In House Shipping:
The elite German paratroopers, known as Fallschirmjagers, shocked the world in 1940 with their success in Norway, and then overwhelmed Belgian and Dutch resistance in a series of swift blitzkrieg air assaults. During WW2, the German Luftwaffe built up a division-sized unit of three Fallschirmjager regiments who went on to fight in Crete, Italy, and Normandy. On D-Day, the German 6th Fallschirmjager Regiment met the US 101st Airborne Division in the field at Normandy in a titanic “paratrooper vs. paratrooper” clash, and the “Lions of Carentan” of FJR 6 gave as good as they got before withdrawing after a few days of intense close quarters combat. The parachute harness used by Fallschirmjagers in WW2 was different from Allied models, forcing German paratroopers to throw themselves forward out of the plane. They were in a face-down position when the chute opened, and landing on knees and elbows reduced the amount of equipment a trooper could carry. As a result, they jumped with only a pistol, knife, and compass. German heavyweight boxing champion Max Schmeling, who was 1-1 against Joe Louis with a TKO victory in the 1930s, served as a Fallschirmjager during the war. This German WW2 Fallschirmjager Paratrooper Airborne Paul Weyersberg Gravity Knife is in Good Condition, with moderate side to side loosening to the blade when in the open and locked position, some front to back loosening to the blade when in the same position, some sharpening to the blade edge, some light chipping to the lower blade edge, some chipping to the middle left blade spine, some cleaning, scratching, pitting, and spot patina at each side of the blade, some scattered nicking, scratching, and spot darkening to the handles scales, and with some scattered age wear evident. Otherwise, the knife is in fine shape, with no other damage. Most interestingly, it features a 4” bright drop point gravity blade that still shows some of the original cross-graining, sports the original, elegant walnut handle scales secured by 4 metal pins, and is etched at the ricasso with the logo of its maker, the famous “PAUL WEYERSBERG & Co / SOLINGEN”, along with “ROSTFREI” (meaning stainless). It boasts a fully functional thumb lever opening, locking, and closing mechanism, with the thumb lever and its base both being marked with the numbers “57” (denoting matching hand fit parts), exhibits the original folding secondary spike blade along the front tang, which still closes with a great “snap” and shows an “eagle 5” proof mark at its base, and is complete with the original steel hanging bale riveted at bottom. A fine example of a very rare, original German WW2 Fallschirmjager Paratrooper Airborne Paul Weyersberg Gravity Knife. No case included.