After 1936, NSKK Officers and long-term NCO's were designated
a new dagger Pattern. It was a chained version of their original
example. There were four upper and five lower links. The chain
will have one link marked, NSKK Musterschutz Korpsführung,
on the reverse, and usually will be RZM marked with a factory
code - most are M 5/8, but there are others. Some NSKK
Officers chose to only purchase the chain and center ramp, installing
it accordingly on their existing early dagger. Many of these "field
upgrades" will lack RZM markings on the chain and will sometimes
have only three upper links. Factory produced examples will normally
have RZM markings as well as the standard stamping indicated above.
NSKK #33581C Chained NSKK Marine Officer Dagger RZM M 7/66 1940 - Carl Eickhorn
This Chained NSKK Marine Officer Dagger is showing some age throughout the gilding and also to the scabbard paint but it is what it is and it is priced accordingly. The crossguards are the standard nickel-plated type that have been factory gold washer. This gilding is probably about 40-50% on the upper crossguard and perhaps about 80-85% on the lower crossguard. The tang nut is the nickel-plated steel type and it also has about 60-70% of the gilded finish remaining. The grip is a standard RZM type having high ridge construction. It has the typical vertically running graining with a pleasing brown surface to the wood. There is a small chip in the obverse upper left corner. Otherwise the grip is in perfect condition. It features an SA runes button which is perfectly set and has 100% of the enameled surfaces. The grip eagle is the aluminum type being the style with beak that points upward slightly. The bird still has full detail remaining to its eye, breast feathering, wing feathering, wreath and swastika. There is a little wear to the talon area and slightly on the bottom of the breast feathering. The grip adequately fits the crossguards.The scabbard shell is straight throughout. It reflects original black factory paint. This paint still has some luster to it but it also has some spidering and quite a bit of age and chipping which most likely occurred from the chain being wrapped around the scabbard shell. This paint remains at approximately 80-85%. The scabbard mount are the typical nickel-plated RZM type. They have good nickel plating throughout but like the crossguards these hilt mounts are also showing wear to the gilt. The lower reverse mount has nearly all of the gilt remaining and the reverse of the center ramp has maybe 80% of it. The upper reverse mount has maybe 50% with about 90% still remaining on the throat. On the obverse the upper mount has about 50% gilt, the ramp has perhaps 30% and the lower mount is about 90%. The lower ball is still intact and has never been dropped. These mounts are retained by unturned matching dome head screws. The eyelets exactly match each other in size. The chain is the convention RZM type having four upper and five lower links. These links feature alternating NSKK eagles with swastikas and sunwheel swastika links. The lower chain has a center link featuring the RAD triangular rune. The connectors to the links are all in good shape. The links appear to have a little bit of rust here and there but not bad with fairly good plating. The gilding on these links is clinging throughout the recesses but there is not much on the high relief areas. The nickel snap clip is also the conventional type having a shield featuring an acorn placed between the recesses of two leaves which flank the acorn. The gilding is intact in the recesses of the shield and there are also remains of it here and there around the snap clip but not much. The two lower chain links which connect to the scabbard eyelets are marked. The upper example is stamped, “Mustarschutz / NSKK- / Korpsfürung”.
The blade of this example makes up for some of the lack of gilding. This blade is still factory bright and has all of its crossgraining. The SA motto on this blade is nice and crips and appears to have 100% of the original darkening in the backgrounds. Other than the most modest of age signs this blade rates in mint condition. The reverse ricasso is matching etched with a single open RZM circle which is positioned over the Carl Eickhorn code, “M 7/66”. Beneath is the production date of this dagger, “1940”. The crossguard area on the lower surfaces where it was protected by the scabbard throat has nearly all of the original finish. An interesting dagger here which absolutely was a marine version of the chained NSKK officer. It is in collectible condition and although it is nowheres near mint it may be a good piece to acquire until a better example comes along. It is priced accordingly.
Excellent. $5,495.00
NSKK #33261 Late NSKK EM Dagger RZM M 7/13 - Arthur Schuttlehöfer
This NSKK Enlisted Man's Dagger is in fine condition overall having been a slight victim of the materials used during the later periods of construction. The crossguards are the nickel-plated type. The upper crossguard is in excellent mint condition being nice and bright. The tang nut for some reason is a solid nickel example, probably a reserve of using up of existing inventory. The lower crossguard nicely matches the shape and workmanship of the upper one however a majority of the nickel plating has worn from the surfaces revealing a polished metal beneath that resembles aluminum but I’m not sure. Both crossguards have fine precision accent grooves. The grip is a typical RZM type being of a darker color wood. It has medium to high ridge construction with vertically running grain. This grip is in perfect condition and nicely fits the crossguards. The SA runes button is placed fairly low in the grip and it has perfect enameled surfaces. The grip eagle is an aluminum type and it is the “high-necked” variety. This bird is in choice crisp condition having full details to its head, breast feathering, wing feathering, legs, wreath and mobile swastika.The scabbard shell is straight throughout. It has outstanding original black paint. On the obverse this paint is nearly in full mint condition and on the reverse it has just a couple of mild wear signs. A very fine shell here. The scabbard mounts are outstanding nickel-plated type having full factory brightness still all there. These mounts are in perfect condition to include the never dropped ball. The mounts are retained by steel dome head screws which are unbuggered. The throat is the thicker style we frequently see on RZM pieces of this vintage.
The blade is nice and bright having good needle tip and 100% of the original crossgraining. Other than the standard runner marks this blade is in mint condition. The SA motto is crisp and deep having fine 100% background darkening. The reverse ricasso is matching etched with a double open style RZM circle. The circle is positioned over the Arthur Schuttlehöfer code, “M 7/13”. The blade shoulders perfectly meet the lower crossguard contour. A nice NSKK dagger here.
Excellent Plus. $995.00
NSKK #33502C Early Ground Röhm NSKK EM Dagger – J.A. Henckels
This early NSKK Enlisted Man's Dagger is in nice overall condition and is an interesting dagger. The crossguards are the standard solid nickel type and they were cleaned not too long ago and present a good shiny state. The tang nut appears to have been out a few times but it is still fairly crisp. These crossguards have smooth surfaces with crisp edges and good precise accent grooves. It is interesting to note that the gruppe mark on the reverse lower crossguard is stamped way over on the right, “B.O”. (Usually when we see this it is the “H.o.” marking so this is somewhat of an anomaly.) The grip is a fine mahogany having a good subtle grain in the surfaces. The obverse grip is in choice condition throughout while the reverse shows a couple of hits towards the upper areas. The grip is of medium to high ridge construction and it absolutely fits the crossguards like a glove. The SA runes button is perfectly placed and has fine enameled surfaces. The nickel grip eagle is the “point-behind-the-head” style. This bird is extremely crisp having full details to the head, breast feathering, wing feathering, talons, wreath and mobile swastika. The scabbard shell is straight throughout. It has received a black coat of paint which was definitely done during the period. The paint shows wear and usage but it still retains its brightness having a little bit of spidering but still rating at about 85-90%. On the areas where the paint is scraped it is possible to see the original anodized surface below the paint. As we collectors know, in 1936 NSKK men were ordered to paint their scabbards black as a way to designate the difference between the SA and the NSKK dagger. The scabbard mounts are all nickel matching the crossguard. These mounts are in excellent condition throughout, the lower ball just having the smallest tap to the left in the center. These mounts are retained by the original nickel screws which are unbuggered. A nice rarely seen scabbard here.The obverse of this blade is in choice mint condition, having all cross grain and deep etched motto. The motto has all of the dark background. There a couple of extremely minor age marks at the ricasso area, but not enough to take away from a mint rating here. The reverse blade has had the Röhm inscription neatly ground from the etched area only. There was new grain applied, but it is a far-cry from the original factory type and the viewer will easily see where the Röhm autograph and his pronunciation of his affection to his early fighters once was placed. The areas of the blade after and before the inscription, still retain the original brightness and grain on their surfaces - a fine ground blade here that really gives a feel for this exciting time in German history. The logo is still all there, having just a small "rub" of grinding at the very top of the oval logo. The double ovals contain the firm's name and location, "J. A. Henckels, Zwillingswerk, Solingen". Inside, is the traditional symbol still used today by this fine blade company, the conjoined twins in an Egyptian-like pose. The blade shoulders perfectly meet the lower cross guard contour. A fine example here!
