( ALCOSO 2nd - similar To : None )   Sharp angle to the lower wing, head of the eagle level with top of the guard and a sharp down-turned beak. The wing shape is a tell tale sign of Alcoso marked daggers due to the dramatic rise and very pointed wing tips. Also the head of the eagle on this design is inline with the upper edge of the cross-guard. The later 2 types utilised by Alcoso should be matched with the typical flared pommel, easily recognisable as an ACS dagger, the 1st and 2nd styles normally have early 14 leaf pommels. This 2nd pattern cross-guard is rarely encountered due to the short period it was in production and good detailed examples are hard to find.

( ALCOSO 3rd - Similar To : Eickhorn 1st )   Note the gentle upward curve of the final section of the wing in comparison to the Eickhorn, smaller eye detail, an outward slope to the lower beak and a rounder body to name a few. The 3rd style was prone to wear due to the inferior base metal utilised. Some early Alcoso German army daggers have been observed with cross-guards made of a magnetic base metal, possibly a steel or iron based alloy and may account for the loss of detailing over time. It is believed the base metal was brass coated before receiving its final silver plating and has been observed on the 2nd & 3rd style eagles.

( ALCOSO 4th - Similar To : None )   This guard will be seen on the majority of daggers produced by the smaller companies who did not make their own. Notice the step down from the forehead to the beak not observed on the hatchet type head of the WKC eagle. Observed in all base metals and finishes, it was introduced relatively late in the period and it should not be found on early daggers. A few of the smaller companies such as Fridericus, Buchel and Tiger purchased these Generic parts and yet fitted their daggers with additional cost upgrades such as a glass or ivory grip, as well as etched and Damask blades to set their products apart from other manufacturers.

( EICKHORN 1st - Similar To : Eickhorn 2nd )   On all 3 designs by Eickhorn you can visually see the progression of one eagle to the next. This early guard is rarely encountered and although similar to the 2nd design there are differences to the legs, size of the swastika and breast feathering. The quillions are also noticeably thinner. This type was also heavily hand enhanced so variations will exist.
Early examples utilising the 1st and sometimes the 2nd pattern will occasionally be found with C.E. stamped onto the blade tang, with plated or polished blades. Slant grip German army daggers by Carl Eickhorn are extremely rare.
Courtesy of the V.B collection.

( EICKHORN 2nd - Similar To : Alcoso 3rd & Horster 4th )   Normally seen cast in superior base-metals with fittings to match and silver plated. Similar to Horsters last design but with differences to the cut of the breast feathering and body shape and sharpness to the rear of the head. The second pattern was more widely used on the earlier daggers by Eickhorn, and is sometimes wrongly attributed the title of the type 1.
This Carl Eickhorn cross-guard differs from the 1st in that the swastika has a thinner neater stamped appearance, the inverted "V" between the eagles legs has gone and the wreath is crisper with a much sharper design.

( EICKHORN 3rd - Similar To : Eickhorn 2nd )   The head of the previous pattern Eickhorn cross-guard was carried over into the third design but with the addition of a wider stockier body and enhanced breast feathering, again this design was only used for a short period and can be classed as rare.
Note, on this design by Carl Eickhorn the general detailing is normally very crisp and with the higher body and wider pattern to the feathering means it is far less susceptible to wear and tear.
Courtesy of the V.B collection.

( EICKHORN 4th - Similar To : Eickhorn 3rd )   The final design and by far the most numerous, and bears the addition of another head design, added to the body carried over from the previous design. This bird is more commonly known as the type 2, which we now know to be wrong and should in fact be the type 4. The body height has been reduced and is more squat and rounded bringing the eagles head down and central to the upper arms of the eagles wings. The pencil like appearance of the legs has gone and most daggers by Eickhorn with this cross-guard will have the flat scabbard bands and ferrule.

( E-PACK 1st - Similar To : Heller & Henckels )   Early 1st style pack normally observed with thick silvering and brass base material, the head has a unique shape and notice how high the inverted "V" between the eagles legs rises into the body. Commonly seen with heavy hand enhancing and observed on many early German daggers by the smaller cottage manufacturers who purchased their parts from Pack. This pattern was probably the most widely used cross-guard on early German daggers by any maker and although many lack fine detail, it was also one of the most widely used and chiselled or enhanced.

