The present protective pouch for the grip of an Army officer's saber by the company Eickhorn Solingen represents an extremely rare accessory from German military history of the interwar period and World War II. This unassuming yet significant addition to the officer's saber testifies to the care and quality consciousness with which German officers maintained their equipment.
The Eickhorn company was founded in 1865 in Solingen and quickly developed into one of the leading manufacturers of edged weapons in Germany. The company founder Carl Eickhorn established the squirrel as the company emblem, which was applied to blades as a mark of quality. During the Imperial era, the Weimar Republic, and especially during the Third Reich, Eickhorn was among the preferred suppliers of military edged weapons for the Wehrmacht.
The Army officer's saber for which this protective pouch was designed was an essential component of the officer's uniform. After the reorganization of the Reichswehr in the 1920s and later the Wehrmacht, various saber models were introduced. The mentioned “Wrangel” model refers to a special grip variant named after the Russian General Peter von Wrangel. These sabers were distinguished by their high-quality workmanship and artistic design.
The protective pouch itself is made of light-colored fabric and served the practical purpose of protecting the decorated grip of the saber from damage, oxidation, and soiling. The imprint “Original Eickhorn Solingen” on the outside as well as the marking “D.R.G.M.” (Deutsches Reichsgebrauchsmuster - German Reich Registered Design) under the flap prove the authentic origin and protected status of this accessory. Particularly noteworthy is the note “Beachten Sie das Eichhörnchen auf der Klinge” (Note the squirrel on the blade), which drew buyers' attention to the company's quality mark while simultaneously warning against counterfeits.
The rarity of these protective pouches can be explained by several factors: First, they were only included with sabers for a limited period, presumably mainly in the late 1930s and early 1940s. Second, they were designed as consumable items and were often discarded once the saber was put into use. Third, many of these textile objects did not survive the turmoil of war and the post-war period, while the metal sabers themselves had a higher chance of survival.
The D.R.G.M. seal (Deutsches Reichsgebrauchsmuster) was a protective right granted in Germany between 1891 and 1945. It offered faster and more cost-effective protection than a patent but was valid only for a shorter period. The fact that Eickhorn claimed this protection for their protective pouches underscores the commercial importance of this accessory and the company's effort to protect its innovations.
The white snap button on the pouch flap was a practical solution to keep the pouch securely closed while allowing quick access to the saber. These details demonstrate the well-thought-out construction of the object.
In the context of the militaria collecting scene, these protective pouches are now extremely sought after, precisely because of their rarity. Unfortunately, this has led to a wave of counterfeits flooding the market. Originals can be identified by various features: the quality of the fabric, the print quality of the inscriptions, the type of snap button, and of course the provenance. Examples that come directly from private households and were stored together with their associated sabers have the highest probability of authenticity.
The historical significance of such accessories goes beyond their material value. They document the everyday culture of the military, the concern for maintaining equipment, and the marketing strategies of German weapons manufacturers in the first half of the 20th century. They are witnesses to an era in which traditional edged weapons were still part of the ceremonial and representative equipment of officers, even though their practical military significance had already greatly diminished.