Excellent Plus. $1,195.00
NSKK #33417C Mid-Period Double Proof NSKK EM Dagger RZM M7/27 - Puma
This Puma produced NSKK Enlisted Man's Dagger is in choice new-like condition. It really should have a bag and a tag, that’s the kind of shape it’s in. this beautiful dagger has factory fresh crossguards which still gleam like they just came out of the plating tank. There is a little bit of age noticeable on the upper area where they meet the grip and a little bit on the lower reverse in the same area but frankly it is nothing. The tang nut is in choice condition and does not appear to have been removed. Beautiful crossguards here! The grip is a very dark RZM type mahogany. It has the typical vertically running grain and a high ridge construction. This grip is in perfect condition throughout and nicely fits the crossguards. The SA runes button is nicely placed with perfect enamel surfaces. The grip eagle is the mid-period type having a fine nickel-plated surface. The nickeling is 100% just starting to show some age patination around the edges of the wings and a little bit around the swastika wreath. Otherwise though this grip eagle is in new condition with perfect details throughout the eagle and swastika. An outstanding hilt here! The scabbard shell is straight as an arrow. The original factory paint is pristine mint throughout and still factory bright. You will not see better original paint than this. The scabbard mounts are also totally pristine with their original factory brightness. These mounts are perfect and are retained by nickel-plated steel head dome screws which also retain 100% of their plating. The original hanger is also on the carrying ring. The leather is most beautiful throughout having its original black color and the hanger hardware is also pristine mint. The snap clip is marked on the reverse, “A”, “DRGM” and “RZM M5/8”. The blade of this example is just as nice as the outside. It is completely factory fresh having 100% crossgraining with needlelike tip. The SA motto is completely crisp having 100% of the black backgrounds. The reverse ricasso has a matching double proof. It features an open single RZM circle over the Puma code, “M 7/27”. Below this is the diamond logo containing a Puma cat head with the firm’s name below the cat within the diamond. At the bottom is the location city, “Solingen”. The blade shoulders perfectly meet the lower crossguard contour. Once again if you have a Puma tag or a Puma bag this dagger is absolutely a candidate for you. This dagger came from a veteran family that had a number of other Puma pieces brought back by the father. He must have been in either a store or a factory area because most of the daggers he brought back are in pristine unused condition. A great opportunity here for the right person.Mint, Mint, Mint! $1,995.00
NSKK #33168 Mid-Period NSKK EM Dagger with Double Proof RZM M7/5 - C.J. Krebs
This Carl Julius Krebs produced piece is a transitional example, having several interesting features about it. First of all, the cross guards are the aluminum type. The tang nut is a nickel example. I do not see any signs that the tang has been opened on this example in modern times. The cross guards still retain their brightness to the satin aluminum finish. There is the normal sign of time across the surface in the form of little scratches which you can see if you look close. Other than these though, the guards are in fine condition with still crisp edges and precise accent marks. Although I did not look inside, these guards are probably “EW” marked internally. The grip is a medium brown color having a medium contour ridge construction. There is a pleasing grain which runs vertically on both surfaces. There is little wear to this grip and it nicely fits the cross guards. The SA runes button is straight and has perfect enamel surfaces. The mid-period nickel grip eagle is the style with “beak pointing upwards slightly”. The detail to the bird’s head, breast feathering, wing feathering, talons, wreath and mobile swastika is excellent. The scabbard shell is straight throughout. This factory painted black shell has good brightness to the original paint, but there are some scratches and carrying signs on the surfaces. This paint rates at approximately 90%. The scabbard mounts are the nickel plated steel type. The plating is still nice and bright throughout and in near mint condition. The lower ball is in fine condition, having one tiny little hit at the very bottom, but it does not show. The throat is the thicker style that we see used frequently on examples of this vintage. The original dome head screws are all in place, being the earlier form of the screws. The blade is still quite bright, having some in and out markings, but still in excellent plus plus condition. The original graining is quite prevalent throughout the surfaces and the tip is still needle-like. The SA motto is crisp, showing some wear to the background darkening being at about 80%. The reverse ricasso is matching etched with a large double style circle which is shaded in the center. Beneath the RZM is the maker’s code “M 7/5”. Beneath this is the firm’s name and location “C.J. Krebs Solingen”. Between the two words is the firm’s logo consisting of a crown above the initial “K”. The blade shoulders nicely fit the cross guard contour and it can be seen that this cross guard is cut out to accommodate the full shoulder area, a method used for the “fits all” process being employed by the factories at the time. A pretty nice transitional piece here.Excellent. $695.00
NSKK #32884 Early NSKK EM Dagger - J.P. Sauer
This early NSKK dagger is a typical Suhl-made piece with the curvature of the lower cross guard and the grip material, giving its pedigree away. The dagger is equipped with all nickel mounts. The tang nut has a little bit of old green paint on the top of it, apparently from the dagger’s liberators seller. At any rate, this is easy to take off if desired. There are some round scratches next to the tang nut on the upper scabbard surface which is an indication that someone took the nut out, but I don’t see any signs on the nut of it being removed so this must have happened a long time ago. These cross guards are nicely patinated throughout. Both the upper and lower surfaces do show some scratching, but not bad. The edges are still nice and crisp, and the accent grooves are precise. The lower reverse cross guard is gruppe marked “Sa”. The grip is a typical walnut type and it is of smooth ridge contour. This grip has turned fairly dark over the years, but the vertical running grain is still quite prominent throughout the piece, especially on the reverse. The grip does not show a lot of usage, but does have some signs here and there. This walnut wood is so hard though that very little ever happens to it. In this case, the grip is still in near perfect condition. It fits the cross guards like a rubber glove. The SA runes button is in place and has perfect surfaces to the enamel. The nickel grip eagle is the “point behind the head” type and it has excellent details to the eagle’s head, breast feathering, wing feathering, talons, wreath and mobile swastika. The scabbard shell is straight throughout. This shell has outstanding original factory done paint. This paint is still bright throughout, having only modest signs of its wear time. There is also a little bit of the green colored paint that we saw on the tang, splashed onto the scabbard shell. Again, this is no problem and would come off if somebody wanted to do it. The scabbard mounts are the matching nickel and they are in perfect condition to include the never dropped ball. The original nickel screws are in place and are unturned. It is interesting to note that the original short hanger is still attached to the piece. This hanger has all nickel hardware with the conventional snap clip marked “A” and “DRGM”. In addition, the leather has one of the earliest stampings I have seen on the short hangers being “RZM L2 /441/38”. Beneath this is stamped the name of the leather producer “HALSSTÜCK”. The original small retainer loop is also with this hanger. I think that this is a very interesting hanger. The hanger is installed backwards, but that is easy enough to reverse if desired. Unfortunately, the blade of this example is not very nice. It has a lot of staining on the second two-thirds of the blade. Perhaps some of this staining would come out with a little work, but I have not tried to do anything with it. The upper portion of the blade is still fairly bright, having the cross graining in the surfaces. The motto etch still appears to have most of the frosting in the backgrounds. The reverse ricasso has the double oval proof mark with the firm’s name and location “JP Sauer and Sohn Suhl”. Beneath is the start up date “1751”. The blade shoulders nicely fit the cross guard contours.Excellent Plus. $895.00
NSKK #32997 Early NSKK EM With Unusual Hanger – Daniel Perez
This early NSKK Enlisted Man's Dagger is a most interesting example. It has several features which are very desirable by collectors. First of all, the dagger does not appear to have been cleaned in many years nor has it ever been apart. The tang nut and cross guards have a deep, dull patination and all parts are equipped with crisp edges, smooth surfaces and precise accent grooves. The lower reverse cross guard is Gruppe marked “No”. The grip of this example is a pleasing fruitwood having a rich color throughout the surfaces. The grain is very thick and has good eye appeal. This grip is of smooth contour construction and it shows only nominal usage with no flaws or problems. This grip fits the cross guards like a rubber glove. The SA runes button is placed slightly to the left and the enameled surfaces are still in perfect condition. The matching nickel grip eagle is the style with beak which points upward slightly. This bird still has excellent details to his head, breast feathering, wing feathering, talons, wreath and mobile swastika. A very fine hilt here! The scabbard shell is straight throughout. It has received a black coat of paint probably in 1936 per the NSKK ruling that their scabbards be painted black. This black paint job appears to have been professionally done but it does show a lot of usage and chipping. It is interesting to note that the areas where the paint has come off appear to be anodized. It is also possible that this is just the color tone left in the metal after all of this time. Either way, this scabbard paint, although only being at maybe 50% - 60%, has a very desirable look about it. The scabbard mounts are nickel, exactly matching the patination of the dagger. The lower ball has a minor hit in the very bottom of it but no splitting or crushing. These two mounts are retained by their original 4 unturned nickel screws. Attached to this scabbard is a most curious black leather vertical hanger. This hanger appears to have been made by a leather or tack making firm, probably prior to the standardization process instituted about 1935. This hanger has an oval shaped leather backing with a leather coupling riveted to the obverse for retaining the scabbard shell. In addition, there is a leather strap with hasp to secure the upper part of the hanger. The snap clip is an early “snout-nosed” variety having the flush mount rivet which retains the spring. This type of hardware was the earliest variety we see on standardized mounts. The leather to this interesting vertical is still in excellent, serviceable condition. The hanger really adds a great feature to this dagger as this hanger possibly is one of a kind. The blade is no disappointment either. This beautiful blade retains its mirror surfaces and has almost all of the original cross graining. There are some extremely light signs of age in the surfaces but the blade still grades easily in a near mint state. The SA motto is crisp and deep and still retains its 100% background darkening. The reverse ricasso is matching etched with a double ellipse. The ellipse contains the firm’s name and location “Daniel Perez Solingen”. Inside is a logo which is a favorite of mine as well as other collectors, being that of a beer barrel complete with a beer tap on the end which appears to be ready to turn. A great looking logo here and especially significant considering that beer was and is the noteworthy drink of Germany then and now. The blade shoulders perfectly meet the lower cross guard contour. A outstanding early NSKK dagger.Excellent Plus. $1,795.00
NSKK #32439 Early NSKK EM Dagger – Johanniswerk, Bayreuth
This is a fine early NSKK EM Dagger. It is an outstanding example which is in an untouched state. There are some minor scars at the top cross guard, but looking at the tang nut it is one of those types that has the very thin wrench area and it does not appear that the person originally trying to disassemble this dagger succeeded. By the looks of the marks, this also probably goes back to the war. This dagger definitely has not been opened, at least in recent times. The cross guards and tang nut are the early nickel type. These guards have excellent, smooth surfaces with good, crisp edges and precise accent grooves. They feature a nice, dull, even patina throughout. The lower reverse cross guard is Gruppe marked “Fr”. The grip is a nice example which appears thinner in the center area than most other grips. That is probably because this dagger was made in Bavaria, not Solingen. The grip has a nice under-the-surface vertical grain. The reverse is absolutely perfect, showing little to no wear. The obverse shows a little bit of scraping around the upper part of the eagle and also below the wings and wreath, but these appear to be done possibly when the eagle was originally set. This grip is in medium to high-ridge construction. The grip fits the cross guards like a rubber glove. The SA runes button is nicely placed and has perfect enamel surfaces. The grip eagle exactly matches the patination of the other nickel parts. It is the style with the “beak that points upward slightly” and the detail is still excellent throughout the bird’s head, breast feathering, wing feathering, talons, wreath and mobile swastika. A nice hilt here. The scabbard shell is completely straight throughout. This shell reflects outstanding black paint. As we know, these daggers were ordered to be painted black by the NSKK hierarchy and normally, the paint jobs leave a lot to be desired. That is not the case with this original paint. It is extremely well done and still retains its original factory brightness. It shows a normal amount of wearing signs and a few chips but, overall, the paint is at least 95% and grades at excellent plus plus on the obverse and near full mint on the reverse. A nice shell here. The scabbard mounts are matching patina nickel types and they are in perfect condition to include the lower ball. The original low head screws are in place and are unbuggered. Attached to the upper scabbard ring is what appears to be the original short hanger. The leather shows some mild age across the surfaces and some scuffing, but it is still very sound and is not age fragile. The leather hanger is complete with the small retainer loop. The hardware consists of all nickel components and the conventional shaped snap clip is unmarked. I would think a little bit of Meltonian shoe cream would bring this leather back to a near mint state. The blade of this example is also very nice. It has a little bit of in-and-out scratching but overall it still retains its original brightness and grades in near mint condition. The SA motto is crisp and deep and has about 95% of the factory darkening in the backgrounds. The cross graining looks to be at about 80% - 85%. The reverse ricasso has a fine logo etch, being double ovals. The ovals contain the firm’s name and location “Johanniswerk, Bayreuth”. Inside, there is a seal-like figure which has something similar to an arrow inside being tipped slightly to the left. The blade shoulders perfectly meet the lower cross guard contour. If you are looking for a nice-conditioned early NSKK, this is an outstanding example and I must say it is very difficult to find an NSKK with this nice of an original scabbard paint and overall condition.Excellent Plus Plus. $1,195.00
