The SS (Schutzstaffel) was originally formed in 1925. It was formed to act as a small bodyguard unit to protect the Führer, Adolf Hitler. Under the direction of the Reichsführer-SS Heinrich Himmler, the SS grew to be the most ruthless and feared organization of the 20th century. They were the vanguard of Nazism and eventually controlled nearly every function of German life and much of Occupied Europe. The SS dagger was introduced in 1933. Early on, members of the SS were awarded their daggers during a ceremony at the Feldherrnhalle Memorial in Munich. The annual ritual, charged with mysticism and meant to reflect the traditions of medieval Teutonic knights, was held on 9 November, the date of the martyred unsuccessful Putsch of 1923. Both officers and enlisted men wore the identical dagger until 1936. After this time, only enlisted men wore the M1933 dagger. The SS dagger was equipped with nickel crossguards with an ebony wood grip. The black grip contained a National eagle with swastika insignia recessed in the center area and an SS sigrunne button inset at the top. On early examples the scabbard shell surface was factory blackened using a metal bluing process. The scabbard had nickel mounts. The SS blade was a polished type containing the SS motto, Meine Ehre Heisst Treue (My Honor is Loyalty). Early examples bore one of three district stampings on the lower reverse crossguard of I, II, or III. Early examples were mostly hand-fit. Production of later examples was more standardized, using cheaper, nickel-plated fittings with black painted scabbard shells.
SSDAG #35026C Himmler SS Dagger - Carl Eickhorn
This Himmler SS Dagger was secured from a local Haddonfield, New Jersey family about 15 years ago. The collector that purchased it back then has decided to sell the dagger as he is getting older and cutting back on some of his collectibles. The dagger is completely untouched and remains in a spectacular condition. It is a "textbook" Eickhorn example, being identical to the examples I show in my SS reference. The cross guards are in outstanding condition having a most desirable dull patination. They have very crisp edges, smooth surfaces and feature the hand-cut, deep accent grooves unique to the Eickhorn firm. If you get used to the look of these accent grooves you can spot an Eickhorn SA or SS before you pull it out of the scabbard. These cross guards are internally marked, "H.E", and the lower cross guard is stamped on the bottom surface with the Eickhorn inspection, #6. These daggers will usually be stamped from "0" thru "9", but sometimes they will be found with no stamping. The ebony grip is a beauty, with few signs of usage. There is a very small hairliner running downward from the grip eagle. It is of mid-ridge construction that nicely, but not perfectly, fits the guards. Eickhorn ebony grips rarely fit perfectly, a trait that can be traced back to their factory drying method. The runes button is perfectly placed, having fine silvered SS runes surrounded by double circle borders of matching silver. The enameled surfaces are pristine. The matching patinated eagle is the "high-necked" variety. It is totally crisp with perfect detail to the bird's head, breast feathering, wing feathering, talons, wreath and mobile swastika. A very fine hilt here!The scabbard shell is just great! It is straight throughout and has absolutely 100% anodized finish, with about 99% of the original factory protective lacquer; it is wonderful to see a fine scabbard like this! The nickel scabbard mounts exactly match the hilt mounts. They are in perfect condition throughout, to include the lower ball. The early nickel scabbard screws are all in place and are unturned. The original black leather short hanger is in place on the upper carrying ring. The leather is in excellent supple condition, missing a little of the black dye on the surface spots where the hardware has come in contact over the years. This is easy enough to touch-up with black Meltonian Shoe Cream, if desired. The nickel hanger hardware is the type we see with Himmler issue daggers, the snap clip being the unmarked variety.
The blade of this example is magnificent, being factory bright and having all of the original grain. This mint-conditioned blade is etched with the SS motto, "Meine Ehre heisst Treue". The etch is slightly lacking on the center areas of the motto but this is a manufacturing issue often seen with Himmler Daggers; frequently the eye is missing from the squirrel logo. The original factory darkening in the letter backgrounds remains at 100% in the motto recesses. The reverse blade is also in mint condition, having a picture-perfect Himmler inscription, "In herzlicher Kameradschaft H. Himmler" facsimile signature. The darkening in the inscription letter backgrounds is easily 100% The trademark is the early small double ovals. The ovals trap the firm's name and location, "Carl Eickhorn, Solingen". Inside of the oval is the seated squirrel holding a nut in his paws. The animal is the "serrated" tail version. The blade shoulders perfectly meet the lower cross guard contour.
This is a fine, investment quality Himmler dagger. It has never been cleaned and remains in perfect condition. It is 200% authentic and would make a great IRA contribution for your future. These daggers never seem to quit. They are always in demand and increased prices always follow. A golden opportunity to help yourself to a can't-go-wrong future, and at the same time, enjoy a real treasure on your wall. It just doesn't get any better than that!
Mint Minus. $20,995.00(#050613)
SSDAG #34969 Model 1933 Ground Röhm Service Dagger – Gottlieb Hammesfahr
This Hammesfahr Röhm Dagger is a good, untouched example. The mounts are all solid nickel throughout. The crossguards and tang nut have an outstanding even dull patina across their surfaces. Examining the tang nut it looks like it may have been out a couple times but nothing recently. These guards have good smooth surfaces, crisp edges and precise accent grooves. The reverse lower crossguard is district stamped, “III”.The grip of this example has no repairs and is a lot larger than most we see. It has a wider center and is also thicker than the normal grip. Presumably Hammesfahr had an outside maker that supplied them with grips, as I do not remember ever seeing one this large. At any rate, this grip looks great and other than a couple of the tiniest surface flecks at the lower obverse crossguard the grip remains in near perfect condition. This grip is of medium contour construction. The SS runes button is turned quite a bit to about eight o’clock. It does have excellent enamel surfaces and the runes are a fine silver having twin circles around the borders. The grip eagle is a nickel type, the style having the head pointing upwards slightly. The surfaces of the bird are still all to the head, breast feathering and talons. The wing feathering, wreath and mobile swastika are still nice and crisp. A fine hilt here.
The scabbard shell is nice and straight throughout. It has excellent anodized surfaces showing hardly any thinning and only the most modest of age in the surfaces. A nice shell here. The scabbard mounts are matching solid nickel and they are both in good condition to include the lower ball. The scabbard mounts are retained by original nickel screws, all look unbuggered. There is a vertical hanger attached to the scabbard. The hanger shows quite a bit of wear and usage but if left alone it should last well into the future. This hanger is an early type, having a square nickel-plated buckle showing some rust on the cross strap and an early style unmarked snap clip.
The blade is nice and bright on most of the obverse having some runner marks but not bad. The cross graining appears to be still all there. There are some machine marks on the edges where the person who ground off the Röhm inscription also touched up the obverse a little – we see this quite a bit with ground Röhm local grinds. The SS inscription is very deep and crisp and still appears to have nearly 100% of its original darkening. This blade on the obverse certainly grades at about excellent plus and considering the markings from the grinder this is part of the dagger’s history so it should not be a detract. The reverse blade is nice and bright with graining still around the ricasso area stretching down to the end of the trademark. After this the grinder has done his duty and made an attempt at repolishing the grinds. The repolish is pretty good but the average collector would know quick enough that this is a ground Röhm. Although there are really no letters left in the signature there is still quite a bit of the original inscription showing especially the tops of the letters. An interesting blade here. The trademark is the double ovals used by this firm. The ovals contain the firm’s name and location, “Gottlieb Hammesfahr Solingen-Foche”. Inside is the pyramid with the plus sign on the front side. The blade shoulders nicely fit the lower crossguard contour.
