Original Item: Only One Available. This is a very nice early pattern SA Dagger,  made by firm of Giesen & Forsthoff, Stahlwarenfabrik, at Baumstrasse 36-8 in Solingen, Germany. It comes comes compete with an original scabbard, as well as a leather belt hanger clip. The dagger has solid nickel silver fittings throughout, and is a nice example. The crossguards and tang nut are in very good condition throughout with all fittings having a nice aged patina. There is a little age to these mounts but there is no lifting anywhere, showing that they are solid and not plated.

The lower reverse guard is Gruppe/Gau marked Wf, for Westfalen, which encompassed the area near Cologne, very close to Solingen.

The grip is a fine product having a nice red brown color, with having medium center ridge construction, however most of this was painted over when it was refurbished with a new scabbard. This grip is in good condition and fits the crossguards nicely, though it does have cracking on the bottom. The symbol button is still nicely set, and still has all of the enamel intact.  The grip eagle is a fine example being the style with beak that points straight. The details are still there to the eagle to include the beak, breast feathering, wing feathering, talons, wreath and mobile swas. The nickel plating on both insignia is fully intact.

The scabbard shell is straight throughout and is a later war replacement, with plated steel fittings and a brown enamel finish on the steel shell.  The throat nicely matches the crossguards and the screws for the top and bottom mounts are still present. It is in excellent condition, and has an attached leather belt hanger with clip. The leather is in good condition, though it is worn, and has some cracking to the finish. The plated steel clip on the end is marked with RZM code M5 / 71 for Overhoff & Cie. of Lüdenscheid, whose OLC in a diamond tradmark is also present.

The blade of this example is marked GIESEN & FORSTHOFF / SOLINGEN around their trademark G - figure - F logo in a central lozenge. The blade is excellent condition, with light runner marks as well as light oxidation in places. The original factory cross grain can still be seen throughout the blade, though it may have been lightly polished. The acid-etched Alles für Deutschland SA motto is crisp, and has been highlighted with black paint.

A nice early war SA dagger, with original scabbard and belt hanger. Ready to display!

History of the SA-

The SA or Brown Shirts, were a private political formation which Adolf AH and the NSDAP used to maintain order at organized Party meetings and demonstrations. The group was formed in 1921, and grew to a huge force of nearly 3,000,000 men by the later 1930's. To instill esprit de corps, as well as create employment for the Blade City of Solingen, it was decided each SA man would carry a dagger with his Brown Shirt uniform. Huge quantities needed to be produced to accommodate the demand. The dagger initially was produced of hand-fitted nickel mounts with attractive finished wood grip and brown anodized (a bluing process) finished scabbard.

The blade was etched with the SA motto, Alles für Deutschland. Examples produced prior to 1935 were stamped with the German sector of the SA group on reverse lower crossguard. Later examples underwent standardization through the RZM ministry. These pieces were produced of cheaper plated zinc-base fittings and scabbards were simply painted brown.

Prior to his "unmasking" as a traitor, Ernst Röhm was the leader of the SA. In 1934, he distributed approximately 100,000 SA daggers with his personal inscription on the reverse blade. These daggers were to honor individuals who had served with the SA prior to December, 1931. Other than the inscription, these pieces were identical to the standard M1933 SA dagger. After the Röhm purge, the inscription was ordered to be removed. Many examples were returned to the factory for grinding. Others were simply ground in the field by whatever means were available. Examples will occasionally be encountered with remnants of the original inscription remaining on the blade, but mostly none will remain. Some blades exist with an intact inscription, reflecting only the removal of the Röhm signature. Very very rarely is an example seen with a full, untouched inscription, as the holder would have surely risked a charge of treason.