NSKK #32651 Early Brigade Marked NSKK EM Dagger With Unusual Grip Eagle – Haco, Berlin
This early NSKK EM Dagger is an interesting example which I purchased directly from the family of the deceased veteran. Nothing has ever been done to the dagger and the way it is is the way it came back from the war. This dagger is covered with a deep dull patination. The nickel mounts have never been cleaned and the tang nut indicates that it has never been turned. These cross guards retain their smooth surfaces under the patina and the edges are still crisp with good, precise accent grooves. The lower cross guard is stamped with a Gruppe mark “p”. (Normally these Haco daggers are gau-marked from Berlin, so this also is quite unusual.) The grip though is by far the most unusual I think I have seen. This grip is extremely dark and looks as though it may have been pained black at one time but it is hard to tell. The grip shows some usage throughout with a small crack at the lower reverse and a slight gauge just above the bottom reverse section but if anything, it gives it character. The SA runes button shows some extra room around its perimeter as we would see on a replacement and perhaps this has occurred, but, as I said above, if it did, it was during the period. The grip eagle area, though, is the most curious of all. The original eagle appears to have been cut out of the grip and a portion of differing wood containing an open-winged copper eagle has been carefully placed into the area. It is not a job that a master craftsman did by any means but it still looks pretty good. I think this copper eagle is from one of the long service ribbon bars that were worn with the uniform. Why the original owner chose to replace his standard eagle with one like this is not known to me. This eagle, though, still has good detail throughout its copper surfaces. The head, breast feathering, wing feathering, wreath and mobile swastika are still quite crisp. This grip fits the cross guards very well. The scabbard shell is straight throughout. It is one of those shells that looks like it was either a “dip job” or painted with a broom or toothbrush. It has lots of thick black paint on it and still rates at perhaps 98%. It shows lots of age throughout and is definitely a paint job per the order given to NSKK people in 1936 to paint their anodized scabbard black using whatever means possible. The scabbard mounts exactly match the hilt mounts and are in excellent condition. The lower ball has a slight flattening at the very bottom and there is a small split at the left side. All of this sounds worse than it is, as it all seems to flow nicely with the looks of this odd dagger. A very interesting thing also is a beautifully engraved brigade number which appears stamped on the reverse of the scabbard mount. The number is “Br. 16/9522”. This engraving is very nicely done and certainly was not accomplished by the same person that did the grip eagle or painted this scabbard! The blade of this example is still mostly bright. It shows some age here and there and some in and out marks, but it still grades at excellent plus. The motto is still quite deep and crisp and it has about 95% of the original frosted backgrounds. The reverse ricasso is marked with the lifesaver style trademark of this firm with their name and city etched between the two circles, “Haco Berlin”. The blade shoulders nicely fit the cross guards, although there is a tiny space on both shoulder ends. It is not enough, though, to cause eyebrow raising. The area surrounding the blade shoulders on the lower cross guard is still bright where the cross guard seated against the scabbard throat. An interesting piece here that appeals to me and hopefully will appeal to other collectors out there.Excellent. $1,195.00
NSKK #32765C NSKK Chained Officer “Parts” Dagger, Double Proof Puma
This NSKK Chained Officer Dagger is on consignment from a collector who, unfortunately, bought it as the real deal but we are trying to recover some money for him as there are some good parts on this example. The cross guards as well as the tang nut of this hilt are the early nickel base type. They appear to be original guards but I do notice that there has been some machine polishing to the surface, probably in an attempt to make them brighter than they normally would be. This chained officer dagger is meant to look like a later piece not an earlier piece, thus, the brightening of the guards. Apparently, the buffing process was not able to remove the original Gruppe stamping so it appears as though our “magician” that performed this work decided to confuse the issue and made some stampings over the mark. It appears to be a capital “N” or capital “M”, I am not sure. The grip is the proper example which probably did come with the blade. This grip is a typical RZM type, having a high-ridge construction in the center. The obverse of the grip is totally perfect and the reverse has a couple of mild carrying hit which must have occurred when the grip was going through its previous period life. This grip fits the cross guards perfectly, although it does look as though there may have been a little alteration at the bottom corners to effect this type look. The SA runes button is in good condition throughout with no flaws to the enamel. The grip eagle is aluminum type and it is in first-rate condition, still having full details to its head, breast feathering, wing feathering, talons, wreath and mobile swastika. The scabbard shell is a good looking example which appears to be original but I am sure it was re-painted at the time this piece was made up. The paint is a dull black color and still is in near 100% condition. The paint looks pretty good. The scabbard mounts are a combination of original and not original parts. The throat and top fitting appear to be original nickel plated stock. The lower mount is a solid nickel type but it is a reproduction. The center mount is also nickel and by the size of the two rims, is a reproduction. Additionally, the screws which retain these mounts are not original as the heads are slightly too large. Connected to the upper eyelet and center eyelet though is, believe it or not, an original NSKK chain in very fine condition. This chain is a nickel plated type having steel links. The links are in choice, crisp condition having a 4-link top chain and a 5-link lower chain. The links alternate the NSKK eagle and swastika with sun wheel swastikas. These links are still crisp and show no rust. Each link has the proper dome-shape holes. The round connector rings are the proper type made of steel. The upper link at the top connecting to the snap clip is properly stamped on the back “Müsterschutz NSKK Korpsführung”. The opposite link connected to the snap clip is properly stamped with the small RZM double circle and the hardware producer’s code “M5/8”. These snap clip is also a proper example, having the shield with two oak leaves and an acorn in the center. The cap of the acorn is positioned in the recesses of the oak leaves. This chain alone would be worn a tidy sum of money. The blade is a typical RZM double proof type. It has turned slightly gray but is still in pretty good condition, having most of its original cross graining still visible if you look close. The motto is good and is quite crisp. It appears as though there may have been a little darkening work done by our “parts artist” as the letters appear more black than they usually will be. The reverse blade is slightly lighter etched with the double proof mark. A the top is a single open RZM circle positioned over the code “M 7/27”. Below this is the diamond featuring the head of a mountain lion with the name “Puma” beneath in the diamond. Under the diamond is the location town “Solingen”. This blade is definitely original with the exception of the darkening of the motto. The blade shoulders nicely fit the cross guard contours. So, this is an opportunity to at a minimum acquire a good NSKK chain or as a maximum, if you are looking to put up a nice looking dagger as a filler until you find one perhaps with a proper scabbard and no chain. I do not like selling pieces like this but, since many of the parts are original and I have told you what is what, I don’t see any real harm in it as long as the next buyer uses the same judgment.Excellent. $1,995.00
NSKK #32569 NSKK EM Dagger With Three-Piece Hanger, Double Proof (RZM M 7/66) - Carl Eickhorn
This NSKK EM Dagger was produced during the transitional period. It was probably made about 1938. It features nickel plated cross guards and steel plated tang nut. Examining the tang nut, it does not look to have ever been apart. The cross guards still have much of their original factory brightness. They show a few scratches here and there and there is a minor amount of lifting on the cross guards where they meet the wood grip, but it is superficial. These guards will clean up nicely. The grip is a rich looking wood having medium contour ridge construction. There is a nice grain throughout the dagger, some of it being slightly horizontal if you look closely this grip is in excellent condition throughout, showing some wear but no abuse and no cracks or problems. The SA runes button is nicely placed and has good enamel surfaces. The grip eagle is an early nickel type being the type with slightly raised beak and has full detail throughout the bird to include the wreath and swastika. The scabbard shell is in perfect, straight condition. It has outstanding original black paint which shows some minor scratches and signs of use, but overall this paint is at least 98%. The scabbard mounts are the nickel plated steel type and they are still bright, exactly matching the state of the cross guards. The lower ball has never been dropped. It is interesting to note that the scabbard throat is the nickel type reflecting transition here. The original screws are all in place and have lower heads than the later type. They still are steel based screws, however. Attached to the carrying ring is a three-piece hanger which appears original. The leather throughout the three-piece shows some minor age and some scuffing but it is still all sound. The snap clip shows some minor rust and a little plating deterioration on the reverse. It is the type having the “A”, “DRGM” and “RZM M5/8” markings. The blade of this example is a fine, mint one. It has all of the cross graining and still is nice and bright. The motto is nice and crisp and has 100% of the original factory blackening. The reverse ricasso is double-proofed with a single RZM open circle over the code “M7/66”. Below is the Eickhorn squirrel.Excellent Plus Plus. $1,195.00
NSKK #32132 Early Field Upgrade Chained NSKK Officer's Dagger with Aristocrat’s Monogram and Photo – E. Pack & Söhne
This early NSKK Dagger is a most interesting piece and worthy of some research. The dagger is equipped with solid nickel crossguards which have good patina throughout. These crossguards have smooth surfaces, crisp edges and very precise hand cut accent grooves. The grip is a lighter fruitwood color having a close grain throughout. This grip is of medium ridge construction and still remains in perfect condition. The SA runes button shows some usage signs in the surfaces but the enamel still appears to be in good condition. The grip eagle is an early high-necked variety. This bird has some wear to his head and a little bit to the breast feathering, but the wing feathering, talons, wreath and swastika are still in excellent condition. The scabbard shell has a small ripple in the obverse upper area and the reverse of the shell is still straight throughout. The upper and lower scabbard mounts are in good condition being the solid nickel type and the lower ball has only the slightest of a tap just in the center area. The early screws are in place and like we see often with Pack daggers they are slightly lower positioned then most and not quite parallel. The center ramp of this dagger is the type that we often see with field upgrades. It is a nickel-plated type having good crisp edges and the eyelet is slightly bigger than the top eyelet. We see this a lot on field upgrades and this is a perfectly acceptable variation. When the center eyelet is smaller than the upper eyelet, that’s when you have to watch out as the center fitting will be an Atwood. At any rate, there is a very fine chain connected here. This chain is one of the rarely seen solid nickel types. In fact it would be the same chain that was used on the NSKK high leader examples. This beautiful chain has three links at the top and five links at the bottom. The links of course alternate the NSKK eagle with swastika with sun wheel style swastika. On the bottom chain in the center is the unique triangle rune only used by the NSKK. Even the round tabs which connect the chain links are solid nickel. The upper link of the bottom chain which connects to the snap clip is stamped, “Musterschutz / NSKK- / Korpsführung”. There is no RZM stamping on these chains. The chains are connected to a standard nickel-plated style clip with shield. The shield of course has the acorn positioned in between two oak leaves. The oak leaves have deep veins and are quality examples. There is a deep scratch that runs across part of the lower acorn as well as part of the right oak leaf. It is just one of those things that happens either during the time that the dagger was worn or perhaps after the fact. A very fine chain assembly here. On the reverse of the upper fitting though is a most interesting engraving. It is the engraving of a fine seven pronged crown. This seven pronged crown is what the Germans used to distinguish a Freiherr or a “Count” as the English called him. This beautiful professionally engraved crown is atop a fine monogram. The monogram is “HC”. The letters are in a Gothic style and there is a lined fading done on the internal areas of both letters. The letters are separated by a punctuation point. This monogram belongs to army officer Major von Cederstolpe. The reason I know this is that the dagger is accompanied by a picture of this officer. Apparently Major von Cederstolpe must have been an NSKK officer at the same time he served with the German army. The picture is most interesting as it depicts a very arrogant looking officer who has his hands posed on his hips and looks to the viewer’s left with kind of a sneer on his face. To add to the great appearance he is overweight and his uniform is beginning to fit a bit snug and his wide black leather belt is also starting to curl slightly to the shape of his protruding tummy. The belt he is wearing has a double claw buckle. Major von Cederstolpe was commander of a division 122 which was known as “GREIF”. Apparently he served from 1941 in the eastern areas of Schlossberg-Dünaburg/Porchow-Nawgorod-Leningrad. Obviously this is a great tool here for researching this army/NSKK officer. I tried looking him up in my rank list but since it is from 1939 Major Cederstolpe is not listed. I would think though that it should not be too difficult to locate this man by using one of our professional researchers or try writing to the German archives yourself. I think it is a worthwhile project as this is kind of a neat dagger. The blade of this example is a ground Röhm. All of the inscription to include the maker name is ground off of the reverse. It is obvious though from the crossguards, grip and scabbard that this is a E. Pack dagger. The blade on the obverse is still pretty good. It still has some crossgraining but does show some minor age along with in and out usage. The SA motto is still crips though and has about 95% of the original darkening in the backgrounds. On the reverse the Ernst Röhm inscription as well as the factory name is completely ground off and there has been an attempt to regrain the blade. The regraining though is much rougher than what the original would have been. It is also interesting to note that the person that ground the blade did not bother to take the blade out of the hilt. There is a spot on the edge of the lower reverse crossguard where the grinding wheel just caught the point of it. But if anything this kind of talks to you if you know what I mean. A really neat dagger here and I believe this is the first NSKK example I have seen with a monogram / cipher. A great opportunity here to research a fairly rare dagger. Incidentally, the reverse crossguard is marked with the gruppe, “S”. Excellent. $4,695.00