( E-PACK 2nd - Similar To : None )   The cross-guard shown above, I believe is a new undocumented variation from E-Pack and was possibly only used for a short time or as a transitional pattern between the Pack 1st and 3rd. It can be found on some early slant grip Pack German army daggers bearing the earliest trademark and differs from E-Packs 1st recognised pattern with differences to the body weave pattern, lower leg feathering, and head shape. The wreath, swastika and wings are almost identical to the Pack 1st.
This cross-guard can also be found on early slant grip German daggers by Spitzer.

( E-PACK 3rd - Similar To : Holler 2nd )   Made of lightweight base metal but still observed with hand enhancing late into the period. Very similar to the Holler 2nd who are thought to have purchased from a sub-contractor and modified to suit, there are differences in the wreath work, breast feathering and beak shape. The Holler variation nearly always has a circular punched eye, compared to the highly detailed eye on the Pack. Although this pattern was cast and produced later in the period they can also be found with hand enhancing which is a testament to E-Packs attention to detail and quality of product throughout the period.
A few rare examples of this design have been found in satin aluminium with no evidence of ever being silver plated, this unique finish can sometimes be mistaken on later Pack cross-guards that originally utilised an aluminium base alloy, silver plated, that has been lost to time.

( E-PACK 4th - Similar To : None )   This example by E-Pack was known as a generic type and was used or purchased by several other German dagger makers of aluminium hilted early army daggers. This variety of fittings by one of the most desirable makers, makes the aluminium type dagger the most sought after German army dagger, by advanced army dagger collectors Worldwide. Some later produced army daggers utilizing pot metal or aluminium base metals are sometimes mistaken for this specific type of cross-guard due to the loss or absorption of the silver plating. Originals normally have the typical brushed aluminium appearance and were rarely silver plated although examples do exist.
Similar in design to the 3rd pattern standard Pack cross-guard there are enough differences for it to be considered unique. Courtesy of the T.K. Collection.

( HERDER - Similar To : Generic B & Wingen 2nd )   The differences on German daggers between these three styles of cross-guard is marginal and confusing especially on eagles with little detailing. The body structure on the Herder is slightly more upright than the generic B and there is no dip between upper head and beak. It sometimes will require magnification to be sure. Herder and Wingen also had a preference for nickel plating their German officers daggers which can sometimes be used to differentiate from the Generic B variety.
The Herder, Wingen and Generic B cross-guards, in my opinion are the hardest to distinguish if the dagger is not maker marked.

( HOLLER 1st - Similar To : Alcoso 1st )   As with most early examples this German cross-guard by Holler is normally seen made of a heavy base metal and heavily silver plated. The 1st pattern Holler bears a resemblance to the Alcoso 1st but has a neater crisper design with differences to the head and body shape and subtle differences to the upper leg. Also note the more dramatic rise to the inner spline of the wing, either side of the head, in comparison to the ACS1.
Some early Hollers show a crescent moon tool mark on the head to the right of the eye and is a sure sign of Holler production. Nearly always matched with a slant grip and early 14 leaf pommel.
Courtesy of the V.B. Collection.

( HOLLER 2nd - Similar To : E-Pack 2nd )   A scarce and rarely observed cross-guard that originally must have come from the same source as the E-Pack 2nd. Normally seen with a more defined cross pattern to the breast area and a rounder or stubbier look to the head and beak. Holler was a quality dagger manufacturer and all designs normally show a thick silver content in the plating.
Holler is thought to have used the 2nd style as a transitional part and for a short time only between the 1st and 3rd style crossguard, however they returned to use it again during the late stages of the war. Either example can be considered rare and the easiest way to spot one is the circular punched eye, in comparison with the lazy eye appearance of Pack produced German army dagger. Early examples will normally have the half crescent tool mark to the rear of the head and 3 chisel marks to the neck of the eagle, as well as 2 acorns hand cut to finish off the scabbard bands.
Late war examples of the 2nd pattern Holler do not have this handwork and should have a generic scabbard.