A decent conditioned Röhm example here, one that is basically untouched and should go very nicely into a serious SS collection.
Excellent Plus, Plus. $4,250.00 (#050813)
SSDAG #31261 Model 1936 Chained SS with Scabbard Dedication
This Model 1936 SS Dagger was made up by us recently after we acquired the chain assembly and upper and center mount from a collector a couple of years ago. The dagger is an original example and the scabbard parts were put on to a proper scabbard that took awhile to find as it was necessary that it be a perfect fit for the scabbard mounts. Having disclosed all of this the below is the description of the completed dagger. The crossguards are the nickel-plated type. They show good patination and have not been cleaned. The nickel-plated tang nut also shows some minor age but goes well with the crossguards. The grip has some repairs particularly at the top end but basically the repairs are done well and are not detectable. This grip is a fairly high ridge constructed type. It shows some normal usage signs in the surfaces. The SS runes button is turned to about seven o’clock. It has excellent enamel and good silvered runes with double circles around the borders. The nickel grip eagle is a high-necked type still having good detail to the bird’s head, breast feathering, wing feathering, talons, wreath and swastika.The scabbard shell is a good straight steel base type with original black paint. This paint shows quite a bit of usage throughout having some attic crazing as well as many chips. The reverse is in slightly better than the obverse. Overall this scabbard paint is about 75-80%. We use this particular scabbard to assemble the mounts because the mounts are hardly in mint condition and this scabbard shell works out nicely with these mounts. The Type I chain assemblies are always nickel-plated, and since the upper and center mounts are part of the hardware these are plated also. The lower scabbard mount is a plated example, having a fairly good ball, except there is a small ding in the bottom and a ding which slightly flattened the front edge of the ball. These mounts are retained by nickel-plated screws. The upper mount shows some bending and abuse around the lower ridge edge. The reason for this was whoever removed this assembly from another scabbard (probably a veteran) did not really know how to go about it properly and must have used a screwdriver or the like to pry the mount loose from the scabbard shell. It was impossible to remove all of this damage but we did the best we could and it still looks fairly good.
The reverse scabbard mount is period engraved by a professional. The presentation is in five lines, “In treuer Kameradschaft / vom Zug II 1 / Pi /4 / zur Vermählung / Köln, den 18.3.39 / Dembeck Wilh.”. This dedication basically means, “In Loyal Comradeship from First Pioneer 4th Division of the 2nd Platoon on Your Wedding in Cologne on March 18, 1939 Wilhelm Dembeck”. We occasionally see chained SS daggers with wedding presentations on them and I show a couple of them in my SS Book on pages 226 and 228. No doubt this dagger was presented with a copy of Mein Kampf as well as other artifacts involved with the pagan ceremony that was conducted by SS personnel. The center ramp of this chain assembly shows some age but still has good detail to the three intertwined raised swastikas on each side as well as the pebbling behind. The matching Type I chain assembly shows similar age to the skull and SS runic links. Perhaps they would clean up some with some work but they are not too bad on their own having some age in the surfaces. All of the links though are nice and crisp and still look well. The connecting tabs are in excellent condition with no problems and the first link of the top chain is deeply stamped with the SS Kulturzeichen. The open style cloverleaf reveals the “DRGM” under the upper loop of the cloverleaf. The snap clip is in good condition with operating spring.
The unmarked blade is still nice and bright having good crossgraining in the surfaces and also having some minor smudge spread throughout the surfaces of both sides but it is not bad. The SS motto is still crisp having about 90% of the original darkening in the backgrounds. This blade grades between excellent and excellent plus. Granted, this dagger is made up but the pieces are all original and having a chained SS dagger with a wedding dedication is a very rare artifact. It is also possible that some research could be done on the SS groom. There is quite a bit of information here and should be a good starting point. I tried to look up the groom however I could not find him on the rank list and chances are he may be an enlisted man. But, there is always the resources of the great SS researcher Ross Kelbaugh. Ross has been able to find many enlisted men down in Maryland where the Berlin document center is now located. An interesting parts-piece here, but all the components are real and it is priced accordingly.
Excellent Minus. $5,995.00
SSDAG #34931C Serial-Numbered Early Model 1936 Chained SS Dagger
This SS dagger is a fine early example with all nickel mounts throughout. The dagger does not look to have been cleaned since the war and has a fine even patination throughout all mounts. The crossguards are the typical types we see on the early pieces being marked inside, “P.A.”. The guards are in excellent condition having good smooth surfaces, crisp edges and fine precise accent grooves. The tang nut shows no signs of wrench marks but it is loose enough so it can be turned out by hand. The reverse lower crossguard is individually die stamped with the original owner’s SS serial number being “8853”. We will get to an explanation of the original owner further in the description.The grip is an outstanding example of carved ebony having medium contour construction. This grip has no repairs and absolutely fits the crossguards like a rubber glove. The grip shows only the most nominal of usage signs having no chips or gouges. The runes button is straight up being north to south and has no flaws to the fine black enameled surfaces. The SS runes are the silver type having a double matching silver circle around the circumference. The nickel grip eagle is the style with “beak which points upward”. This bird still has all details to the birds head, eye, breast feathering, wing feathering, talons, wreath and mobile swastika. There is also a fine 42cm aluminum portepee which appears original to the piece. This portepee shows normal age but there is no fraying anywhere and it is nicely tied in what appears to be the original tie. Since the owner of this dagger was in the Waffen SS he would have been entitled to wear the portepee.
The scabbard shell is an outstanding straight example. The original paint is in excellent condition showing some attic crazing and a few scratches and wearing signs here and there but overall this paint is at least 95% and still has its original luster in the finish. The nickel scabbard mounts are in excellent condition throughout including the lower ball which has only a nominal ding in the bottom center area. These mounts are retained by the original low-head style nickel screws which are unturned. The center ramp is a beauty being the early type with very crisp edges. The ramp displays three intertwined swastikas on each side. The backgrounds are pebbled and the original factory darkening is really exceptional on this example appearing to be nearly 100%. The matching nickel Type II chain assembly is also an impressive accoutrement having all of the blackening in the backgrounds of each link. When we see this darkening throughout these early pieces it really wakes the piece up and usually brings a smile to the face of the looker. The runic symbols of course alternate the skull and crossbones with a pair of SS runes. Each of the links is very crisp and the detail to the skulls remains outstanding with all teeth leering at the viewer. A great chain here!