NSKK #32115 Mid-Period NSKK Enlisted Man's Dagger (RZM M 7/13) - Schüttlehöfer
This mid-period example is produced with nickel-plated tang and crossguard. These crossguards are still in outstanding condition throughout. The guards still have their original factory brightness. There is only the slightest of lifting noticeable only along the edge of the guards where they meet the wood of the grip. The tang nut is also in good condition having all of its original plating. The grip is a fine medium brown color fruitwood having good vertical running grain. The grip is in completely perfect condition and fits the crossguards like a rubber glove. The SA runes button is nicely placed being at about five o’clock. The enamel is in perfect condition. The nickel grip eagle is the style with beak which points upward. The head, breast feathering, wing feathering, talons, wreath and mobile swastika are still all there showing little wear. A fine hilt here! The scabbard shell is in choice straight condition throughout. The original paint still retains its factory luster and other than a few normally seen carrying signs this paint is near 100%. The shell is equipped with nickel-plated scabbard mounts. These mounts also have their factory brightness and are in perfect condition to include the lower ball. The screws are the dome head style still having most of their plating. There is a black short hanger attached to the scabbard ring. The hanger shows a little bit of age but it is still in serviceable condition and is complete with the small retainer loop. The hanger hardware is the nickel-plated type still in bright condition. The snap clip is marked on the back, “RZM”, “M5/71”, “OLC”. The blade of this example is nice and bright. It has most of its original graining in the surfaces and would be in full mint condition except for just of minor smudges and a little bit of runner wear noticeable on the edges of both sides. The blade though is still in first rate condition easily grading near mint. The SA motto is crisp and deep having nearly 100% of its original background darkening. The reverse ricasso is matching etched with a double open style RZM circle. It is positioned over the code for the Arthur Schüttlehöfer firm, “M 7/13”. The blade shoulders perfectly fit the lower crossguard contour. A very nice NSKK dagger here.Near Mint. $1,195.00
NSKK #30742 Early NSKK Enlisted Man's Dagger - F. Herder
The crossguard and tang nut of this fine example are in choice pristine condition having not looked to have been cleaned since the war. These guards have good smooth surfaces, crisp edges and the accent grooves are very precise. The reverse lower crossguard has the gruppe mark, “OM” for Ostmark The grip of this example is a real beauty being a rich color mahogany. There is a subtle grain in the surfaces if you look closely. This grip is of medium contour construction and it absolutely fits the crossguards like a glove. The SA runes button is turned to about 4:30 o’clock. The enamel is in completely perfect condition. The nickel grip eagle is the style with beak which points upwards slightly. This bird still retains the details to his eye, breast feathering, wing feathering, talons, wreath and mobile swastika. A very fine hilt here! The scabbard shell is straight throughout. This shell has original period black paint. The paint is near 100% having just a small chip at the lower obverse. Overall though it rates at nearly 100%. The paint is a matte finish black not having a lot of shine to it but it really looks good with the patination of the mounts. The upper scabbard mount is in perfect condition. Unfortunately the lower mount has been dropped and the ball is crushed. It is a shame because this is really the only flaw on this fine dagger. There is hope though as I do know a dentist in Pittsburgh that can repair these balls and repatina the repair so this work is undetectable. If the next purchaser would like to have this done I can furnish the name and address after the purchase. The scabbard mounts are retained by the original early nickel screws and they are unbuggered. The blade of this example is a real beauty. It has its original full bright finish with all the crossgraining. This blade is in mint condition. The obverse is etched with the SA motto. The motto is deep and crisp and has easily 100% of the very dark backgrounds. A really great looking blade here. On the reverse ricasso it is matching etched with the pleasing logo of a set of crossed old fashioned lock keys. Beneath the keys is the firm’s name and location, “F. Herder A.S./Solingen”. If you are looking for a fine early NSKK dagger this one should fill the bill. Normally it is very difficult to find an NSKK with good original paint. Usually they look like they were done by an amateur or in some cases even look like they were painted by a broom. Since there were no directions given on where and when to have this scabbard repainted most of them do not look very well. Because of this great looking scabbard and the fine blade and hilt this is an exceptional dagger. Once the lower ball is restored this should be a $1500 dagger. It is priced accordingly. Excellent Plus, Plus. $1,295.00
NSKK #31144C Tagged NSKK EM Dagger (RZM M7/4) - WKC
This tagged NSKK example is about as nice as they come. The nickel-plated crossguard and tang are still in mint condition. These fittings have the original factory luster and for once there is no lifting where they meet the wood. Apparently, this dagger has always been kept in a dry place. The grip is the typical RZM type, having a pleasing color to the wood and having medium construction contours. The grip is in near perfect condition throughout, having a couple of signs of being around, but nothing detrimental. The SA button is nicely placed and, of course, has no hits to the enamel. The grip eagle appears to be one of the zinc type that were manufactured late. This bird is a high-necked type and still has good detail to its head, open wings, wreath and swastika. Attached to the upper portion of the grip is the original manila paper tag. It is a triangular type and has a ribbon holding one side of it. The obverse side features a black printed NSKK open-winged eagle with swastika and banner above. Below is the typeof dagger in black capital letters, “NSKK.- /DIENSTDOLCH.” On the lines below, it is the rubber stamped RZM code for WKC, “M 7/42.” The reverse has the RZM shaded double circle with the printed out name for the RZM and on the lines below, is the black printed run number, “017208.” The scabbard shell of this example is in complete, new-like condition. The original paint is still bright and extremely well done. There are only the most modest signs that this paint is old. The mounts are the beautiful nickel-plated steel type and they are completely factory fresh. The upper mount is the style that has the thicker throat. The original dome head, steel screws are still in place, having all of their original nickel-plating and are unturned. Attached to the scabbard is a black leather short strap. The leather shows a little bit of usage around the edges just from being around, but basically it would still be in mint condition, if someone wanted to put a little black polish on it. It is complete with a small retainer loop. The hanger mounts are bright and factory fresh, the snap clip being marked, “RZM M5/71 OLC.” As we would expect, the blade is mirror mint and has all of its crossgraining. The SA Motto, “Alles für Deutschland,” is crisp, deeply etched and has all of its factory blackening. The reverse ricasso is etched with the WKC code, having a double open style RZM circle positioned over, “M5/42.” The blade shoulders perfectly fit the lower crossguard contour. If you are looking for an NSKK Dagger to add to your collection, this one would be a highlight. A very fine example here.Mint. $2895.00(#111511)
NSKK #31818 Chained NSKK Officer's Dagger Field Upgrade - Carl Eickhorn
This NSKK Chained Officer's Dagger is one of the field upgrade types where the original recipient, rather than buy a new dagger, ordered the necessary hardware to upgrade his existing NSKK. In the case of this example, his NSKK was also a Ground Roehm. It is an Eickhorn piece. The hilt mounts are the standard solid nickel crossguards and they are in excellent condition throughout, having good smooth surfaces, still crisp edges, and the very deep hand-cut accent grooves we often see with this producer. The guards have a fine dull patination that goes throughout the dagger. The tang not does not appear to have ever been off of this dagger. The grip is a tobacco-leaf looking texture, as well as color. There is no sheen to this grip. It does have some good close graining that runs mostly north-to-south. Other than the lack of finish, the grip is in perfect condition. It would be an easy job to put a little wax on this grip, which would completely wake it up. The grip nicely fits the crossguards. The fit is not terrific, but it is typical of Eickhorn daggers. The SA runes button is perfectly placed. It does have a small “hit” to the left of the “S” rune, and also a small “hit” just above the top portion of the “A” rune. These flaws, though, are not bad. The grip eagle is the high-necked style and it is in excellent condition. All details remain to the bird’s head, beak, breast feathering, wing feathering, legs, wreath, and mobile swastika. The reverse lower crossguard is Gruppe stamped, “BO”. This Gau is at the bottom of Germany on the border of Bavaria and Austria. Usually, I go to the scabbard next with my descriptions, but this time I will break with tradition and go to the blade as it tends to be the next discussed on this dagger. This blade shows some graying to the finish. It was a Roehm inscription originally, and the inscription was totally removed. In fact, it looks like one of the removals done by the Eickhorn factory where they reapplied their trademark. The trademark in this instance is the small double oval that contains the firm’s name and location, “Carl Eickhorn, Solingen”. Inside is a seated squirrel with serrated tail. Usually when we see this trademark on an SA, it is indicative of a Roehm dagger or some other presentation type. The removal area was regrained by the factory, but the graining is slightly more coarse than the original was. Unfortunately, there is some black age that has also spotted the blade here-and-there. Eickhorn also chose to re-do the front of the blade at the same time, and this also has some of the same problems. The SA motto is still fairly good, having some depth to it and about 60% of the original darkening. This blade only grades at about good to excellent. Perhaps, with a little work someone could renew it slightly. Now as to the scabbard. This scabbard was the original example that was always with the dagger. The shell itself was painted black after this order was made for NSKK people in 1936. The black paint job was not done too well, but at least most of it is still there. It is possible to also see the old brown anodized finish coming through on areas where the black has flaked off. The original nickel scabbard mounts are in good shape, exactly matching the patination of the crossguards. Even the lower ball has not been dropped. These mounts are retained by the original nickel screws showing some turning to the bottom examples, which was no doubt done when the mount was removed to put on the center fitting. This center ramp is a typical field upgrade type, having the thinner rolled rim and the large eyelet. These eyelets on the upgrade examples are normally larger than the eyelet at the upper scabbard mount (if the ramp eyelet is smaller than the one at the top, this is an indication that the ramp is not correct). The original upper carrying ring was removed and the chain assembly was then hooked to the two remaining eyelets. In the case of the upper chain, there are 3 links and the lower chain has the standard 5 links. The links are the nickel plated steel type and they all are in excellent condition with good plating through both sides. The link that connects to the snap clip at the top is stamped in the back “NSKK Musterschütz/ Korpsführung”. There is no RZM stamping on this chain because a field upgrade was not under the guise of the RZM. The snap clip is also a fine example. The shield contains an acorn properly positioned between two oak leaves. The veins to the oak leaves are well done. The snap clip shows a little rust toward the bottom portion of the reverse, but this is easy to clean off. The original spring is in place and works well. It is interesting to note that on the center ramp of this example, the ramp would not go up to the normal position because of the thickness of the original scabbard shell. Therefore, this ramp is down lower than we normally see them. This position, though, is frequently observed on field upgrade pieces. Apparently, this ramp was forced up as far as it would go, and there was no need to screw the mount in place as it is held in position by pressure. This is a good chance to acquire a field upgrade chained NSKK at a reasonable price. This piece is not in complete A-1 condition but it is what it is, and for someone out there that wants to do a little restoration work, I’m sure that this piece could be made much better. It is priced accordingly.Excellent. $3,395.00
NSKK #31817 Chained NSKK Officer's Dagger RZM M7/66 1942 - Carl Eickhorn
This Chained NSKK Officer's Dagger is in “as found” condition. It has superficial rust here-and-there as well as patination, all of which should clean up quite a bit. The dagger has typical nickel plated crossguards with steel tang nut. The tang nut shows rust, and the crossguards still have some of the original brightness visible beneath the patina. I’m sure these would clean up quite a bit. The grip is a typical RZM type, having a sharp contour construction. It is in perfect condition, having a medium-brown color with vertically running grain. It fits the crossguards fairly well, but this is the way we see them on last ditch efforts. The SA runes button is well placed and does have perfect enamel. The zinc grip eagle is starting to “push out” from the wood recesses. This is from the grip shrinking. Chances are this is why the grip does not exactly fit the guards perfectly, also. This zinc grip still some detail to the bird’s head, breast feathering, wing feathering, talons, wreath and swastika. The scabbard shell is nice and straight. It has its original black paint. This paint shows some mild spidering and there are some flake spots but, over-all, it’s about 85% and would certainly clean up with a little work. The scabbard mounts are the typical nickel plated type. The upper example is in perfect condition with the fat throat we see with this producer. The center ramp is also in excellent condition. The lower mount has quite a bit of lifting of the original plating. But this is certainly an easy fitting to either replace or clean it up some. The original screws are all in place and they are unturned. The chain is a typical factory type, having the 4-link top and 5-link bottom. This chain shows rust on the surface areas on front and back. A lot of this rust, though, will clean off. The chain is properly marked “RZM M5/8” on the reverse of the bottom link, and “NSKK Musterschutz Korpsführung”. The snap clip is also slightly rusted, but will clean up. It has the proper positioned acorn between the oak leaves. The blade of this dagger has turned gray and has age evenly spread over the surfaces. The SA motto is still fairly good, having about 90% of the original background darkening. The reverse ricasso is marked with an open RZM positioned over the Eickhorn code “M 7/66”, and underneath is date of manufacture, “1942”. This has to be one of the last mass produced daggers made in 3rd Reich Germany. Once again, this dagger is in “as found” condition, no one has touched it. Good project here.
