Officially established on 10 March 1935 alongside the creation of the German Air Force, this dagger was intended for Luftwaffe career personnel in accordance with the established uniform regulations and represented the first official edged weapon of the new branch of the armed forces. Notably, the dagger’s design was based on the earlier Deutscher Luftsportverband (DLV) dagger, the German Air Sports Association, which in the early 1930s effectively served as a cover organization for training future Luftwaffe personnel. For this reason, the early Luftwaffe dagger retained many features of the DLV dagger and is considered a transitional model in the development of German aviation edged weapons.

The fittings made of nickel silver (German silver) are characteristic of early examples, typically manufactured before 1936. Due to limited production runs, high manufacturing quality, and distinguished appearance, such pieces are traditionally valued by collectors more highly than later variants.

The manufacturer was Stöcker & Co. SMF, a German metalworking company from Solingen that specialized in producing edged weapons for aviation organizations of the Third Reich. The firm produced daggers for the DLV, NSFK, and Luftwaffe, distinguished by the high quality of their blades and fittings. The blade bears the characteristic “SMF” mark, confirming the item’s origin.