The chain link connectors are not separated anywhere on the reverse. It looks as though there may have been some separation on the two upper link tabs because there is large amounts of solder applied to them which was period done. These type II tabs often opened as they are only thin nickel material and as the dagger swung while in wear often the stress on these links caused them to separate. It is nice to see an example like this with no problems in that area. The first upper link is lightly stamped on the reverse with the SS Kulturzeichen. The two chains are connected to a closed style clover leaf which also has the same factory darkening in all the backgrounds. This fine center ramp and chain easily compare with the one I show on page 140 of my SS Book. The SS Kulturzeichen stamping is identical to the Hollenzaren I show on page 138. The snap clip is connected to a very fine black leather tear drop. This teardrop measures about 4¾ inches in length and is equipped with a snap clip. The snap clip usually is thought to be mated with a sword but as was the case with many chained SS daggers, the original owner adopted the clip to work with his SS dagger by the insertion of a key ring. In the case of this example the key ring is actually soldered into place at the top of the snap clip. Very interesting indeed and the kind of thing that we love to see on German owned artifacts. The snap clip of the teardrop is a nickel-plated type showing some age in the surfaces and of course wear to the plating accordingly. It is however a great teardrop here and really adds to the looks of this desirable dagger.
The blade of this example is not as nice as we would like it to be but nevertheless it is what it is. This blade is still mostly bright but does have some evenly spread minor age on both sides of the blade. I imagine that some of this could be cleaned out if the next owner wanted to but honestly, it is not that bad and I would leave it the way it is. The blade grades at about excellent. The SS motto is the usual thin etched type that we see on these early pieces. I would say that about 90% of the original darkening is still in the backgrounds. The blade is unmarked on the reverse. The blade shoulders perfectly meet the lower crossguard contour.
Now to the serial number, "8853". This dagger was issued to a man by the name of Franz Lang.
Franz Lang: Roll of Honor Clasp awarded April 3, 1945
An ethnic German born in St. Petersburg, Russia, on February 28, 1907, Franz Lang (SS# 8 853) was a member of the SA during 1924-1930 before joining the Allgemeine-SS and was commissioned in the SS on September 25, 1932. From June to December 1933 he was a member of the Austrian Legion and joined the SS-Verfügungstruppe at the start of November 1934, being promoted to Obersturmführer on November 9, 1933, with the 8./Deutschland. In August 1936 he moved to the 12./Deutschland as a Zugführer (Platoon Leader). Promoted to Hauptsturmführer on September 12, 1937, Lang went to Junkerschule Bad Tölz on September 1, 1937, as an Inspektion Chef where he stayed until the end of July 1940. Next assigned to Regiment “Nordland,” Lang commanded the 4.Kompanie and won both classes of the Iron Cross (September 1941 and October 1942) while the Regiment was a component of "Wiking" as well as being promoted to Sturmbannführer on November 9, 1942. Wounded on August 2, 1941, after recovering in October 1943 Lang took leadership of SS-Feld-Ausbildungs-Bataillon 11 (Field Training Battalion 11) with Division “Nordland” and formally commanded it till the end of the war. Briefly substituted with the 4.SS-Freiwilligen-Panzer-Grenadier-Brigade in the autumn of 1944 as commander of the 1st Battalion of SS-Panzer-Grenadier-Regiment 49 “De Ruyter" and as temporary 14th Company Commander of SS-Panzer-Grenadier-Regiment 24 “Danmark” (Division "Nordland") won his Roll of Honor Clasp. Promoted to Obersturmbannführer on November 9, 1944, Lang survived the war and died on November 12, 1988 Bad Bernbeck, Germany.
The dossiers come with a couple of very fine photographs showing Lang in his Obersturmbannführer uniform. There are scads of documents coming from the SS file pertaining to letters about him, applications, etc. A wonderful package here for someone that is interested in researching not only an SS officer but an officer who held a distinguished career during the war. An excellent SS dagger here, and kudos to researcher/historian Ross Kelbaugh for putting together such an interesting dossier, as well as Mark C. Yerger for his outstanding contribution to the research of this excellent SS Dagger.
Excellent. $10,500.00
SSDAG #34930C Late Model 1933 SS EM Dagger, RZM 1196/38 SS
This late SS Dagger is in the best condition you will see today. It is a real beauty with no flaws anywhere. The crossguards and tang nut are the nickel-plated type. The nickel surfaces are as bright as the day they were produced. These guards are absolutely beautiful with a choice matching nickel-plated tang nut. The ebony grip is also like new. There are no flaws to this beautiful grip being of fairly high ridge construction. The grip nicely fits the crossguards. This fine grip is equipped with a copper SS runes button. The SS runes are turned just slightly to about 6:30 o’clock. The copper runes are encircled by a single matching circle. The grip eagle is the aluminum type being a “point-behind-the-head” style bird. This bird has complete new-like detail throughout its head, breast feathering, talons, wreath and mobile swastika. You will not see a better conditioned hilt.The scabbard shell is straight throughout and the original paint is almost unbelievable. It is still possible to see the preparation marks made on the raw scabbard before the paint. At this time these scabbards were not primed. This black paint is outstanding on the front showing just the slightest of crazing in a couple of places but it is really nothing. The reverse has a couple of the most minute carrying signs but overall this shell still rates in mint condition.
The matching nickel-plated scabbard mounts look like they just came out of the factory. They are perfect throughout and nice and bright. The lower ball is in perfect condition. The throat is the thicker style often seen on later scabbards. The original dome head steel nickel-plated screws are all in place and unturned with the nickel plating still being intact. Attached to the carrying ring is a like conditioned short hanger with belt loop. This short hanger has remarkable pristine black leather with edge trim lines. The original small retainer loop in intact in the same condition. The hanger hardware is the nickel-plated type being bright and mint. The reverse snap clip is marked, “RZM M5/8”. Attached to the snap clip is a fine black belt loop. The leather to this loop is still in perfect supple condition and the D-ring is an aluminum type having pebbled surface.
The blade is the best you will see. Other than the normal in and out marks this blade is in stone mint condition. The blade has 100% of the original crossgrain and the motto is crisp having 100% of the original dark backgrounds. The tip remains needlelike. The reverse ricasso is matching etched with a small open RZM circle positioned over the code “1196/38 SS”. A similar dagger can be seen in my SS Book on page 172, upper. I have had a feeling for years that this 1196 code could have been assigned to the WKC firm but I do not have proof to this effect. The blade shoulders perfectly meet the crossguard contour.
An outstanding RZM piece here and perfect for the person who is never satisfied. This piece really is the best you will see and given the fact that it is some seventy-five years old it is amazing that it has come through in this beautiful condition. Whoever brought the dagger home must have kept it between his wife’s silk underwear in a drawer that she was not allowed to open.