Excellent. $3,195.00
NSKK #28120 Transitional NSKK EM Dagger (RZM M7/66) - Carl Eickhorn
This fine dagger appears to be a transitional example probably produced about late 1936 or 1937. It is really a fine example still having the quality that we see on early pieces. This dagger does not look to have been cleaned in many years if at all. It also does not appear to have been apart. The crossguards are the early nickel variety. They are very crisp and have excellent smooth surfaces with good deep accent grooves. There is no Gruppe mark on these crossguards because this dagger was made after the time that these stampings were included. Interestingly the tang nut is a nickel-plated type the first sign that this is a transitional dagger. The grip is a choice example. It is a red color mahogany wood having a smooth contour ridge finish. There is not a lot of grain in the grip but there are some subtle areas where the wood is slightly darker than other areas. This grip perfectly fits the crossguards. The SA runes button is perfectly placed and has flawless enamel surfaces. The grip eagle is a nickel type. It is the type with the beak which points upward slightly. This bird shows only the most modest signs of wear on the head, breast feathering and legs. The eye though is still all there as are most of the breast feathers. The wing feathers, wreath and mobile swastika are still crisp. A very fine hilt here! The scabbard shell is also a fine example. It is the earlier heavy steel base which is completely straight. This scabbard reflects outstanding original black paint. This paint still retains its factory luster and is in a near full mint condition on both sides. The obverse has only one minor scratch around the center area but it appears to be done long ago and the inner areas have turned black so that the scratch is hardly noticeable. This scabbard is equipped with nickel mounts. These mounts are exactly matching those of the hilt. They are in totally perfect condition to include the lower ball. Interestingly these mounts are retained by steel style screws but they are the earlier type with lower-to-the-surface than the type we see used later on. These screws are unturned and they are all there. The blade of this example is a real killer. This fine blade is nice and bright with needlelike tip and easily has all of its crossgraining. It has a good crisp SA etch which still retains 100% of its original darkening. This blade is easily in mint condition. The reverse ricasso is double proofed. It has the open RZM circle placed over the code, “M 7/66”. Beneath this is the logo used by the Eickhorn firm from 1935-1941. It consists of a seated squirrel holding a downward pointing sword. Above the squirrel is the word “original” which means the same in German as it does in English for those of you out there that are confused by this. Below the squirrel is the name of the firm, “Eickhorn / Solingen”. The blade shoulders do not fit as well as we would like them to be but with Eickhorn we see a lot of blades that are not quite perfect. This one though is still close enough for me. I have seen Himmler daggers that don’t fit as well as this one. For those out there that do not believe that a blade fit like this would have come from Eickhorn then please do not buy this dagger. I believe this blade to be original to this dagger. If you have been looking for an earlier version NSKK with good mounts and good paint you should consider this example. There are none out there that look any better. A very nice piece here of investment quality.
Near Mint. $1495.00 #010311
NSKK #31485C Early NSKK EM Dagger - Haco, Berlin
This desirable example by Haco has a great look to it. The Haco fittings are somewhat unique in that the nickel crossguards are of different thicknesses. The upper guard is thicker than the lower guard. I personally think this gives a neat look to the dagger. This example has never been apart so I will respect that status. When I have looked in Haco guards before though it’s interesting to note that there is usually an inked assembly number inside and I have no doubt that there is probably one inside of this example also as the grip absolutely fits like a rubber glove. These guards are crisp and have smooth surfaces with good deep accent grooves. The thin lower guard is stamped with the Gruppe number “B” which of course stands for Berlin. I think just about all Haco daggers will have the Berlin designation. The grip of this example is either made of oak or walnut. It is a very hard wood and has attractive sharp contour ridges. The grip also appears to have had a factory varnish which is still mostly there with only a little bit of wear to the varnish just noticeable on the center reverse portion. This grip has very attractive graining which runs up and down. There are some signs of usage but overall there are no problems with this grip. The SA runes button is nicely fit and has perfect enamel. The nickel grip eagle is the style with beak pointing upwards slightly. This bird shows only the most nominal wear with details still there to the eye, beak, breast feathering, wing feathering, legs, wreath and mobile swastika. A fine hilt here! The scabbard is also a great example. This shell is straight throughout and is one of the rarely seen anodized varieties. The anodizing has a rather dull appearance to it but it is definitely old and appears factory done. There is a little bit of age in a few places but overall it still rates at near 100%. It is very rare to find an anodized scabbard on an NSKK dagger. The scabbard mounts are matching early nickel having the same patination as the crossguards. The upper mount is in perfect condition having screws placed fairly low the way we see them on Pack produced examples. Haco certainly didn’t make anything so it is possible this, in fact, is a Pack scabbard. The lower mount also has low placed screws and unfortunately the ball is smashed in. I wish that this was not there but perhaps a replacement fitting could be located by the next owner. It would have to be a fitting that also has low placed screws which makes a proper mount one hundred times harder to find. Chances are you’ll have to be happy with what this is. Attached to the carrying ring is what appears to be the original short hanger. This hanger is a very dark brown or it may be black, but I think it’s brown. The hanger still has good leather and is complete with the original small retainer loop. The hardware is the unmarked solid nickel type. The clip is the early snout nose type. If you’ve never looked inside one of these they are interesting in that the spring is retained by a rivet. It is a rare case indeed to find one of these clips where the spring does not still operate or is not in place. A very good looking outside here. The blade is also a nice example. There are a couple of age spots but overall the blade is still nice and bright having all of its crossgraining. Other than the normally seen runner marks this blade should grade in near mint condition. The SA motto is very crisp and deep having 100% of the original very dark blackening in the backgrounds. The reverse ricasso has the familiar logo of the double circles resembling a lifesaver. Within the circles is the name of the firm and their location, “Haco Berlin”. The blade shoulders could not fit the crossguard contour any tighter. A very desirable dagger here and whoever gets this example I am sure that it will be exciting to own as all of your collecting friends will definitely admire its appearance.Excellent. $1395.00
NSKK #31139C Mid-Period NSKK EM Dagger (RZM M7/81/38) - Mack & Eickelnberg
This mid-period NSKK has very nice nickel plated cross guards. The plating is still bright throughout the guards as well as the tang nut. There is only a slight amount of age noticeable in these cross guards with a couple of period scratches here and there. They are in nice condition though and a lot better than we normally see them. The grip is a medium brown color having some subtle grain noticeable beneath the surfaces. The grip appears to be made by a smaller producer, as it is a slightly odd shape, having the bulbous section being dead center instead of slightly below the center area. The grip, though, is in perfect condition and absolutely fits the cross guards like a rubber glove. The SA runes button is nicely positioned and has 100% enamel to its surfaces. Because of the bulbous portion of the grip being higher than usual, the nickel grip eagle placement also follows suit. This eagle is the style with “beak which points upward slightly”. The bird has good detail to his eye, breast feathering, wing feathering, talons, wreath and mobile swastika. There is little wear to this eagle. The scabbard shell is straight throughout. This shell has a coat of black paint which appears as though it is possible it was dipped or delicately brushed onto the surfaces. It does appear period, however. The paint covers 99% of the scabbard. It is possible to see small portions of brown color where the paint has small chips. Once in a while, we see this type of this thing where there may have been an order for an NSKK piece and all that was on hand were SA scabbards. Either way, the paint on this scabbard appears original to me. The scabbard mounts are the standard nickel plated steel variety. They still retain their original factory brightness and are in perfect condition to include the lower ball. The four screws are present and there is no sign that these screws have been out in modern times. Attached to the upper ring is a brown short hanger. This short hanger has outstanding brown leather strapping which nicely matches the brown color of the odd looking grip. This strap is complete with a darker colored retainer loop. The oval buckle appears to be the solid nickel type and the snap clip is a plated type. This clip is marked on the reverse with the capital letter “A” “DRGM” “RZM M5/8”. The blade of this example is nice and bright and has all of its cross graining. There is just the slightest of smudge which appears on a little bit of the lower section of the blade on both sides. It is not enough, though, to take the mint rating away from this blade. The SA motto is deep and crisp, having 100% of its frosted style backgrounds. The reverse ricasso is matching etched with this rarely seen code for the maker “Mack & Eickelnberg”. It features a small single open RZM circle over “M7/81/38”. The “38”, of course, means that this was the year the dagger was produced. I do not remember seeing a dagger with these markings in the past. This is a fine example for someone out there that collects unusual RZMs. This one has a number of points that can make you think a little bit. A neat dagger here!Excellent Plus Plus. $895.00
NSKK #31029C NSKK EM Dagger (RZM M7/40/37) - Hartkoph
This mid-period SA dagger has some transitional aspects about it. The cross guards are nice and bright and in very fine condition. It is interesting to note that the upper cross guard is a nickel example and the lower cross guard is nickel plated. Despite the differences on the outside, these cross guards look pretty much the same and they also both fit the grip perfectly. The tang nut is a nickel plated type. The grip is a fine, deep red mahogany. This wood is so deep red it is almost maroon color. The grip has a good middle ridge style construction and it remains in completely perfect condition. The SA runes button is nicely placed and has perfect enamel. The grip eagle is one of the zinc based types, being the style with “beak which points upward slightly”. This bird shows only modest wear and the details are still available to the beak, eye, breast feathering, wing feathering, talons, wreath and swastika. The scabbard of this example has a good, straight shell. It has a coat of black paint which appears old but may not be factory, per se. I see a little bit of pitting beneath the paint which would tend to indicate that the paint job may have been done at a later time than when the dagger was originally issued. This scabbard also is fitted with nickel mounts. It also has a good heavy weight in the bottom, giving the scabbard a lot of substance. The nickel mounts are in excellent condition throughout to include the lower ball. The mounts are retained by the original screws which have some turns in their heads but no buggering. There is also a dark colored brown short hanger and matching belt loop. The leather is excellent throughout these two accouterments and the short hanger is complete with the small retainer loop. The short hanger is also equipped with nickel plated oval buckle and snap clip. These parts are still in bright condition. The reverse of the clip is stamped “RZM M5/71” and “OLC”. The blade of this example is still mostly bright, having a little bit of smudge over the obverse area but it is extremely light. The reverse looks nice and clean and rates in a mint condition. The SA motto appears to be slightly low on this blade compared to others. Although there were regulations governing the placement of the motto, we do see variations of this from time to time. The reverse ricasso is matching etched with a double RZM circle with shaded center. The circle is positioned over the code for the Hartkopf Company “M7/40/37”. This would indicate that 1937 was the year this dagger was produced and at that time, we do see many transitional pieces having using up of parts. An interesting, original dagger here.Excellent Plus. $895.00
NSKK #31027C Mid-Period NSKK Dagger – Gebrüder Heller
