Item:
ONSV24MDS058

Original German WWII 1939 Dated Chained NSKK Officer's Dagger with Scabbard by Carl Eickhorn - RZM M7/66

Item Description

Original Item: Only One Available. This is an extremely rare pre-war period produced NSKK Officer's Dagger in great condition, with the correct "Chained" scabbard. It was produced by the legendary Solingen-based firm of Carl Eickhorn, Stahlwarenfabrik. The knife itself has nickel-plated fittings throughout. The crossguards and tang nut are nickel plated zinc alloy, which may have also been silver plated, and have the plating almost entirely intact, with just a bit of tarnishing in areas. There is no oxidation or flaking where the grip wood meets the guards, which we rarely see, and there is not any major chipping or dents in the fittings, just the usual effects of age.

The grip is a fine product having a nice mahogany tone in the surfaces and having medium center ridge construction. This grip is in very good condition with great grain, and fits the crossguards well. There are just a few small dents and scratches, and no cracks or chips, making this a great example. The symbol button is nicely set having fully intact enameling, and the plating is almost fully intact, showing just a bit of oxidation around the edges. The details are still there to the inlaid eagle, including the beak, breast feathering, wing feathering, talons, wreath and mobile swas, and it looks to be nickel or nickel plated, common during the immediate pre-war years.

The scabbard shell is straight throughout and has excellent original black enamel paint, probably retained at over 95% overall, showing just a few scratches and chips on the reverse. There are no dents we can see, and the paint shows the correct crazing and checking from age, which takes decades to develop. The scabbard shell is equipped with fine matching plated steel mounts, including the center ramp for attachment of the chain. These mounts are in very good condition overall, with denting to the lower ball, common even with the harder steel fittings. They nicely match the crossguards, and all 5 of the matching dome headed screws are present.

The scabbard is equipped with a lovely and totally correct nickel plated steel NSKK chain assembly, with four upper and five lower links. The decoration on the links alternates between NSSK eagles and raised sun wheel symbols. The center link on the lower length is marked with the special triangle symbol used exclusively by the NSKK. The plating on this chain is still in very good condition, with some areas of wear and and oxidation. The first link of the upper chain length is marked MUSTERSCHUTZ / NSKK / KORPSFÜHRUNG, indicating it is made per the NSKK leadership specifications. The lower chain is marked with the "Barred A" trademark and RZM M5/8, for F. W. Assmann & Söhne of Lüdenscheid. These chain lengths are connected to a good nickel plated steel snap clip marked with an acorn between a pair of oak leaves, which has a lovely patina.

The blade of this example is in very good condition and has almost all of its factory final polish grind crossgrain. This texture is iconic, and is the definitive identifying characteristic for a real WWII German Blade. There do not appear to be any rust issues aside from some very light overall staining, and the original factory edge and tip are intact. There is also the usual runner wear from the scabbard, which has removed the cross grain in some areas. The acid-etched Alles für Deutschland (Everything for Germany) SA motto is deep and crisp, with a fine frosted background typical of Eickhorn that is retained at about 75%.

The rear is etched with the RZM contract information, which is fully visible.

(RZM)
M7 / 66
1939

This marking indicates the dagger was made by RZM Dagger contractor "66", which records show is the legendary maker Carl Eickhorn, Stahlwarenfabrik (steel ware factory), located in Solingen, the "City of Blades" in western Germany. They are known producer of early and late SA, NSKK, SS, and other daggers, being one of the preeminent makers of the time.

According to J. Anthony Carter's book, GERMAN KNIFE AND SWORD MAKERS, this company was founded in 1865 by Carl Eickhorn, and is arguably the most famous of all Solingen makers. Not only could the family trace their history back 500 years, but they could also demonstrate involvement in the hardening and grinding industries for the same period. Truly the nobility of Solingen Edged weapon dynasties. Eickhorn edged weapons are the most desirable of all makers.

The Reichszeugmeisterei (National Quartermaster's Office), or RZM, was was based at the Brown house in Munich and NSDAP party headquarters in Berlin. The RZM ensured that the manufacturers of military items were consistent in design, quality of materials and other characteristics of the items. It also defined standards of design, manufacturing and quality and published an authoritative color chart for textiles. The M7 in the code stands for knives/daggers, contractor 66 stands for Carl Eickhorn of Solingen.

An excellent pre-war example of a Chained NSKK Officer's dagger from the most legendary of all Solingen Makers. Ready to display!

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.

After the purge, the NSKK, which had been a part of the SA, was split off into a separate organization. They retained the same daggers as the SA, however now used a black painted scabbard, and their officer's daggers had a few differences as well.

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