( HOLLER 3rd - Similar To : None )   The 3rd pattern Holler is the most common style observed on German army daggers produced by this manufacturer. The appearance is unique and the detail normally stands up well with little or no wear. The head shape and parrot like beak are dead give-aways as is the broad ^ shaped feathering above the legs. It is not known to have been used by any other manufacturer of German army officers dagger during the 4-5 years that this template was produced, and any dagger displaying this cross-guard, not plain bladed or maker marked Holler should be viewed with caution.
It can be found on daggers with and without a tapered blade tang and some blades display cross-grain running down the central portion of the blade rather than across it, another characteristic unique to Holler.

( HORSTER 1st - Similar To : None )   The body appears squat and undersized in comparison with other designs and is normally observed with heavy broad feathering to the chest area, the beak is sharp downward facing, the head is large and close to the top of the guard. The feet almost appear to come straight out from the underside of the body with little evidence of legs, also early Horsters display a raised circular platform beneath the swastika unique to this maker and Klass. This stocky, pronounced eagle normally displays strong detail, and this early offering from Horster can be considered scarce.

( HORSTER 2nd - Similar To : Eickhorn 2nd)   The similarities between the Horster 2nd & Eickhorn 2nd are very close indeed as the heads are virtually identical. Look for a shorter neck, more defined chequered patterning to the breast area and the inner wing feathering showing more horizontal on the Horster. This pattern is normally found with a zinc alloy or pot metal cheap base metal and lightly silver plated, and should only be found on later production daggers. Look at the breast pattern to quickly distinguish between this Horster pattern and the Eickhorn 2nd.
 The 2nd  and 3rd pattern Horster's shown in Mr Wittmans excellent Army dagger reference book on page 38/39 are in my opinion a Herder or Wingen ( page 38 ) and a WKC 2nd Transitional ( page 39 ). Horster therefore only produced two cross-guards themselves, both shown above.

( KLAAS 1st - Similar To : Klaas 2nd )   Both of the Klaas examples are thought to be the same, although side by side they look nothing alike the 2nd pattern was extensively hand chiselled to a very high standard, it is thought that the pattern without enhancing was earlier production which goes against the norm in regards to other manufacturers. On many German Army daggers by Klaas the cross-guards will also display a raised circular platform under the swastika and is often observed on both types.
Cross-guards without enhancing often appear bland or flat in appearance, and the cheaper base metal used by Klaas even on the early production German daggers did not help the problem. Their solution of hand enhancing may well have been an extra cost option or possibly undertaken essentially to compete with other manufacturers for early military supply contracts.

( KLAAS 2nd - Similar To : Klaas 1st )   Probably the most intricate design encountered on any German army dagger with the exception of some early Pack designs due to the high quality of the hand enhancing. The firm utilised blades with both nickel plating and the polished variety and although the nickel option would have been expensive to produce, the cross-guard base metal was not and often led to lifting of the silver plating.
The polished blades also can be found with the cross-grain running vertically down the blade on the central section, with the side sections showing the normal horizontal direction. As far as I am aware this practise can only be found on German army daggers by Holler and Klaas. Klaas also utilised the E-Pack cross-guard onto many of its daggers along with the generic B on later examples.

( SMF - Similar To : None )   The SMF eagle is unique in that it is probably the ugliest of all the birds encountered on period German army daggers. The head is a very unusual shape with a downward turning mouth and a rounded hook beak. The body detailing or feathering normally extends high up the neck area into the head unlike most other cross-guard designs. The base metal is normally always found to be of inferior quality along with the silver plating and it is very rare to come across this particular German Army dagger cross-guard today that exhibits the detail on the example shown above.
Rare as a design but not one of the prettiest.