Mint. $4,295.00 (#040213)
SSDAG #34681C Early SS Ground Röhm Dagger – Böker
This early Böker SS Dagger has an interesting gold-like patination throughout the obverse fittings which is actually caused by years of smoking in the same room where the dagger was. We call this a “nicotine” finish! The dagger has never been cleaned. The crossguards and tang nut are all solid nickel construction. They are in good shape beneath the gold patination having excellent smooth surfaces, crisp edges and precise accent grooves. These mounts are not the usual factory in-house made guards but rather are the type that Böker also purchased. This dagger does not appear to have ever been apart after studying the tang nut so I will not look inside. It is also interesting to note that there is no district stamping on the lower crossguard despite the fact that this is an early dagger. We do know that there were some Röhm dedicated daggers given to honorary SS personnel. It is possible that this was the case here. The grip of this example is a good ebony type having fairly smooth contour construction. The grip shows quite a bit of wear time having a few minor hits here and there and a small amount of lifting on the surface that occurred above the runes button and also on a couple of spots at the lower obverse point where the grip meets the crossguard. Overall though the grip is not bad and flows nicely with the condition of the dagger. The runes button is the convex style and it is also a copper example. The SS runes are turned to about eight o’clock on this piece. The runes have a good coppery surface matching that of the double copper circle border lines. The grip eagle is a nickel type being the “high-necked” variety. This bird still has good detail throughout his head, breast feathering, wing feathering, talons, wreath and swastika. The nicotine has also penetrated the depths of the bird’s details giving it a matching look along with the rest of the mounts.The scabbard of this example is straight throughout. It still has a slightly gray look to its finish but there are some old pits in the center of the scabbard as well as age marks and also there is similar markings with no pits in the reverse of the scabbard finish. It sounds worse than it is however. The scabbard mounts are matching nickel and they too are toned to a nicotine color but only on the obverse as the reverse of the mounts is the standard dull nickel color. These mounts are in good condition to include the lower ball that only shows wearing signs but no problems. These mounts are retained by matching nickel screws which are all unturned also having the nicotine finish.
The blade of this example is still fairly bright but unfortunately it has some age issues around the edges. It almost gives the appearance of plating lifted but then again a blade like this would be polished not plated so it must just be rust which has penetrated the finish. The blade in spite of all this still has crossgraining on the obverse. The motto also has some dark spots and does not seem to have any of the factory darkening in the backgrounds. This blade only grades at excellent. The reverse of the blade has the Röhm inscription totally ground off and there are signs of this but also the blade was repolished fairly successfully. As we see with Röhm inscriptions Böker used a small oval trademark to make the inscription look better. This double oval mark contains the firm’s name and location, “Böker Solingen”. Inside is a stark leafless tree. The shoulders perfectly meet the lower crossguard contour. A good dagger to get started with.
Excellent. $2,995.00(#040513)
SSDAG #34391C Early Chained SS with Serial Numbered Guard Rich. Abr. Herder
The piece overall has a fine uncleaned patination and is just the way we like them. The crossguards have good smooth surfaces with fine crisp edges and deep accent grooves. Studying the reverse crossguard I do not see any signs of a district numeral marking but the original owner’s SS serial number is clearly die stamped in the center area. The number is “28586”. I took a look in the SS “Key” book and do not find the number here so assumedly this man was an NCO and not an officer. NCOs were qualified to wear the chained SS if they had served for three previous years with honor. In the case of this SS man he would have certainly served for the three year period because the dagger was issued as a Röhm example. Although this number is not listed there is a good chance that the number could be researched by one of the specialists who perform these duties. The ebony grip is a fine example showing no repairs. This grip shows some mild wearing time but there are no chips and the grip retains its good medium to high ridge construction and fits the crossguards like a rubber glove. The SS runes button is the type that is more domed and it has good enamel to the surfaces. The SS runes are tilted to approximately seven o’clock. These runes have fine silvering with a double silver circle around the circumference. The matching patinated nickel grip eagle is the style with “high neck”. This bird retains all of its original detail having a fine look to its head, breast feathering, wing feathering, talons, wreath and mobile swastika. A very fine hilt here!
This early chained SS is equipped with an early dagger which in this case happens to be a ground Röhm. Many times SS personnel who were qualified to wear the chained dagger did not buy a new dagger but elected to retain their existing piece and just purchase a scabbard. This is the case with this fine example. All fittings throughout are of early nickel construction. The crossguards are the early nickel variety and being as they are on a Herder dagger we would expect them to be “P.A.” marked inside although I have not looked. Looking at this piece it does not look to have been apart more than perhaps once in recent years.The scabbard shell is straight as an arrow throughout. It has exceptional original black paint. This paint rates at about 99% and other than a few spiders in the surface and some very nominal carrying signs it is almost perfect. This paint also still has its original luster. The scabbard mounts are in choice condition exactly matching the hilt. The lower ball has a couple of minor taps but is not crushed and retains almost its full original shape. The mounts are retained by the original nickel screws which are all in place and are unturned. The center ramp is a beauty having the sharp rolled edges of the early type and the center area of both sides portrays raised out interlocking swastikas. All of the original blackening appears in the pebbled surfaces behind the swastikas. The single retainage screw exactly matches the other screws. The type II all nickel chain is also a fine example. This chain displays fine conditioned skulls and SS runes. The skulls still have all of the teeth and good detail to the crossbones. The runes are nicely raised out on each alternating link. Like the center ramp the original darkening is still in the backgrounds bringing out the scary look of this symbolic accoutrement. The chains are attached to a solid style clover leaf with a good working snap clip. The first chain link on the upper ramp is lightly stamped with the Kulturzeichen. The outside of this dagger is absolute textbook and in head-turning condition.
The blade obverse is as nice as they come. This blade still has its original polish and most of the crossgraining is still all there having only the normally seen runner marks. The obverse of this blade grades in near full mint condition. The SS motto is deeply etched with very crisp edges. The black backgrounds appear to still be 100% on this etch. The reverse blade has had a full grind of the once present Röhm inscription. The craftsman that did the grinding preferred to refinish the blade by using a grain running from top to bottom as opposed to across the blade. It is nicely done but gives a slight gray appearance to the reverse of the blade. The trademark has been ground off just in the center area. The trademark consists of double ovals which retain the firm’s name and location, “Rich. Abr. Herder Solingen”. In the center is the diamond logo however the center of the diamond is gone as is the center letters in “Abr.” and “Solingen”. The blade’s shoulders perfectly meet the lower crossguard.