This mid-period dagger is equipped with nickel cross guards and tang nut. The nickel guards are in excellent condition, still having good, smooth surfaces, crisp edges and precise accent grooves. There are no Gruppe markings on this example. The grip is a fine lighter toned brown wood having nice vertically running graining. The grip shows only the most minor of usage signs and still remains in perfect condition. It fits the cross guards like a glove. The SA runes button is nicely installed and has 100% of the original enamel. The nickel grip eagle is the style with “beak which points upward slightly”. This bird shows a little minor wear to the head and breast feathering as well as the talons. The wing feathering, wreath and swastika are still all there. A good hilt here. the scabbard shell is straight throughout. It is an excellent example, having good original factory done black paint. This paint is near 100% and is in almost full mint condition, showing only the most minor or crazing. The scabbard mounts are the nickel plated type. They retain their brightness and are in perfect condition throughout to include the lower ball. The dome head steel screws are all in place and are unturned. Chances are, the original owner of this example purchased the scabbard separately rather than have his original example repainted. Attached to the scabbard is an early SA short hanger and belt loop. The hanger has fairly good leather and the nickel snap clip is marked “RZM M5/71 OLC”. The belt loop is an early type having fine pebbled nickel “d” ring. The blade of this example is still nice and bright. It has nearly all of its cross graining and there is only the slightest of age on the surfaces. It would grade at near mint except there is just a little bit of an inward line from the blade shoulders which may indicate that this blade had some sharpening which was honed off in the past. I can’t be sure and maybe its nit-picking, but I want to give you full disclosure where I can. This would rate the blade at about excellent plus. The SA motto is very deeply etched into the surface, however, about only 50% of the blackening remains. What does remain, though, is a very dark color tone. The reverse of the blade has the stamping running horizontally with no logo “Gebr. Heller”. I have never really learned whether this is the same Heller Brothers that used the anchor as a logo or whether it is an entirely different company. I know many collectors feel that it is a different company. I guess it is one of those things that we will discover in the future. The blade shoulders perfectly meet the cross guard contour.Excellent Plus Plus. $1,095.00
NSKK #29234 Late NSKK EM Dagger (RZM M 7/10 1941)
This NSKK example is made late in the period, but it does not lack for quality. The crossguards are the “poker” style with the turned up ends. They have a little bit of deterioration on the obverse where the grip meets the crossguard edges. It is not bad, though, as the rest of the plating is still nice and bright, and is all there. The reverse crossguards are in near perfect condition, as is the tang nut. I guess I could turn these crossguards around, but I hate to touch the piece, as it does not look like it has ever been apart. The grip itself is a very attractive red mahogany, having a medium-to-high center ridge construction. This grip does have some subtle graining in the surfaces, and it fits the crossguards like a rubber glove. The aluminum eagle is the high neck style, having excellent detail throughout the head, breast feathering, wing feathering, wreath and mobile swastika. A nice hilt here! The scabbard shell is straight throughout and is a real beauty. This shell has original factory black paint. The paint still retains its factory brightness, and is in near 100% perfect condition. The scabbard mounts are also extremely attractive, and in great condition. The upper mount retains its factory brightness to the nickel plating, and is complete with the thicker throat we sometimes see on pieces of this vintage. The lower mount appears to be of nickel construction which, more than likely, is using up of existing parts. This lower mount is in complete perfect condition, and has never been dropped. The screws throughout exactly match and are unturned. Attached to the carrying ring is an extremely fine short hanger. The leather appears to be a very dark brown, or possibly black, and it is still in supple condition complete with the original retainer loop. The hanger hardware is of bright nickel plating, and the snap clip is marked on the reverse, “A”, “DRGM”, “RZM M5/8”. The blade of this example is just as nice as the rest. It is a mirror mint example, having 100% of the original crossgraining. This fine blade has very dark SA motto, and has 100% of the background blackening. A very fine blade here that you would enjoy looking at for a long time. The reverse of the blade is in the same choice mint condition, and it is etched with a double RZM circle, having a shaded inside. The circle rests above the code for the J.A. Henckels Company, “M 7/10”. Below this is the date that this dagger was produced, “1941”. Despite the war raging on, this is a very nice piece and is of high quality throughout. If someone has an issue tag for the Henckels Company, it would look pretty on this dagger, as I have seen daggers with issue tags not in as good a condition as this piece. If you are looking for an exceptional NSKK example, this one should do the trick.Mint Minus. $995.00
NSKK #30373 Ground Röhm NSKK EM Dagger with SA and SS Grip Button - F. Dick
This early NSKK dagger is quite curious in that it has both the SA and an original SS button added to the lower part of the grip. I do not believe that this installation was done by the factory but rather it was done by its original carrier. The dagger has been in the hands of the veteran’s family since the war and I have a signed paper attesting to this. I also took a look at the dagger throughout and it does not appear as though some collector or some other “money merchant” has played with this example. It is what it is and I completely guarantee it to be so. The crossguards and tang nut are all of uncleaned solid nickel. They have good smooth surfaces, crisp edges and precise accent grooves. The lower crossguard is stamped on the reverse with “Wm” gruppe. These guards have a fine patination exactly matching that of the scabbard mounts and this dagger has not been cleaned since the war. The grip appears to be a mahogany wood having fine close grain running vertically throughout its length. The grip is in perfect condition throughout and nicely fits the crossguards. The SA button is perfectly set and has no flaws to the enamel. The SS button, as mentioned above, has been set into the center bottom of the grip. The hole that was drilled for this installation overlaps a little bit at about the eleven o’clock area but the runes button sits nicely and has obviously been in place for many, many years. This grip button is the type with copper dual circles and runes. The black enamel has a few chips here and there and that is mostly because the button is a convex type plus being set in this area of the grip it is in harms way for the hanger and anything that the dagger may rub up against. At any rate though the button looks good from the naked eye. The grip eagle is the early high-necked variety and it has all details remaining to the bird’s head, breast feathering, wing feathering, legs, wreath and raised mobile swastika. Obviously the implication here is that this NSKK man also had some relationship with the SS. The installation of this SS grip button probably would not have been sanctioned by Party rules but as we all know if you get enough personnel together there are always people that do not listen to the rules. The Germans were no exception. The scabbard is straight throughout. It has decent original black paint which shows quite a bit of age and spidering but if anything it adds to the character of the dagger. There is a scratch about two-thirds down on the obverse surface but it is not deep and also if anything adds to the dagger’s interest. The matching nickel scabbard fittings have deep patination but they are in good condition to include the never dropped lower ball. The original screws are all in place and are unbuggered. The blade of this example has a nice bright obverse. Most of the crossgraining is still visible in the surfaces and other than in and out marks this blade is in nice condition rating at least at excellent plus, plus. The SA motto is deep and has good darkening rating at about 90%. The obverse blade shows signs of probably a factory Röhm removal and a repolish. There is a small amount of the “F. Dick” rectangle missing at the left side. There is also some deeper grinding where the Röhm name would have been. I don’t see any signs of the inscription remaining though. The reverse ricasso as mentioned has the end of the rectangular figure ground off but most of the arrow still remains which points towards the firm’s name, “F. Dick”. It is interesting to note that there is an old leather blade buffer on this example. The leather has always been with this dagger and some of it has worn away from age. About 85% though of the original washer remains. A very interesting dagger here and a good one for someone who likes to ponder some of the odd variations we see crop up in this hobby.Excellent Plus. $1495.00
NSKK #30513 NSKK Enlisted Man's Dagger - Christianwerk
This dagger has a nice looking outstanding but the blade has been retipped. The crossguards and tang nut are of solid nickel construction. They show a little bit of wear to the surfaces and the edges are not quite as crisp as they usually would be. The accent grooves are precise. The grip is an attractive fruitwood color. This grip appears as though someone has polished it or steel wooled it and waxed it to give it a furniture like look. The grip is still in good condition and does fit the crossguards like a glove. The runes button is in place with no flaws to the surfaces of the enamel and the point-behind-the-head nickel grip eagle is in place. This bird has all of its details throughout its head, breast feathering, wing feathering, wreath and raised swastika. The scabbard shell is straight throughout. It has a good coat of black paint that does look fairly old. It appears as though someone has sanded this scabbard paint lightly but this would easily polish out with some rubbing compound if someone wanted to do it. The scabbard mounts are the nickel-plated type so this scabbard may not be original to the piece. The upper mount is in excellent condition. The lower mount has a pushed in ball with a small split at the bottom of the ball. The blade of this example as noted above has been retipped. Whoever did the job seems to know what they were doing as if you were not used to looking at these things you probably would not know that it was retipped. This blade is about a quarter of an inch short of norm. The blade is still fairly bright but I don’t’ see any crossgraining remaining on its surfaces so most of this is probably from polishing. The SA motto has been touched up with black paint apparently by the previous owner. It looks pretty good but again if you know what you’re looking at this is not original to the piece. The reverse ricasso has the original background colors and does not appear to have been touched. This interesting logo is a double ellipse which encloses the firm’s name and location “Christianwerk Solingen” and inside is a meat fork line horizontally across the center of the inside ellipse. The blade shoulders nicely meet the lower crossguard contour. A rare maker here and not a completely original piece but nonetheless it is in collectible condition and if you are on a budget maybe you can use it.Excellent. $695.00
NSKK #30381 Early NSKK Ground Röhm EM Dagger - Carl Eickhorn
This early Carl Eickhorn example has excellent nickel crossguards being the in house variety produced by Eickhorn. These guards have good smooth surfaces, crisp edges and the very deep hand done accent grooves we usually see with this maker. Additionally the guards are marked internally “H.E.”. The tang nut does not look to have been apart in awhile on this dagger. The lower reverse crossguard is gruppe marked “Ho”. The grip is a fine medium brown colored fruitwood. It shows some usage signs but overall it is still in excellent condition having a good close graining which runs vertical. The grip fits the crossguards fairly nice but Eickhorns aren’t known for always having a perfect fit. The SA runes button is in good condition and the early grip eagle is the high-necked variety having full details to the eye, breast feathering, wing feathering, legs, wreath and raised mobile swastika. Not a bad hilt here. The scabbard shell is straight throughout. It has old original black paint which was originally done when the NSKK ordered their SA scabbards painted. This paint has a lot of chips and also shows quite a bit of spidering in the surfaces. The anodizing underneath looks like it was fairly well worn at the time the scabbard was painted. There is also a small ding just above the point of the lower fitting on the reverse. These nickel mounts exactly match the patination of the crossguards. They are in good condition throughout to include the lower ball. The lower mount appears to have its original screws and they are unbuggered. The upper mount has a later style domehead screw on the left and a very small nonstandard screw on the right, but it seems to be in place and there a long time. The blade of this example is still mostly bright having a few stains on the obverse as well as the reverse. These stains are not too bad and most of them probably would clean out with some work with semi-chrome. The reverse blade has a darker stain near the tip. The Röhm inscription appears to have been completely ground off of this blade. There was no attempt to regrain the area so the inscription points are fairly rough. It is possible to see the original graining though in all the areas where the grounding did not occur. The trademark is the early oval type that has a seated squirrel with serrated tail. The crossguard contours perfectly fit the blade shoulders. An original “as found” Röhm dagger.Excellent. $895.00