( SPITZER - Similar To : None )   After investigating Spitzer during research for this website I have decided to remove the picture of the apparent in house design due to lack of examples and confirmation that it is indeed unique. I believe that the Spitzer German Army dagger example shown in a popular publication is in fact a silver plated E-Pack Generic design ( E-Pack 4th ) usually only found on aluminium hilted army daggers. It may well be that Spitzer modified and enhanced this design to alter the typical E-Pack appearance, but additional examples are required for confirmation.
Note: Spitzer is already known to have used the 1st and 2nd E-Pack designs on their early German Army daggers.

( WKC 1st - Similar To : None )   This early guard is sometimes seen with detailed hand enhancing, the upper head and brow area are almost square in appearance with a small sharply downward nose like beak. The half crescent moon eye is another feature typical of the 1st WKC. Although not obvious from the above picture, the wings of the eagle are very slender in appearance compared to other manufacturers and this design can be found on many early German army daggers by various companies. The WKC 1st and Pack 1st where favoured designs from the start of production in 1935 including many of the smaller cottage makers.

( WKC 2nd - Similar To : None )   The 2nd WKC is rarely seen and was only recently acknowledged as a separate design by this maker. The body bears similarities to the final and more profuse hatchet head 3rd pattern but with the head displaying a pointed triangle to the rear and a drop from forehead to beak lacking on the later design. Also note the top of the head is very close to the top edge of the cross-guard. It was thought to be a transitional design only in production for a short period although it can also be found on non WKC marked daggers.

( WKC 3rd - Similar To : Generic type A )   Easily confused with the generic type, this design can be distinguished by the square profile of the head and beak without the drop from forehead to beak. Along with Eickhorn this manufacturer produced huge quantities of army daggers, with most observed with this tomahawk design and it can be found on early daggers with a tapered tang to the blade, as well as late war, pot metal plaster filled daggers.
Produced in a variety of base metals and finishes and in production for a long period compared to designs from other makers, it is probably the most prolific design with the exception of the Generic types. Unusually there are few similarities between the three patterns used by WKC and the firm opted for a total re-design between each pattern.

( WEYERSBURG 1st - Similar To : WKC 1st )   The Weyersburg eagle is very scarce and should only been seen on early period manufactured army daggers by this maker. The head appears slightly oversized in proportion to the square sided body which normally has a coarse hand enhanced chequered patterning. The head features, eye and mouth are exquisite and highly detailed and most examples show a unique stippling to the background behind the swastika.
Weyersburg used the WKC 1st crossguard on their initial 200 dagger introduction in 1935 ( all internally numbered ) before switching to an in house modified design of the same cross-guard shown above. This design can also be found on non-slant grip daggers early in the period, although it is thought Weyersburg ceased army dagger production in 1936 to focus on alternative edged weapon manufacture.

( WEYERSBURG 2nd - Similar To : E-Pack 3rd )   This is the slightly later and last design by Weyersburg thought to be from 1935/6 and is a modified E-Pack 3rd cross-guard. The head is slightly larger than the Pack with the typical lazy eye and up-turned mouth of the 1st Weyersburg design. Also note the background stippling behind the swastika evident on both examples shown here. This particular design on non-slant gripped daggers is unusually considered to be more scarce than its earlier predecessors purely because of the limited timeframe it was in production.

( WINGEN 1st - Similar To : None )   I have yet to see this design with crisp detailing and most examples seem to be worn possibly due the early brass base metal utilised. The head has a very slight dip to a hatchet styled beak and a body that has a squared appearance and large inverted V between the legs. Also note the single oversized claw. A very rare design indeed and one that I regret selling before the penny dropped. In 20+ years I have only seen two first hand. In my humble opinion I would rate this pattern as probably the hardest of all designs by any manufacturer to find. Courtesy of the T.K. Collection.

( WINGEN 2nd - Similar To : Herder & Generic B )   More like the Herder in design but with a more squat body and a slight dip between brow and beak. The beak appears with less of a "snarl" than both the generic and Herder designs and with straighter edges to the body sides than the generic B.
All 3 can be considered unique designs but the differences are marginal. The Herder and Wingen designs are often found with nickel silvered fittings and as such are far less prone to wear and loss of plating. The above example is silver plated.