This is an outstanding chained SS dagger with good possibilities for research. We know that Rohm daggers were given to SS men in 1934 if they had served a previous three years. This would mean that this particular SS man had served about six years by the time he received his chained scabbard. There are definite possibilities here for research, and one never knows, but perhaps he had a very exciting career to go along with this very desirable dagger. A great example here to add to a collection as you are really getting two daggers in one. The man to contact about researching the number is Russ Kelbaugh. If you need details to contact Russ we would be glad to supply them. Identifying the dagger and the possibility of compiling an exciting dossier on the original owner could add a lot of interest and value to this outstanding piece.Excellent Plus, Plus $8,995.00 (#090612)
SSDAG #33616C Early Model 1936 Chained SS Dagger
This Model 1936 SS Dagger is of initial production, and has all solid nickel mounts throughout. The dagger looks as though it may have been cleaned perhaps a decade ago but is beginning to take on a nice patina evenly spread throughout the mounts. The crossguards and tang nut are all in good condition. The tang nut has been out but there is no buggering to the wrench segments. The crossguards have good smooth surfaces and the edges are still crisp. The accent grooves are precise throughout. The grip is produced of ebony wood and is of smooth contour construction. When we acquired this dagger there were a couple of chips in the grip at the top area. We did the necessary fix on these chips and it is doubtful that the restoration work can be seen. Other than the repair at the top the rest of the grip is original and in excellent condition showing only nominal usage. The SS runes button is positioned exactly at six o’clock. There are no hits to the enamel and the surfaces are in fine condition with the black areas nicely highlighting the silver runes with the double circles around them. The nickel grip eagle is the style with “beak which points upwards slightly”. This bird has full detail remaining to his eye, breast feathering, wing feathering, talons, wreath and mobile swastika. The scabbard shell is straight throughout the upper portion whereas the area just below the center ramp has some rippling. There was apparently a dent here which most likely was repaired during the period. The repair is adequate as no dent in steel can be removed completely as there is usually some minor stretching of the metal when this occurs and it rarely goes back in the original position. The rippling though is not bad and not really noticeable. The area below this is still in perfect condition.The scabbard has the original black paint. This paint still has its factory luster. There are some minor spidering signs throughout both sides and there are some carrying chips in the paint. Overall, though, the paint on this scabbard shell rates at least at 90%. The scabbard mounts are matching nickel and they are in excellent condition to include the lower ball. The original nickel screws are all in place and are unbuggered. The center ramp is the early type having the very sharp edges. The ramp features three intertwining swastikas on each side. The backgrounds have factory pebbling and as was the case with early examples the background areas have been factory blackened. The blackening is still mostly all there being at about 95%. The matching nickel chain is a type II version. It has excellent detail to the skulls and the alternating runic symbols. Each of the skulls has all of its leering smiling teeth and if you are into this look I am sure you will be well pleased with the images. The links have matching pebbling and also reflect outstanding darkening in the backgrounds. All of the tab links except for one are original. The tab link which connects the open square fitting to the ramp at the top mount is a replacement. We made this link out of an old piece of nickel coming from an SA fitting. The link is perfect and appears identical to the original examples. All of the links are in good shape and have no openings. The snap clip has the closed clover leaf frontal piece which his connected to the clip on the reverse. The clip with the original spring works well. The reverse of the first upper link which connects to the open square link has been lightly stamped with the SS proof mark known as the Kulturzeichen. This chain is identical to the examples I show in my SS book on pages 134 and 135. The ramp assembly is also identical to page 135.
The blade is still nice and bright. It has a couple of minor age stains here and there but nothing severe and no pitting or problems. If you look at the blade in the right light much of the original crossgraining still remains in the surfaces. The SS motto, “Meine Ehre heist Treue” is still crisp. The original darkening in the backgrounds of the letters remains at about 90-95%. Overall this unmarked blade grades at about excellent plus. The reverse of the blade is also in excellent plus condition also having good graining and bright surfaces. The blade shoulders perfectly meet the contour of the crossguard. This dagger, although not in mint condition, still has all of the early high quality features and is a highly collectible example. It will fit in nicely with any blade collection with very livable condition and being textbook in all manner.
Excellent. $6,795.00
SSDAG #33803C SS-Himmler Inscription Dagger – Carl Eickhorn
This SS-Himmler Inscription Dagger is textbook all the way. The dagger shows some usage, so we can assume it was actually worn during the period. Many times we see Himmler Daggers that were not worn, being secondary daggers that were often put in a drawer for safe keeping, their owners choosing to wear their 1933 example instead. At any rate, this piece has all nickel crossguards which are marked “HE” inside. This marking is an indication that the guards were made in-house by Eickhorn. These guards are still crisp throughout, with good smooth surfaces and the very deep, hand-cut accent grooves we normally see. The tang nut is also in fine condition, showing no signs of a wrench. The lower crossguard is marked underneath next to the blade with the inspection number “4”. The grip of this example is in good, original condition with no repairs. This grip is basically in a perfect state, except for a small sliver of wood missing just above the SS Runes Button. Other than this it is a fine original grip. The ebony shows little wear, and is of Medium Contour construction. The grip nicely fits the crossguards. The SS Runes button is turned to about 7 o'clock. This button has good silver runes with a double silver circle. The enamel is chip free throughout the surfaces. The matching nickel grip eagle is the High Neck type, and retains its full detailing. A good hilt here.The scabbard shell is straight throughout. This shell has good anodizing, which appears to still be all there. There is some mild age darkening, more so on the reverse than the obverse. It is not bad, however. The nickel scabbard mounts are in good shape through to the lower ball. The ball show just slight hit to the bottom, with just the most minor splitting to one side. It is not noticeable, however. The original nickel screws are in place an unturned.
The blade of this example still has its original, needle-like tip. The blade shows some in and out marks, and is just the slightest bit gray. I don't see any cross graining in the blade, but there are not pits or problems either. The SS Motto is still crisp. The original blackening to the letters is mostly gone, with maybe 30% remaining. The reverse blade does have an excellent Himmler inscription, exactly matching the obverse SS inscription. It is inscribed “In herzlicher Kameradschaft, H. Himmler”. The Eickhorn trademark is positioned properly near the lower crossguard. It consists of the small double ovals which contain the firm’s name and location, “Carl Eickhorn / Solingen”. In the center is a seated squirrel, having a smooth tail and grasping a nut in his paws. The blade shoulders perfectly meet the lower crossguard contour.
Excellent. $10,995.00 (#040912)
SSDAG #33246 Early Model 1936 Chained SS Dagger SS 120/34 RZM
This Chained SS Dagger is an early production example which features a model 1933 dagger period installed in a 1936 scabbard. We see this quite frequently and it represents the original owner opting to purchase the scabbard only and retain his original dagger. I show a similar dagger having an early maker marked blade united with a model 1936 chained scabbard on page 148 of my SS book. The crossguards of this example are early solid nickel type. They have a fine patination across their surfaces and do not look to have been cleaned. The nickel tang nut shows traces of plier marks on the surfaces but they are not too bad. The surfaces of these crossguards are basically smooth showing some usage signs but no flaws. The edges are still quite crisp and the accent grooves are precise. The lower crossguard has the group mark stamping Roman numeral, “I”. The grip is a smooth contour type showing no repairs. This grip shows some wearing signs here and there but nothing that does not flow nicely with the dagger’s overall looks. The lower portion of the reverse grip has had the original owner’s initials carved into the surface looking to be, “BB”. The runes button is only slightly turned being at about six thirty o’clock. The SA runes button surfaces have intact enamel showing some usage signs but no chips. The grip eagle is the early nickel type having the beak which points upwards slightly. This bird still retains all details to his eye, breast feathering, wing feathering, talons, wreath and mobile swastika. The grip nicely fits the crossguards.The scabbard shell is nearly fully straight throughout the obverse surfaces having just the tiniest of a ding about halfway down the lower edge. The reverse has a couple of minor hits in the area between the center and upper mount where most likely the chain was improperly stored against the surface. The lower portion of the scabbard also has a small ding at the right of center. None of these dings are bad however and are commensurate with the overall wear of this dagger. The original scabbard paint is extremely nice. This paint is still bright throughout and rates at nearly 100% showing only minor signs of wear. The upper and lower scabbard mounts are also solid nickel having just a slight different lighter tone than the crossguards. Again, the original wearer’s model 33 dagger was used with this scabbard so this is not an unusual occurrence to see. These mounts are in excellent condition throughout, the lower ball being almost perfect. The mounts are retained by the original nickel screws which are unbuggered. The center ramp is the early nickel type with fine sharp edges. This ramp also has a pebbled background and in the center areas it features three intertwined swastikas on both sides. The darkening in the backgrounds is slightly worn and is maybe about 50%. Other than the amount of darkening on this ramp it is identical to the example I show on page 140 of my book. The center ramp is retained by a single matching screw on the left edge.
