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WKC, Solingen | RZM M7/42


The WKC-Waffenfabrik G.m.b.H. company began in 1930, as a restructuring of the previous "Weyersberg, Kirschbaum & Co." company. The Weyersberg, Kirschbaum & Co. partnership began in 1883 with the merger of the "Gebrüder Weyersberg" and "W. R. Kirschbaum & Co." companies. Gebr. Weyersberg, was founded by: Wilhem, Peter and Johann Ludwig Weyersberg in 1787, yet they claim their history back to 1573 with their ancestor Wilhelm Weyersberg, the mayor of Solingen. Gebr. Weyersberg trademarked the "King's Head" as their official emblem. W. R. Kirschbaum & Co. was founded by Wilhem Reinhordt Kirschbaum in 1854, and he trademarked the "Knight Helmet". The king's head and knight helmet trademark was a representation of each company and their partnership. Weyersberg, Kirschbaum & Co. was at one point the largest factory in all of Solingen. It employed 1,000 men in 1895 and 1,200 men by 1900. One of the reasons for its great success was when Fritz Weyersberg purchased the patent for the blade roll forge invented in England. The roller was first used in Solingen and significantly increased the productivity of blade manufacturing. On July 1, 1887, Rudolf Kirschbaum (owner of Weyersberg, Kirschbaum & Co. at the time) and a business friend founded the well-known "Wilkinson Sword Company" in England. In 1922, Weyersberg, Kirschbaum & Co. was taken over by "Siegen-Solinger Gußstahlverein" and it eventually went down at the start of the Great Depression.In 1930, Weyersberg, Kirschbaum & Co. closed and allowed for new ownership and re-organization to create the WKC-Waffenfabrik G.m.b.H. company. WKC registered with the Solingen chamber of commerce on May 9, 1930. During the Third Reich era, WKC had the manufacturing ability for virtually every type of edged weapon. A c.1934 WKC Deutsche Waffen catalogue has been recorded with the HJ knife,6 as well as: officers' swords for Bavaria, Saxony and Prussia, forestry cutlasses, dress bayonets, and swords and bayonets for the police forces in Baden, Hessen, Thüringen and Württemberg. A c.1935 WKC Blank Waffen Aller Art catalog featured multiple variations of: swords and daggers for the Wehrmacht, police and dress bayonets, an HJ knife and forestry cutlasses. The 1935 RZM Handbuch, places the company at Wittkuller Straße 10 and allots the RZM M7/42 code to WKC. A c.1938 catalog and price list features a vast array of edged weapons. In 1942, WKC asked the Reichszeugmeisterei in München for permission to send HJ knives to Croatia, which was duly granted on July 6, under the RZM number M7/42/A1.7 There is no shortage of documentation or pieces manufactured by the WKC company. After the war, on November 17, 1955, the remnants of WKC were purchased by Hans Kolping and Margard Willms. The company was re-named "WKC Stahl- und Metallwarenfabrik Hans Kolping GmbH & Co. KG." It resorted back to the king's head and knight helmet trademark. The company continues to manufacture edged weapons and accessories to this day. A contemporary sales catalog includes: English, U.S., French and German military swords as well as Japanese style Katana's, Wakizashi's and Tanto's. Included in their offerings are many blade accessories and uniform pieces. The tradition of the WKC company and manufacturing continues to this day.

Maker WKC
Location Solingen
RZM Number RZM M7/42
Trademark Knight Helmet
Founded 1930

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Minty - 2nd Model Navy Dagger by WKC

Minty - 2nd Model Navy Dagger by WKC

Item Number:    NA-26546
Rating:    NM/Mint-
   
Not Available
Army Dagger by WKC

Army Dagger by WKC

Item Number:    AR-29446
Rating:    NM
   
Not Available
SA Dagger by RZM M7/42

SA Dagger by RZM M7/42

Item Number:    SA-28699
Rating:    Exc++
   
Not Available

Reference:

     Hogle, N. (2021). The Collector’s Guide to Hitler Youth Knives.