his also said solingen on it. He doesn't, however, recall where or when he got it exactly. He does think that there was also an American made clone available, and he remembers that these knives were advertised in comic books when he was a kid. His best guess is that he got it for boy scouts, as he remembers that everyone in scouts had a similar knife and that it was basically required gear for camping. All of this would put the knife in the late 40s to mid 50s.

[Larry Lim]

Hi gentlemen,

Thanks for all the input. Now I know a little more about this knife.

The date estimated by all of you seems logical, as the owner of the blade was in his late-70s when he passed on recently.

Larry