The Type 2 style nickel chain is a beauty. The two skull links on the lower chain are absolutely crisp and perfect. The single skull link on the upper chain shows just a little bit of wear to the teeth but this is normal hand wear and is to be expected. The SS rune links are still perfect throughout. These links all have about 95% of the original darkening in the backgrounds with nice pebbled surfaces. The first link on the upper chain is properly stamped with the SS Kulturzeichen marking. It is lightly stamped the same as the example shown on page 138. The cloverleaf connector is the solid type and it also has good blackening in the backgrounds. The snap clip is in good shape and looking inside I noticed that the original flat steel style spring has been replaced by a coil style spring which works well. These springs often came loose from their positioning during the period and we do see a lot of replacements for this part. There is also a fine belt loop accompanying this dagger. The loop has outstanding black leather which is line decorated on the edges and it is equipped with an aluminum pebbled “D” ring. A fine all nickel chain here.
The blade of this dagger remains nice and bright and has nearly 100% of the original crossgraining. There is a little bit of age here and there but it is extremely nominal. This blade grades easily Excellent Plus to Near Mint condition. The SS motto is lightly etched and is very crisp. It has about 98% of its original background darkening. The blade is matching etched on the reverse ricasso with an SS runes within a circle over the code and year made, “120/34”, and beneath is a double open RZM circle. This code and markings are positoned to be read toward the tip of the dagger. This is opposite most blade maker markings but is consistent with this producer. You can see an identically marked blade in my SS book on page 197. The blade shoulders perfectly meet the crossguard contours. A really nice early SS dagger here that shows some wear of the period but no abuse. This is an outstanding original example that is reasonably priced.
Excellent Plus. $7,495.00 (#011213)
SSDAG #33140C Late SS Model 1933 EM Dagger RZM M7/49/1203/38SS
This late-made SS Dagger is a very nice example. The cross guards and tang nut are the nickel plated type. The plating on the obverse is in perfect condition throughout, showing no lifting and fine, bright areas. The reverse upper is also in nice condition with only minor freckling signs and on the lower example there are a little more signs of freckling, but not bad at all. The grip is a beauty, being of medium contour construction. This grip shows no repairs and shows almost no usage. It fits the cross guards like a glove. The SS runes button is the style that has a darkening in the backgrounds without enamel. The runes are raised out of the surfaces. This is a rarely seen runes button but is absolutely genuine. It is positioned in a north to south format. The grip eagle is a “point-behind-the-head” type. It shows good detail to the head, breast feathering, wing feathering, legs, wreath and mobile raised swastika. A very fine hit here!The scabbard shell is straight as an arrow throughout. It has outstanding original black paint. This paint still retains its factory brightness and other than a few extremely minor chips, is in near mint condition. It is rare to see nice paint like this. The matching scabbard mounts are nickel plated steel and they, too, have 100% of their finish and still have fine luster throughout. The lower ball has no denting but does have a couple of signs that it was touched on the surface. The scabbard throat is the thicker type that we see on political daggers beginning around the 1938 date. The screws are the dome head steel type and they do not have plating visible, but all are there and are untouched.
The blade of this example is a real screamer. It has all of the original cross graining and is a fine, mirror bright finish. The SS motto is crisp to the etch and also has 100% of the background darkening. This blade is easily in full mint condition. The reverse ricasso is matching etched with a large double circle having a shaded area in the center. Positioned below are the two codes, one being the code for the Fredrich Herder firm, “M 7/49” and the other positioned below is probably the contract number for this run of SS daggers “1203/38ss”. This is not a commonly seen SS contract number. The blade shoulders perfectly fit the lower cross guard contour. There is a small amount of the tang clearance hole showing next to the blade on the cross guard. A very, very fine later made SS piece.
Near Mint. $2,995.00 (#110111)
SSDAG #32996 Early Model 1933 E.M. Dagger - Gottlieb Hammesfahr
This early Model 1933 SS E.M. Dagger is in an uncleaned state and does not appear to have ever been apart. The nickel crossguards have developed an outstanding dull patination throughout. The tang nut is still crisp and does not appear to have had a wrench on it for many years. The crossguards have good smooth surfaces, crisp edges, and precise accent grooves. The lower reverse crossguard is district marked “III”. The grip is a fine example, being of medium-to-sharp ridge construction. This ebony grip has no repairs. It shows a little bit of usage throughout, but nothing extreme and no gauges or chips. There is a tiny slither which has lifted on the wood surface at the lower right front area, but it is nothing. This fine grip has an excellent runes button which is perfectly placed at 12 o’clock. The enamel surfaces show a few taps from usage, but there are no chips or problems. The matching nickel grip eagle is the style with “point-behind-the-head”. This bird has all details available to the head, breast feathering, wing feathering, talons, wreath, and mobile swastika. A nice hilt here. The scabbard shell is straight throughout. This shell has a painted black surface which must have been done quite a while ago, as the paint does not look new. This paint job was well done and is possibly period. There would have surely been an anodized scabbard originally. The scabbard mounts are matching nickel. These mounts are in choice condition, to include the lower ball. The mounts are retained by the original nickel screws, and the grooves are not buggered. There is a pre-RZM style vertical hanger attached. This hanger does have the coffin style shape with a conventional type belt and buckle with hasp. The snap clip is the larger “dog leash” style. Prior to standardization, we do see a multitude of different vertical hangers produced during the period. This one is still in good supple condition and looks quite well on the dagger. The blade of this example is still nice and bright, and it retains nearly all of its original crossgraining with good needle tip. This blade has some in-and-out wear, but easily grades in near full mint condition. The blade is crisp etched and deep. The SS motto has nearly all of the original factory darkening in the backgrounds. A very fine blade here! The reverse ricasso is matching etched with double ovals. These ovals trap the firm’s name and location, “Gottlieb Hammesfahr, Solingen – Foche”. Inside is the pyramid with the “plus” sign on the front surface. The blade shoulders perfectly meet the lower crossguard contours. A very fine early SS dagger here, which other than the repainted scabbard, is in outstanding original condition.Excellent Plus, Plus. $4,295.00
SSDAG #32906 Early SS Model 1933 EM Dagger – Robert Klaas
This early SS Enlisted Man’s Dagger has not been cleaned or touched and is in “as-found” condition. The nickel mounts have turned a deep dull yellow color. They still look to be in good condition beneath the patination though, having good smooth surfaces, crisp edges and precise accent grooves. Studying the matching tang, it is easy to see that no one has ever taken this dagger apart. The lower reverse cross guard is District marked “III”. It is interesting to note that the numeral is stamped sideways. The grip is a fine example, being of medium contour construction. This grip remains in virtually perfect condition, showing only normal usage. The ebony has no repairs anywhere and is really nice. The SS runes button is a copper colored type and it is turned to about 7:00. The enamel finish shows some scratches and usage signs but there are no breaks in the surfaces. The matching deep yellowed eagle is a “high-necked” variety still having excellent detail to the bird’s head, breast feathering, wing feathering, legs, wreath and mobile swastika. A fine, untouched hilt here! The scabbard shell is straight throughout. It seems to have most of its anodized surface still there but there is also a coating of age and rust staining so it is really difficult to grade the true condition of this scabbard. It does not look too bad though and perhaps a little rubbing with an oily rag will bring what is left of it back to the viewer. The scabbard mounts are exactly matching