NSKK #30403 Early Period NSKK EM Dagger - F. Herder
This Herder example has good solid nickel crossguards and tang nut and it does not appear as though this dagger has ever been apart. These guards have crisp edges, smooth surfaces and precise accent grooves. The lower crossguard reverse is gruppe marked “Nrh”. The grip is a fruitwood type which is about the color of a walnut shell. The grip has good graining which is vertical and it also appears to still have some mild amounts of original varnish or shellac which were applied at the factory. There are minor usage signs but overall the blade is in good condition and fits the crossguards like a rubber glove. The scabbard shell of this example has some dings on both sides around the center area. Possibly a good metal worker could get some of these out. The scabbard shell has been painted black and it looks like the paint job was done a long time ago. It is not a professional job but it doesn’t look too bad either and it mostly covers at 100%. The scabbard mounts are the matching nickel. They are in good condition throughout to include the lower ball. It looks to me as though the eyelet and carrying ring at the upper guard were replaced somewhere along the line. These pieces are of steel base and normally the original pieces would have been nickel silver. It also looks as though there was a period solder joint to the replacement eyelet. If there were a short hanger on this eyelet I’m sure it would not be noticeable in the slightest. The fittings have the original screws and all look pretty good and are unbuggered. The blade of this example is still mostly bright. It does have some old rutter scars and in one place someone along the line tried to rub out the scar with a piece of abrasive. It is not too bad though. The graining to the blade still looks to be about 90% and the SA motto is deep and crisp having about 90% of the background darkening. This blade certainly grades at excellent to excellent plus and could clean up some. The reverse ricasso is etched with the cross keys trademark and below is the firm’s name and location, “F. Herder AS/ Solingen”. The blade shoulders perfectly fit the lower crossguard contour. Not a bad NSKK here.Excellent. $695.00
NSKK #30092 NSKK EM with Black Three Piece Hanger
This NSKK enlisted man’s dagger has come in in an untouched state and is in “as found” condition. The crossguards are the nickel-plated type and they are the style as produced by Böker. Those familiar with Böker’s shape will immediately recognize these crossguards coming from this firm as the ends have a different turned up look to them. Both of these crossguards have original patination across their surfaces and some scratches but they should clean up quite nice. There is a little bit of the zinc showing through at the edges of the top guard but the bottom guard is better. The tang nut does not look as though it has ever been turned. The grip of this piece is a fine darker brown wood having vertically running grains. The grip is of medium to high ridge construction and is in perfect condition. It fits the crossguards very, very nicely. The SA runes button is in perfect condition having no chips to the enamel surface. The grip eagle of this example is an aluminum one and it is of the “high-necked” configuration. This bird is completely crisp throughout having all details of the head, breast feathering, wing feathering, wreath and mobile swastika. A pretty nice hilt here! The scabbard of this piece has a good straight shell. The shell reflects original black paint. This paint is in near 100% condition having some age in the surfaces and some cracking but overall it is still really nice and will clean up to a much better state. The shell is equipped with bright nickel-plated mounts. These mounts still retain their original factory brightness and they are in perfect condition to include the lower ball. The mounts are retained by dome head side screws of which none show any turning and also the original plating is still there on their heads. Attached to the carrying ring is the original black three-piece hanger. This hanger has good supple black leather and is equipped with the small retainer loop. The hardware still has its brightly plated surfaces and the clip is marked on the reverse, “RZM M 5C/93”. Attached to the short hanger is the black leather grip retaining loop with working snap as well as a matching black leather belt loop with a square shaped ring. All of the plating is still excellent throughout this hardware. The blade of this example is also a fine one. It reflects a mirror bright surface having all of the original crossgraining. There are some extremely light stains in a couple of places but not enough to keep the blade from having a mint rating. The SA motto is deeply etched and has 100% of the original blackening in the backgrounds. This motto really looks good on this blade. The reverse ricasso is matching etched with a single open RZM circle. This circle is over the code, “M7/40/38”. This code translates to the Hartkobf Company. This is the same company that made a lot of Hitler Youth knives having the devil’s heads as its logo. The blade shoulders perfectly fit the lower crossguard contour. A very nice untouched NSKK dagger here which will easily clean up to a near mint condition.
Uncleaned Near Mint. $1,295.00
NSKK #30059 NSKK Chained Officer (RZM M7/27) - Puma
This chained NSKK dagger has a nice appearance throughout. The plated crossguards are in excellent condition being nice and bright and having no flaking or problems. There are a few normal scratches in the surfaces but overall these crossguards look very nice indeed. The tang nut is also nicely matching and looks to have been taken down maybe only once or twice. The grip is an appealing brown wood which is in medium to high ridge contour construction. This grip does have a pleasing grain running lengthwise. The grip is in perfect condition and nicely fits the crossguards. The SA runes button is in good condition with no hits or chips to the enameled surface. The early nickel grip eagle is a fine example being the high-necked variety and having perfect details throughout the bird’s head, breast feathering, wing feathering, talons, wreath and swastika. I noticed that the wing tips stick up a tiny bit out of the wood cut out. There are also a couple of scars in the grip above and below the right portion of the bird. This could indicate that the bird was removed sometime after the war and perhaps a replacement bird was put in. If this is the case there is no crime here as the replacement bird is a beauty and looks well in the grip. The scabbard shell is straight throughout. It has excellent black paint spread over its surfaces but I do think it is most likely a repaint as there are a couple of places where there look to have been chips below and they were not sanded out properly before the new paint was put on. Other than this though the paint really does look good and adds a lot to the dagger. The scabbard mounts are the traditional type and they exactly match the plating of the crossguards. The upper and lower mount are in excellent bright condition on the obverse and on the reverse there are a couple of plating lifts that show on both fittings. The upper is a small lift and the lower has a large lift in the center area where there is also some small plating peeling. The center ramp is in good condition on the obverse and also has a small plating lift on the reverse but it is not bad. This center ramp is the style that has a larger eyelet than the eyelet at the upper mount. This is OK and is seen quite frequently. You have to watch out when the center ramp has an eyelet that is smaller than the upper eyelet. The chain hanger is really a fine example. This hanger still has all of its plating and quite honestly is a real beauty. The plating is perfect on both the obverse and the reverse. Judging by the other plating on the dagger it is possible that this chain was either replated or may be a replacement for this dagger. It just seems that the plating is too good to be true. At any rate, the chain is 100% proper having a good four length top. The two center links have the sunwheel swastikas and the two end links have the traditional NSKK open-winged eagle clutching a swastika. The chain below has alternating links and in the center there is the special triangle style runic symbol used by the NSKK exclusively. The round connectors also have 100% plating, another reason I think that maybe the chain was redone. The shield is also a choice example. It positions an acorn between the two recesses of the oak leaves and the snap clip is in good working order. Attached to this clip is a fine black leather belt loop having a nickel-plated D-ring. The reverse of the chain has the two stampings at the top links that connect to the snap clip. On the upper link it is stamped, “NSKK Musterschütz Korpsfuhrüng”. The other link is stamped with the hardware manufacturer’s code, “RZM M5/8”. This code belongs to the Assmann Corporation. The blade of this dagger is as nice as you will see. It has mirror bright surfaces and all of its crossgraining. The SA motto is deeply etched with 100% black background. Other than the usual runner marks the blade is in mint condition. The reverse of this blade has a matching shaded RZM double circle which is positioned over the code of the producer, “M 7/27” which equates to the Pumawerke Company. The blade shoulders perfectly meet the lower crossguard contour. This is a fine dagger which may have a little bit of restoration work but nothing that challenges the integrity of the piece. A very nice chained NSKK which is priced accordingly.Excellent Plus, Plus. $3,895.00
NSKK #29832 NSKK E.M. Ground Röhm Dagger with Serial Number - Carl Eickhorn
This dagger has some very interesting aspects about it. It is of earliest construction, and has fine Eickhorn nickel crossguards. These guards have smooth surfaces, crisp edges, and they have the hand-done deep accent grooves we associate with this firm. The tang nut is also nicely in place, and has no scarring where it was taken out. The grip is a fine orange fruitwood color, having close graining on the obverse area, and on the reverse it is more red and the grain is harder to see. This grip is of medium contour construction and fits the crossguards like a glove. This grip is in perfect condition. The SA runes button is nicely placed and has a couple of taps in the enamel, but nothing serious. The nickel grip eagle is the high necked variety. This bird shows a little modest wear to the head, but the eye is still visible as is the breast feathering. The wing feathering, wreath, and raised swastika are all in excellent condition. The reverse of this lower crossguard is quite interesting. It is Gruppe marked “Nm”. In addition to this, the original owner has stamped his Ausweis number on the reverse. The number is “55657”. The numbers are stamped with individual dyes. The scabbard shell of this example is straight throughout. It has an old black paint job, but I don’t know for sure if it is a period job. It does look good, however, and rates at about 99%. The nickel mounts nicely match the upper crossguards. The upper mount is in excellent condition. The lower mount has a tap to the ball where it has pushed it up slightly and is flat on the bottom. All of the original nickel screws are in place. There is some buggering to the upper screws, but the lower one appears in good condition. The blade of this example shows some mild in-and-out scarring, and plus there are a couple of spots where the runners lead against the blade surfaces, and a little moisture set in. All of this sounds worse than what it really is. The blade still has some graining on the obverse if you look closely, and is mostly bright, rating at about excellent plus. The reverse of the blade once had a Röhm dedication, and the majority of this has been ground out. I can see a little bit of the original umlaut that went over the signature, and there is also traces of the “m” letter of Röhm’s name. The grinding was done horizontally, and does not look too bad, but there really was no attempt to re-polish the area. The original Eickhorn trademark is the early small double oval type, which features the firm’s name and location within the ovals, “Carl Eickhorn, Solingen”. In the center is a seated squirrel that is grasping a acorn in his paws. This squirrel has a smooth tail. The blade shoulders perfectly meet the lower crossguard contour. An interesting dagger here, as this piece has both the Ground Röhm aspect, as well as the serial number stamping.Excellent. $l,l95.00
NSKK #29546C NSKK EM Ground Röhm Dagger - E.P.& S.
