Third Reich Manufacturer Label for Edged Weapons by “Carl Eickhorn Solingen”
Cardboard label, shield-shaped with printed markings. Unused, Condition 2
Third Reich Manufacturer Label for Edged Weapons by “Carl Eickhorn Solingen”
The present manufacturer's label from the firm Carl Eickhorn Solingen represents a significant piece of German industrial history from the period of the Third Reich (1933-1945). These shield-shaped cardboard labels were used by one of the most renowned manufacturers of edged weapons in National Socialist Germany and served for product identification as well as quality assurance.
The company Carl Eickhorn was founded in the 19th century in the blade city of Solingen and developed into one of the leading producers of sabers, daggers, and other edged weapons. Solingen, located in the Bergisches Land region, had been world-famous for its cutlery industry since the Middle Ages and bore the nickname “City of Blades.” The exceptional quality of Solingen steel and forging craftsmanship made the city an ideal location for weapons production.
During the National Socialist period, the Eickhorn firm received numerous contracts for the manufacture of edged weapons for various organizations of the Third Reich. These included officer's weapons for the Wehrmacht, daggers and sabers for the SS, the SA, the NSKK (National Socialist Motor Corps), the Hitler Youth, and other paramilitary organizations. Production also encompassed ceremonial weapons for high-ranking NSDAP functionaries.
The manufacturer's labels served several important functions: they acted as a quality seal, as proof of origin, and as protection against counterfeits. In an era when military decorations and equipment items possessed high symbolic value, clear identification by the manufacturer was of great importance. The shield-shaped design was typical for this epoch and reflected the aesthetics of the time.
The labels were usually delivered attached to new weapons and were intended to guarantee the authenticity of the product. The present specimen is unused, which suggests that it was either never attached to a weapon or was kept as a replacement or archive specimen. The indicated condition 2 according to military-historical grading scale means that the label is well preserved with possibly slight signs of wear.
After World War II, the German weapons industry was initially completely dismantled. Many Solingen companies, including Eickhorn, had to convert their production. However, the firm continued to exist and produced civilian cutlery in the post-war period, and later again military equipment for the newly founded Bundeswehr.
Today, such manufacturer's labels are sought-after collector's items in the field of militaria. They document not only the industrial manufacture of military equipment but also the organizational structures and quality control of that time. For collectors and historians, they provide important clues for authenticating edged weapons from this era.
The collection and research of such objects serves exclusively historical and scientific purposes. They enable a better understanding of the production methods, economic structures, and material culture of the Third Reich, without glorifying its criminal ideology.