the deep patination of the hilt. These mounts are in good condition throughout to include the lower ball. This ball has a couple of wearing signs but no dings or problems. The original unturned nickel screws are also in place. The blade of this dagger is still fairly bright but it does have some age and smudge spread around the surfaces. Looking through the smudge though, it is possible to see that most of the original graining is still there. This blade grades at about excellent but I am sure that with a little work and some semichrome, this blade would come up a lot better. The SS motto is crisp and deep and appears to still have 99% of its original darkening in the backgrounds. The reverse ricasso is matching etched with the twin cranes logo. Around the cranes in a circle is the firm’s name “Robert Klass” and its location “Solingen”. The blade shoulders perfectly fit the lower cross guard contour. The area beneath the cross guard that was sealed by the throat is still quite bright. A nice dagger here for someone who likes untouched items. There is no reason to clean this dagger, as I kind of like the way it looks just as it is. If it were cleaned though, it would probably look nicer to the uninitiated but the real SS lovers out there would have to smile at the looks of this overall patination. This dagger comes from a recent “motel buy.”Excellent. $2,495.00 (#102511)
SSDAG #32291C Model 1933 Early SS Enlisted Man's Dagger – A. Schüttlehöfer
This Schüttlehöfer SS EM dagger was most likely produced about 1935. As SS collectors all ready know the Schüttlehöfer maker mark is extremely difficult to find and is very desirable. This dagger is in an untouched state and does not appear to have ever been taken down or cleaned. The fittings are all nickel throughout and all have developed a nice even dull patination. The crossguards have good smooth surfaces throughout with still crisp edges. There is no group marking on the reverse of this dagger as it was probably made after the initial thrust of SS daggers was satisfied. The tang nut nicely matches and is untouched. The grip of this example is a fine ebony. There are no repairs or any flaws in the grip. It is a fine piece of ebony having medium contour construction. The SS runes button is turned to about seven o’clock. There are a couple of minor hits to the enamel the largest one being to the right of the upper portion of the second rune. The nickel grip eagle is the style with beak which points upward slightly. All the details are fully visible on this eagle as it shows little to no wear. The eye, beak, breast feathering, wing feathering, talons, wreath and mobile swastika all look crisp. This grip fits the crossguards like a rubber glove. A very fine hilt here. The scabbard shell is straight as an arrow. It has period black paint having quite a bit of age and chipping but overall the paint still looks fairly good having its original sheen still there and the areas where there are chips and age have long since patinated. This shell looks pretty good yet having about 80-85% original paint. The upper and lower nickel mounts exactly match the tones of the hilt fittings. The lower ball is in excellent condition showing only the most nominal of usage but no dents or problems. These mounts are retained by the four original nickel screws all of which are unturned. The blade of this example is still nice and bright having typical in and out markings but very little age. The blade rates at least at excellent plus still retaining its needlelike tip. The SS motto is crisp and has about 95% of the original darkening. Quite a bit of the original graining also is on the blade surfaces being at least 85-90%. The same features are true on the reverse blade. The reverse ricasso is etched with the unique trademark of this firm. It consists of an oval circle which is slightly filled in in the center. Around the inside perimeter of the ovals is the name and location of the company, “A. Schüttlehöfer & Co. Solingen-Wald”. The inside area has the etching of the twin hobby horses which are positioned over the shortened name of the company, “Asso”. The blade shoulders perfectly meet the lower crossguard contour. An outstanding dagger here for the ardent SS collector or for those who are collecting SS maker marks and “types”. I have not offered a Schüttlehöfer in a number of years. I show a similar dagger in my SS book on page 21, upper.Excellent Plus. $4,495.00(#020613)
SSDAG #31865 Transitional SS Enlisted Man's Dagger RZM 1211/38 SS - E. Pack
This SS example is a transitional piece having a mix of nickel-plated parts and solid nickel parts. The hilt section is of solid nickel. These crossguards are in excellent condition with good smooth surfaces, crisp edges and fine precise accent grooves. The tang nut is also in nice condition showing only a couple of take downs. The reverse lower crossguard does not have a district stamping as this dagger was produced well after this time period. The grip is a very fine substantial ebony wood. It is of medium contour construction and has no repairs. This grip has a nice bulk to the center area. The grip has a tiny surface sliver missing on the reverse upper right but we would hardly call this a chip. Other than this the grip is in near perfect condition showing little usage. The SS runes button is nicely positioned being turned to about 7:30 o’clock. The surfaces of this button are undamaged. The nickel grip eagle is the style with beak pointing upwards slightly. It has mild wear to the head and breast feathering but the details are still there. The wing feathering, talons, wreath and raised swastika are still crisp. This grip nicely fits the crossguards. A good hilt here! The scabbard shell is straight throughout. This shell has received a fine factory black paint job. The paint is still in near perfect condition and rates nearly mint. It is possible to see that this was one of the paint jobs where the metal was prepared by sanding the surfaces horizontally across the length. This eliminated the priming step. Apparently it worked well as this paint is still all there. The upper mount is a nickel-plated type still showing good brightness. The lower mount is a solid nickel type and it is in good condition having just a couple of small taps to the lower ball. The original screws are in place and are unbuggered. There is a fine vertical hanger attached to this scabbard. This vertical has outstanding leather having the coffin shaped reverse. The small leather strap and square nickel-plated buckle are also in excellent condition. The snap clip is the nickel-plated style stamped with the large “A” and “DRGM” on the reverse. The obverse plating has worn and turned to rust on this clip whereas the reverse plating is still all there. The blade on this example is extremely nice. It is still bright and has most of the original crossgraining in the surfaces. Other than in and out wear the blade is still in a near mint state. The SS motto is light but crisp etched and has about 95% of the original darkening in the backgrounds. This near mint conditioned blade is matching etched on the reverse ricasso. The etching has the code for this SS producer, “1211/38”, which is the code used by E. Pack. The “38” is thought to have been the date of manufacture. Above the code is a double open RZM circle and below is a double open circle around a set of SS runes. The blade shoulders perfectly meet the lower crossguard contours.Excellent Plus, Plus. $3,395.00 :(#040611)
SSDAG #31631C Mid-period Model 1936 SS Chained
This SS chained dagger is typical of the mid-period of about late 1937 or 38. The dagger does not appear to have ever been cleaned and has a pretty good patination over all of the mounts. The crossguards are the nickel-plated type and they still have excellent plating which appears to be in fine condition beneath the patination. These guards have good smooth surfaces and precise accent grooves. The grip had a couple of chips at the upper portion as well as on the lower and we fixed the worst ones. They came out pretty good and if you did not know we repaired them you would probably not notice it. The rest of the grip is in good condition being an ebony wood. These grips which were made during this period though are extremely brittle and we often see chips in them. The grip is a medium contour constructed type and it fits the crossguards adequately. The runes button is one of the copper types and it is turned to about seven o’clock. The enamel has some taps but I don’t see any missing material. The eagle is a nickel variety and it is the style with beak which points upward slightly. This bird still has good detail to his eye, beak, breast, wing feathering, talons, wreath and mobile swastika. Attached to the grip is what appears to be the original aluminum portepee. This portepee has a single loop at the top and a nice looking double loop at the bottom. There is a minor fray on one cord where the cord