My other KD89's.

seagull

Well-known member
I believe these were produced in France from seized War reparations munitions - I have seen cast brass bases of this pattern on French oil lamps. They used to turn up quite regularly in shows but pretty hard to find these days. And yes, they are still in fairly regular use!
 

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seagull,

Here is another set of similar matching sword candlesticks. These candlesticks were made up from original existing NOS (new old stock) parts during the Allied occupation after WWII in order to generate a little money or trade material for cigarettes or food. Since these were constructed from available existing parts they are sometimes "Frankenstein" swords and daggers that are still recognizable as German Army, Navy, Air Force, etc. edged weapons. This pair of candlesticks were made up as generic Wehrmacht swords from different WKC parts. The backstrap is from a different Heer sword than the guard and the grip wire is from a Luftwaffe first model dagger Newly unemployed sword makers started making these the day after the surrender was signed.
 

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Interesting background story Schupo, people in trouble just do what they must to survive. Same thing happened in Japan at the end of the War. Occupying troops all wanted a "Samurai sword" to take home but many thousands had been destroyed/dumped in Tokyo bay so there was a shortage - satisfied by out-of-business sword workshops selling off their new stock spare parts to troops who made blades from car springs and passed them off as "originals" to newly arrived occupying forces who had missed all the fighting.
Steve.
 
Interesting background story Schupo, people in trouble just do what they must to survive. Same thing happened in Japan at the end of the War. Occupying troops all wanted a "Samurai sword" to take home but many thousands had been destroyed/dumped in Tokyo bay so there was a shortage - satisfied by out-of-business sword workshops selling off their new stock spare parts to troops who made blades from car springs and passed them off as "originals" to newly arrived occupying forces who had missed all the fighting.
Steve.
My uncle brought back from WWII a Samurai sword
When I was young he kept it at his parents house ( my Grandparents )
I would always go into the bedroom and look at it
Years later someone looked at it and made him an offer of
$ 10,000 for it
so it must have made by a great swordsmith.
Steve
 
Your uncle won the lottery Steve, it must certainly have been one of the better antique bring-backs rather than the later rip-offs. By the 1960's Japanese sword dealers were combing USA and Europe to buy back the best of them - NOT those awful soldier souvenirs with Jeep spring blades which I still see sometimes.
Steve.
 
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