History

By the time of the Second World War the sword was no longer a combat weapon. Its relevance had been reduced to a symbol of tradition and an indicator of rank and status. It was mostly worn during garrison duty or on the horse during a mounted parade. Because of this it was also considerably smaller and lighter than swords of earlier days that were actually made for combat.

Both the official versions of the Officer’s Saber and the Enlisted Man’s Saber are rather plain and have no visible design motif or outside markings. The difference between the two sabers is mainly in size and weight. Officer’s Sabers came in three different sizes, dependent on the height of the wearer. The Officer’s Saber Size 1 and 2 is 11 or 5 cm longer than the Enlisted Man’s Saber, but 3 cm shorter for Size 3. It is also 320 to 365 gr lighter.

Side-arms were often worn with portepees, which, depending on the wearer's unit and branch, came in specific colours.

Unofficial versions made by private companies could be purchased, which was a common occurrence, especially for Officers. These came in many varieties and were much more ornate, with pommels in the shape of animal heads, engraved langets, or etched blades.

The designers for the privately purchased unofficial sabers include but may not be limited to: ALCOSO (Alexander Coppel, Solingen); Clemen & Jung; Eickhorn; Richard Herder; F. W. Höller; E&F Hörster; Robert Klaas; Carl Julius Krebs; P. D. Lüneschloss; Ernst Pack & Söhne; Puma; Paul Seilheimer; Emil Voos; Weyersberg, Kirschbaum & Cie. (WKC); Anton Wingen Jr.
All makers are from the city of Solingen.