comes out of the tie but other than that the knot is in pretty good shape. The scabbard of this example is straight throughout with the exception of one tiny bb dent just below the center ramp on the obverse. The anodizing itself appears to all be there but it does have just a little bit of age in the surfaces. A lot of this would probably clean out if someone wanted to bother with it. The scabbard mounts are also nickel-plated nicely matching the crossguards as far as the patination goes. These mounts still appear to have their original brightness beneath the patination. They are in excellent condition to include the lower ball. The original domehead style screws are all in place and are not buggered. The center ramp is the style with the later larger edges. This fitting features three raised intertwined swastikas on each side. There is no blackening in the background as it was not done on this type of plated chain. The chain assembly itself is a type two. It also is completely patinated having a dull finish exactly matching the rest of the dagger. The chain links are extremely crisp featuring the skull and crossbone links with all teeth being sharp and clear. The SS runes links are also nicely struck. These links all have good pebbling in the backgrounds but again it is not blackened. The reverse of the first SS runes link is stamped on the reverse with the SS kulturzeichen. The cloverleaf snap clip is the closed style that we normally see with this type chain. All of the connectors are in good condition and they are all closed. A nice untouched uncleaned outside here. Taking the blade out of the scabbard the viewer is in for a treat. This blade is still nice and bright and has all of its crossgraining. Other than in and out markings this blade is in mint condition. The SS motto is very crisp and has all of the original blackening in the backgrounds. This unmarked blade has perfect positioning of its shoulders against the crossguard contours. There is a slight amount of the original box clearance hole showing but this is normal for this vintage dagger. A good strong mid-period example here.Excellent Plus. $7,995.00 (#011213)
SSDAG #28365C Model 1936 Mid-Period Chained SS Dagger
This chained SS is of mid-period construction having the early style hilt. The crossguards are the solid nickel variety having a nice yellowy tone to their surfaces. These crossguards have good smooth surfaces, crisp edges and precise accent grooves. They are internally marked, “P.A.” The grip is also an exceptional example being all ebony and having no repairs. This grip still remains in perfect condition throughout and nicely fits the crossguards. This grip is of medium contour construction. The runes button is the style that is positioned straight up and down and it appears to have a couple of small flaws in the enamel but nothing that is visible to the naked eye. The matching nickel grip eagle is the style with beak which points upward slightly. This bird still has good detail to his head, breast feathering, wing feathering, wreath and mobile swastika. A very fine typical SS style hilt here. The scabbard shell is an anodized type. It is straight throughout and the anodizing appears to still be there at 100%. There is some slight age noticeable in the scabbard surfaces but it is not bad. There is also some minor lacquer still visible around the protected are of the lower mount. This dagger, scabbard and chain appear very similar to the presented chained SS example I show in my SS Book on page 235. The mounts of this scabbard are nickel-plated as it is a type I chain. Normally when we see a type I chain the fittings will be plated on the scabbard as the chain assembly upper fitting and center ramp were part of the chain and also were plated. The lower mount is also the plated type and it is in good condition showing a couple of really small rough spots but that are nothing. All of the original plated screws are in place. The center ramp has two screws as is often seen with this variation. This center ramp is the style does not have any darkening in the backgrounds, but does have good pebbled surfaces. Raised out on each side are the three intertwined swastikas. The chain links of this piece match the center ramp in that they have excellent pebbled backgrounds but no darkening. The skulls of this type I chain are very high off the surface and show great detail throughout the teeth, crossbones, eyes, nose, etc. The SS marked runes are also of high quality with good relief. The cloverleaf at the type is the type that is pierced and with a loop the “DRGM” can be seen in the lower portion of the upper cloverleaf. The spring within the snap clip appears to be a replacement as it is a coil type, but it looks period and works fine. The reverse of the upper link which is connected to the scabbard is deeply stamped with the SS culturzeichen. This chain shows a little bit of minor age but overall it is still in excellent plus condition and nicely matches the rest of this dagger’s mounts. There is a black leather belt loop with D-ring connected to the snap clip. The blade of this example is an unmarked variety, still being mostly bright. About 50% of the original graining still shows in the surfaces, with the exception of just a little bit of age and in and out markings this blade is in near mint condition. The SS motto is crisp having about 90% of the original darkening in the background. The blade shoulders nicely meet the crossguard contours. A good type I chain dagger here that shows some carrying time as well as a good sense of history. This is a good solid piece here that is somewhat affordably priced.Excellent Plus. $6,495.00
SSDAG #28464 Late Model 1936 Chained SS Dagger
This chained SS overall looks to have had a repainted scabbard but other than that is in OK condition. The hilt is very similar to the dagger that I show on page 199, upper. These hilt fittings are nickel-plated and are the type that have the boker look to their shaping. The plating is still all there on these mounts and the same is true of the fine looking tang nut. These mounts are really in nice condition. The grip is a black ebony type being of medium contour construction. It did have a couple of fractures in the lower obverse and reverse so we repaired them accordingly and the repair really came out good. It would be very difficult to detect these repairs. The SS runes button is nicely placed being straight up and down. It has a couple of signs of hits in the surfaces but there does not look to be any enamel missing. The grip center features an aluminum high-necked style eagle. This eagle has good detail throughout and shows only modest wear. The detail is there to the eye, breast feathering, wing feathering, legs, wreath and swastika. There is a minor hit to the bottom leg of the wreathed swastika but it is nothing. A good looking hilt here! As noted above, the scabbard is straight throughout and in my mind does appear to have a newly painted shell as it is fresh looking and too good to be true. The paint though has been done beautifully and does not detract from the dagger. The scabbard mounts are the nickel-plated type as this is a type I chain. These mounts are in good condition showing some age and a little bit of dulling but overall they certainly grade at excellent plus and the scabbard ball is completely intact. All screws are present. It is interesting to note on the center ramp that it is the style with only one screw, which is what we usually see with painted scabbards, so apparently this scabbard has always had paint on it. The center ramp is the type which has good pebbled backgrounds but does not have darkening. It has excellent intertwined swastikas on both sides. The type I chain links exactly match the center ramp also having good pebbling. The skull and crossbone links are the typical type I variety having excellent detail throughout having good smiling teeth. The links having the SS runes also have excellent detail. The cloverleaf above is the style with open top and you can see the stamping, “DRGM” on the snap clip below. This chain shows a little bit of age but if someone wanted to clean it up I’m sure it would come up nicely. The top chain link that is connected to the scabbard mount is deeply stamped on the reverse with the SS culturzeichen. The blade of this example is still bright and has quite a bit of the original crossgraining on it. There are a couple of marks on the lower edges of the blade but they are not bad and probably come from someone using the blade as a tool at one time or another. The SS motto is the lightly etched type and it still has about 85-90% of the black backgrounding. This blade grades at excellent to excellent plus. It is the unmarked type and it nicely fits the lower crossguard contours. As stated in the description there are a couple of restoration aspects about this dagger but it still looks outstanding and it is priced accordingly.Excellent. $5,995.00