Carl Eickhorn, Original Carl Eickhorn, Solingen | RZM M7/66
The Carl Eickhorn Waffenfabrik / Stahlwarenfabrik company was founded in 1865 by Carl Eickhorn (1833-89). Eickhorn was a grinder, merchant and manufacturer who descended from a five hundred-year-long steel hardening and grinding ancestry. In 1875, Eickhorn moved from Rüden-Düsseldorf to Solingen. Eickhorn registered with the Solingen commercial authorities on January 14, 1886. The initial Solingen location was insufficient to meet the company's needs so it moved to Brühler Straße in the 1890s. The Eickhorn company traces ties back to the squirrel trademark and the armorer Peter Lobach in the 15th century. The history goes that by the end of Lobach's career he left the trademark to his two sons Abraham and Johan. Wilhelm Weck, their nephew, then inherited it. On February 28, 1850, the trademark was then registered by a partner of the firm "Johann Friedrich Eickhorn Wilhelms Sohn." The squirrel was used by the Eickhorn related firm for 14 years. At the end of that period there was likely a dispute over its ownership as it was cancelled and registered by a preceding "Aug. Meis & Co." company. For a period of time, Eickhorn did not use the single squirrel trademark, yet it kept with the same theme registering two back-to-back squirrels on June 19, 1906. The Meis company, likely failed in the Weimar era as Eickhorn re-registered the single squirrel trademark on December 2, 1920. The Carl Eickhorn firm had a slow beginning as its founder became ill and was unable to forge. Carl was CARL EICKHORN, SOLINGEN Carl Eickhorn however able to produce and sell grinding stones. The company eventually returned to forging, selling edged weapons to the various German states. In 1900, management was succeeded by Eichhorn's two eldest sons Carl and Friedrich. By 1914, Richard Eickhorn, the younger brother, had also joined the firm. Eickhorn introduced the sale of: nickel-silver and plated cutlery, knives, razors, fencing equipment and scissors. In the late 1920s Eickhorn undertook a large export drive and made catalogues in various languages to promote and expand the business. 1931 era catalogs can be found with exports to Cuba and Romania. Exports to South America proved to be very successful and the company was able to survive during the Weimar Republic era and the Great Depression. The three brothers managed the company together until Carl left in 1939. A year later, Friedrich also left and Richard, Rudy, Helmut and Karl Eickhorn became owners. During the Third Reich era, Eickhorn proved to be a vital manufacturer for supplying the Wehrmacht and NSDAP with edged weapons. Eickhorn produced massive quantities of daggers, bayonets and swords, along with some of the most unique and prestigious pieces of the period. The vast array of Eickhorn products prevents a detailed discussion here. Fortunately, a respectable supply of period documentation detailing Eickhorn's offerings at that time can still be found, including publications from; several "Carl Eickhorn Waffenfabrik Solingen" catalogues, two separate "Eickhorn Kundendienst" customer catalogue's (1938 version and 1941/44), and Carl Eickhorn's 75th Anniversary Publication 1940 "Leisten und Dienen" (Producing and Providing). These offer a detailed history, insight into the company's manufacturing ability and a gorgeous colored display of their products. In 1935, Paul Casberg had designed Eickhorn a new trademark, that most collectors are familiar with; a well-defined squirrel holding a downward pointing sword, underneath "Original Eickhorn." It was patented on August 5, 1939, yet was not officially registered until 1940 and was used from 1935-1941. As well as the squirrel trademark and its variations, Eickhorn used many other marks, including; RZM M7/66 (1935-42), SS contract code 941 (1936-39), "S/175" (early bayonets) and bayonet letter-code "cof" (1940). The firm worked closely with designers and artists like: Paul Casberg, Artur Eickhorn (Carl Eickhorn's son) and Köler to create many pieces and "prototypes" (e.g. the Herman Göring Wedding Sword). Eickhorn was also the sole producer of many high-end pieces including; the SS Himmler Honor Dagger, the Feldhernhalle Dagger, TENO EM and Leader Dagger, SA Presentation daggers, Navy Honor daggers, Honor/High Leader daggers for the SA, NSKK and SS, along with many more. Eickhorn was proficient in its sword manufacturing as well. It uniquely marketed a special line of Army Swords called the "Feldherrn Serie" (Commander Series - known by collectors as the Field Marshall Series) to honor nine famous military men in German history: Wrangel, Scharnhorst, Blücher, Freiherr von Stein, Roon, Zieten, Derfllinger, Prinz Eugen and Lützow. By November 1944, air-raids virtually destroyed the Brühler Straße premises. After the war, Eickhorn recommenced production and began exporting swords to America by the mid-1950s. Eickhorn's distributor "N.S. Meyer, Inc." in New York sold Conqueror and Spartan brand swords. By the 1970s Eickhorn was once again using their pre-war trademarks. Eickhorn then started a joint venture with the "Dutch Arms & Munitions Factory Ltd" company producing bayonets. This project was unsuccessful and Carl Eickhorn declared bankruptcy in May of 1975. Eickhorn's assets were purchased by the arms distributor "Bauer" which formed a subsidiary called "Gesellschaft für Metallverarbeitung mbH & Co." (GMS). It continued manufacturing swords and sabers using the "Original Eickhorn" trademark, in Eickhorn's previous Brühler Straße factory. By 1981, GMS had also become insolvent and all the effects of the company were auctioned. The majority of the goods, stock, patterns and trademark rights were bought by the "E. & F. Hörster" firm. The squirrel trademark did make its way onto some Hörster swords. Hörster eventually sold partial rights of the trademark back to the original Eickhorn family and the last manager of the firm. Rolf-Jürgen Eickhorn formed the "A. Eickhorn GmbH & Co. KG" company and began manufacturing bayonets and combat knives. Eickhorn bought the full rights to the squirrel when Hörster closed in November 1996. By 2004, cost cutting competition from the far east resulted in A. Eickhorn becoming insolvent. A British investor Carl Eickhorn "LBA Systems Ltd" then formed "The Original Eickhorn Solingen Ltd" company. The company focused on selling military knives and rescue tools to governments, and later added private sales to include Damascus daggers, watches and accessories. The company continues to operate while advertising a 150-year long history
| Maker | Carl Eickhorn, Original Carl Eickhorn |
| Location | Solingen |
| RZM Number | RZM M7/66 | RZM 941/38 SS |
| Trademark | Squirrel |
| Founded | 1875 |
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Reference:
Hogle, N. (2021). The Collector’s Guide to Hitler Youth Knives.