Original Item: Only One Available. This is an original early SA Dienstdolch Service Dagger manufactured by Gebrüder Heller, Bohrerfabrik of Schmalkalden, Thüringen, complete with its early brown scabbard, vertical leather hanger, and attached belt loop. It is an especially complete early configuration with solid nickel silver fittings, Bayerische Ostmark Gruppe marking, strong surviving blade crossgrain, the larger Gebrüder Heller anchor trademark, and an Assmann marked vertical hanger.

The dagger is fitted throughout with solid nickel silver mounts. The crossguards and tang nut remain in very good condition with a lightly aged patina, minor verdigris where the fittings meet the grip, and no plating loss because the fittings are solid alloy. The lower reverse guard is Gruppe marked:

BO

for Bayerische Ostmark, the Bavarian Eastern March SA Gruppe. The tang nut shows no obvious signs of turning, and the hilt remains tight to the blade with no noted movement.

The wood grip has a rich cherry red to mahogany brown tone with a medium center ridge and much of its light oiled surface finish still present. There is some wear along the corners, scattered pressure marks, what appears to be a small area of old white paint residue, a small chip beside the upper guard, and a short crack running between the SA button and upper guard. The SA roundel remains well set with much of its translucent enamel intact, though oxidation and verdigris are present around the metal surround. The grip eagle is the early straight beak type in solid nickel silver, retaining much of its feather, talon, wreath, and hook cross detail with some wear and verdigris from age.

The blade is in excellent condition and retains most of the factory final polish grind crossgrain on both sides, a finish known in German as Pliesten. It is created by polishing the blades with large leather covered wheels using a slurry of extremely fine grit, and is nearly impossible to replicate using modern means. For advanced edged weapon collectors, the survival of this original crossgrain is an especially important feature because it indicates that the blade has not been aggressively polished or resurfaced after manufacture.

The acid etched SA/NSKK motto:

Alles für Deutschland

(Everything for Germany) is deep and crisp, with a fine frosted background that is retained almost completely.

The original factory edge is mostly intact, with just a small dent on the upper edge, and , and the blade tip is unbent. There are no signs post-manufacture sharpening, but there is some runner wear and scuffing, which is present on most blades. There is also some staining present on the back, probably from moisture trapped against the scabbard runner, and there is some staining next to the cross guard on the front side.

This fine example was produced by the rare maker Gebrüder Heller, Bohrerfabrik (Drill Bit Factory), and is marked with their larger "Anchor" trademark logo inside double circles:

GEBRÜDER HELLER
(Anchor)
SCHMALKALDEN

This company was located in Schmalkalden in Thüringen, Germany, and was founded in 1849 as an outgrowth of George Heller of Schmalkalden. The "Heller Brothers" are believed to have been his sons, and they originally specialized in Bohrer (drills), but by the 1930s had become involved with the manufacture of daggers. They made early Röhm-inscribed daggers with a small anchor logo, and a larger version of this was used from late 1934 onward. For more information, please see J. Anthony Carter's fine work GERMAN SWORD AND KNIFE MAKERS.

The early steel scabbard remains straight and retains its original brown anodized finish beneath remnants of the protective clear Zapon lacquer. Most of the lacquer has worn away except in protected areas near the fittings, while the brown anodized surface remains visible despite oxidation and general degradation on both sides. The upper and lower mounts are solid nickel silver with age related scratches and dents, including a dented lower ball, and all four original dome head retaining screws are present. The scabbard throat has a patina that matches the dagger’s crossguards well.

The scabbard is secured in a scarce vertical leather hanger fitted with non-magnetic solid nickel alloy hardware. The brown leather is all in very good condition, showing lovely grain to the top, and no cracking or other deterioration. The hanger clip is marked with the Assmann barred “A” trademark and:

DRGM

The barred “A” trademark identifies F. W. Assmann & Söhne of Lüdenscheid, a prominent manufacturer of uniform fittings and related metal accessories. The DRGM marking indicates a registered German utility design. Complete vertical hangers of this type are difficult to locate, particularly with the principal leather components and hardware still intact. The end clip is attached to a belt loop with a plated steel D-ring, which shows some oxidation.

With its solid nickel silver early fittings, BO Gruppe mark, strong cherry toned grip, surviving factory Pliesten crossgrain, crisp SA motto, large Gebrüder Heller anchor trademark, early brown anodized scabbard, Assmann marked vertical hanger, and belt loop, this is a very complete early SA dagger ensemble. The grip chip and crack, verdigris, blade staining, scabbard oxidation, and dented lower fitting are all fully disclosed. It would display especially well in an early SA dagger, Gebrüder Heller, Bavarian Eastern March, vertical hanger, or advanced German WWII edged weapon collection.

Specifications:
Blade Length: 8 3/4"
Overall length: 13 3/4”
Crossguard: 3”
Scabbard Length: 10”

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.