This NSKK Ground Röhm shows usage and overall age, but it is still in very collectable condition. It has the “straight-across” style lower nickel fitting typical of Pack construction, and the upper fitting is slightly more narrow than they usually are, also typical of Pack. These mounts have smooth surfaces, crisp edges, and precise accent grooves. The tang nut is in good shape and does not appear to have been apart. It has one hit on its edge, at about the 10 o’clock point. The lower crossguard reverse Gruppe marked “Wf”. The grip is one of the typical Pack types, being fairly smooth construction, and having an orangey look to the wood. There is close graining, which runs vertically throughout both sides. This grip is in perfect condition, and fits the crossguards nicely. The grip has a good SA runes button, showing some usage across the surfaces, but no material is missing. There is nickel grip eagle which is the high necked version. This bird still has excellent detail throughout the head, breast feathering, wing feathering, talons, wreath, and raised mobile swastika. Not a bad hilt here. The scabbard shell is straight throughout. This shell was repainted black after the order was given by the NSKK head for this to be done, so that the NSKK service dagger could be differentiated from the SA counterpart. This black paint appears to have done, most likely, with a brush. It has experienced a lot of chips and age over the years, but still appears to be at about 70% and is real all the way. The scabbard mounts are the typical Pack type, the upper example being slightly shorter than the norm, and the lower example has the specially rolled ridge, which is different from other mounts. The lower ball has had a small tap, but it is not crushed and it is not a serious problem. The screws are also typical Pack type, the upper two being installed slightly lower than norm, and the bottom screws are also in place. All screws are in good condition and are unbuggered. The blade of this example has turned slightly gray from age, and I don’t see any graining in the surfaces. The SA etch, though, is pretty good, still being crisp and having about 90% of the original blackening in the backgrounds. The reverse of the blade is in the samegray state and there are remains of the original name inscription. It appears as though the original grinding left maybe about 10% to 15% of the original letters. The tops and the bottoms of most of the letters remained, and the umlaut over the signature is also very much there. The trademark was hardly touched, and it is the hammering Siegfried, the center of his face and body is slightly missing. The initials, though, are still in place, “E.P.& S.”. The Solingen name is also in 100% condition. A good Ground Röhm here, for someone who is getting started. The thrill of the inscription remains still being on the blade are always fun to see, and this dagger speaks of its history. An interesting example throughout.Excellent. $895.00
NSKK #29099 Early NSKK EM Dagger - Carl Wüstof
This early NSKK is in an uncleaned as found state. The dagger has never been apart. This dagger is equipped with solid nickel mounts and looking at the tang nut it is quite obvious that all of the patination around it indicates that this dagger is in a virgin state. The crossguards have good smooth surfaces with crisp edges and precise accent grooves. The lower guard is “gruppe” marked, “S”. The grip is a nice looking reddish wood which is probably mahogany. It has a mostly smooth contour and is in perfect condition showing only mild signs of usage. This grip of this example absolutely fits the crossguards like a rubber glove. The SA runes button is in excellent condition showing no hits to the enamel. The nickel grip eagle is the style with beak which points upward slightly. This eagle still has all of its detail visible to the head, breast feathering, wing feathering, wreath and raised swastika. A nice untouched hilt here! The scabbard shell is straight throughout. It has its original old applied paint. This paint was not done very well and has quite a bit of bubbling in the surfaces as well as chipping and age. It really doesn’t look as bad as it sounds though as this paint is probably about 90-95%. As collectors know SA dagger scabbards were ordered painted by their owners in 1936. This scabbard is equipped with matching patinated nickel mounts. These mounts are in very fine condition throughout to include the lower ball. The mounts are retained by the original unturned nickel screws. There is a fine short hanger attached to the carrying ring. This short hanger is a very dark brown color looking almost black. The leather is still supple and in fine condition including the little retainer loop. The all nickel hardware has turned the same color patination as the rest of the dagger. The clip is a standard type unmarked early example. The blade of this dagger is fairly bright showing some in and out markings and there is also some crossgraining visible. This blade does show some mild age but grades at about excellent plus. The SA motto is crisp having about 95% of the original darkening in the backgrounds. The reverse ricasso is matching etched showing the double ovals which trap the firm’s name and location, “Carl Wüsthof Solingen”. In the center is a man with a stick. We used to think that he was working a pump but actually this man is a “jumper”. In the lowlands of Germany there are a lot of canals and it was much easier to pole vault over the canal than it was to walk the distance to where a small bridge would have been located. This blade perfectly fits the lower crossguard contours. A nice out of the woodwork NSKK dagger here.Excellent. $795.00
NSKK #28689 Early NSKK EM Dagger – ASSO (Arthur Schüttlehofer)
This early dagger is in good collectible condition and is a good historical testimony to the NSKK paint application ordered for the scabbards of SA daggers in 1936. First off though, the hilt has nickel crossguards which are in good condition throughout having smooth surfaces, sharp edges and precise accent grooves. The tang nut appears to possibly be a later example as it is a steel one with nickel plating versus the solid nickel type. At any rate though, it looks like its been there a long time and possibly it was installed at the same time as the scabbard paint. The lower crossguard is stamped with the gau marking, “Ns”. The grip is a fine mahogany being a beautiful reddish color and having subtle vertical graining running beneath the surfaces. This grip is in perfect condition throughout and it is of medium to sharp construction. It fits the crossguards like a glove. The SA runes button is perfectly placed and has fine enameled surfaces. The nickel grip eagle is the point-behind-the-head variety bird. This eagle though, has full details remaining to his head, breast feathering, wing feathering, talons and mobile swastika. A pretty nice hilt here! The scabbard shell is straight throughout. It reflects some very thick black paint that appears to have been sprayed on. This paint has some age to it but it still is good and bright and rates at about 98%. This paint job would have been one of the ones that were ordered in 1936 for the NSKK branch of the SA. Up to this point these NSKK people were wearing the exact same dagger as the SA and this black paint was a way to distinguish these people who ran the motor pools for the SA. This scabbard is equipped with matching nickel mounts. These mounts are in excellent condition throughout to include the lower ball. These mounts are retained by four nickel screws all having unbuggered heads. The blade of this example is nice and bright and has 100% of the original crossgraining. It is interesting to note that the SA motto etch is slightly lower than the position they are usually seen. When one looks on the reverse it is also interesting to note that the manufacturer’s logo is slightly higher than it is normally seen to be. The collector will see this once in awhile where the etch template was perhaps placed a little bit off center with this type of result. Some times the etches will also run slightly diagonal for the same reasons. The SA etch on this example though is outstanding. It is still in mint condition and has 100% of the dark backgrounding. The same is true of the interesting maker’s logo on the opposite ricasso. It features the dual set of hobby horses with the firm’s abbreviated name above, “Asso” and below being the location city of, “Solingen”. The blade shoulders perfectly meet the lower crossguard contours. This is a very fine NSKK dagger here and if you have looked for a nicely done early example you know they are difficult to find. This one should satisfy most of the “knit-pickers” out there. A nice overall dagger.Near Mint. $1295.00
NSKK #27001 Field Upgrade NSKK Chained Officer Dagger with Period Leather Covered Scabbard - Wilhelm Kober
This NSKK Chain
Officer Dagger is a most interesting piece. It is not for someone
who is buying their first chained NSKK, but it is rather for the
seasoned collector that understands some of the many variations
we see in this hobby. This example began its life as an early
SA dagger produced by the Wilhelm Kober Company in Suhl. The NSKK
in 1938 decided to add a chain hanger to their existing daggers
for officers. As collectors know, these pieces were available
through factories such as Carl Eickhorn or WKC with complete chain
assemblies and new matching parts. Some of the NSKK people chose
to add the new chain to their existing early dagger. In many cases,
this early dagger was an SA type which had the scabbard painted
black per the orders of 1936. In the case of the owner of this
example, he elected to not paint his scabbard, but cover it with
leather. In addition, he chose to purchase his own NSKK chain
and have it added to the dagger. Also, in order to make all of
the fittings look the same, this original NSKK officer had all
of the metal fittings period chrome plated. Knowing all of this
information, now we will go ahead with the description of the
dagger. The hilt of this example is a typical Suhl made piece,
having the distinctive curvature to the lower cross guard. As
indicated previously, the cross guards and the tang nut have been
chrome plated. The chrome shows minor age, but is still all intact
and is in good condition. These cross guards have good accent
grooves and still have crisp edges. The reverse lower cross guard
is Gau. stamped “Th”. The grip of this piece is a fine-looking
example which appears to be walnut. The Suhl manufacturers generally
used walnut to produce their grips, as there was plenty on hand
that normally would be used for gun stocks. This grip is a medium
to sharp contoured construction type and it shows normal usage
signs throughout, but there are no problems at all. The wood has
a beautiful orange tone and also has fine graining which runs
lengthwise. It is quite pretty and appears to have a fine coat
of varnish, probably done when the guards were chrome plated.
The runes button is in good condition, having perfect enameled
surfaces. The nickel grip eagle still looks to be in good shape,
being the style with beak pointing upward. There is quite a bit
of patination around the bird, but you can still see the definition
to the bird’s head, breast feathering, wing feathering, wreath
and raised out swastika. The grip fits these cross guards absolutely
like a rubber glove. As mentioned above, the shell has been period
covered with a black fine grain leather. In fact, the leather
very much looks like the type we see on honor daggers with the
exception that the seam is placed just off of center on the reverse.
Other than this, though, the leather is done quite well and does
meet the upper and lower fitting, as opposed to going underneath.
This leather shows age and some usage signs but, for the most
part, it is still in good condition, having no nips that go through
its surfaces. The center ramp, which was purchased along with
the field upgrade chain, has been installed over the leather.
Since this center ramp was originally desired to be slid over
the basic steel shell, the result of the leather installation
is that the ramp would not go to the center position of the scabbard
shell. Therefore, this ramp is positioned only up about three
inches from the lower fitting. Apparently, this must have been
okay with the original wearer, as it obviously has always been
in this position and the dagger hangs quite nicely when extended
from the chain. The center ramp, as we usually see with field
upgrade chains, has an eyelet which is larger than the eyelet
of the upper fitting. The chain assembly is a three-link top and
a five-link bottom. This is the normal number of links seen with
field upgrades. The upper chain assembly features a center link
of a raised sun wheel swastika and the two end links are the NSKK
style eagle with swastika. The detail is outstanding to these
links. The lower chain is the standard five-link type having two
each of the above-mentioned links with the center being the triangle
runic symbol used exclusively by the NSKK. The two chain assemblies
are connected to a fine snap clip with the shield device applied.
The shield device depicts two outstanding detailed oak leaves
with the acorn and cap positioned at the proper recess point.
This snap clip and chain assembly exactly matches the chrome plate
finish of the other fittings. The reverse of the top lower link
is stamped with the traditional markings “NSKK Musterschutz
Korpsführung”. Attached to the snap clip is a black
leather belt loop. This belt loop is equipped with a good-conditioned
“D” ring. This dagger is quite a sight here, and will
be extremely interesting for those who like to think a little
bit in this hobby. To add to the fun of this example, the early
blade on the obverse is just terrific. It is nice and bright,
and still has all of its cross graining. Other than runner marks
and just the slightest amount of staining towards the bottom,
this blade is in mint condition. The SA motto is deeply etched
and has about 98% of the original darkening in the backgrounds.
The reverse of the blade has a little bit of smudge in some of
the areas, but also still has all of the cross graining and rates
in near mint condition. This blade is etched with the double ovals
which trap the firm’s name and location “Wilh. Kober
& Co. Suhl”. Inside of the ovals is the centaur creature
consisting of half man and half horse. The creature is standing
above the start up date of this company “gegr. 1884".
The blade shoulders perfectly fit the lower cross guard contour.
A magnificent example here of an upgraded dagger done locally
and fixed up with all the bells and whistles available at the
time. An absolute genuine, guaranteed original example.Excellent Plus, Plus. $4,995.00