Original Item: Only One Available. This is a very attractive pre-war German WWII Model 1933 SS Dienstdolch, or Service Dagger, manufactured in 1937 under SS contract by the renowned Solingen firm of Carl Eickhorn. The blade is clearly marked 941 / 37 / ᛋᛋ, a documented SS contract code associated with Eickhorn, and retains strong original factory crossgrain together with substantial darkening in the etched motto. Complete with its black painted steel scabbard and an RZM marked M5/8 F. W. Assmann & Söhne leather hanger, this is a strong and highly recognizable example of the later pre-war production M1933 SS dagger.

The Model 1933 SS Service Dagger was introduced in December 1933 for members of the SS and followed the general form of the contemporary SA service dagger while using distinctive black fittings and insignia. These were presented during an honor ceremony, leading to the common term "SS-Ehrendolch", or SS Honor Dagger, for these, however period books identify them as the SS-Dienstdolch. The black grip carried the ᛋᛋ doppelte Siegrune (Double Sig/Victory Rune) button and national eagle, while the blade bore the SS motto. In 1936 an additional chained dagger pattern was introduced for qualifying long serving SS personnel, but the original Model 1933 pattern continued in production and use. This 1937 example belongs to that later pre-war RZM controlled production period.

The blade on this nice pre-war production dagger is in very good condition, and retains strong factory final polish grind crossgrain on both sides, a finish known in German as Pließten. 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.

We can see some past oxidation staining, as well as the usual runner wear and scuffing from cleaning, but no major condition issues. The edge is correctly unsharpened and the tip of the blade intact and unbent, with just a few dents on the edge near the crossguard. The blade shoulders perfectly meet the lower crossguard contour. 

The etched SS motto, Meine Ehre heißt Treue (My honor is loyalty) is crisp with most of the factory darkening present in the black letter fonts in the backgrounds. 

The rear is marked with the RZM and SS contract information:

This marking indicates the dagger was made by SS RZM Dagger contractor "941" in 1937, 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. Often the RZM codes for SS items are not known, as they used different SS exclusive numbers, but there were "transitional" daggers by Eickhorn, which had both the trademark and the RZM code.

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. This city had been internationally renowned for centuries for its blade making industry and became known as the Klingenstadt, or “City of Blades. 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 hilt fittings are the later plated alloy type appropriate to this period of production. Both crossguards show plating loss and areas where the underlying material has become exposed, together with oxidation and age toning. The steel pommel nut retains somewhat more of its original plating.

There is no Roman numeral district marking on the reverse of the lower crossguard, which is consistent with this later RZM era example. The hilt fittings are somewhat loose on the tang, particularly at the upper guard, and the pommel nut does not tighten securely and may have damaged or stripped threads. This should be noted when handling the dagger.

The black wood grip remains in very good overall condition and has a medium center ridge profile. There are cracks on both sides near the pommel, including one running through the area of the SS rune button. There also appears to be some filler or accumulated material between portions of the grip and the guards, although we cannot determine whether this represents an old repair, corrosion product, or another material without disassembly.

The SS rune button remains tightly installed and is positioned at approximately the 7:00 o'clock orientation. The silvered double rune device and surrounding double circles remain clearly visible, with the black enamel fully intact and only minor oxidation around the perimeter.

The grip eagle is the high necked type with its beak angled slightly upward. It appears to be constructed from plated zinc alloy and now displays a dull gray patina following loss of much of the original surface finish.

The accompanying steel scabbard is straight and free from dents. It retains the correct black enamel finish, which shows the expected age related checking and crazing. There is finish loss and chipping on both sides, particularly on the reverse, where exposed steel has developed oxidation.

The nickel plated steel upper and lower scabbard fittings remain in very nice condition overall and retain much of their original plating. There is wear at the sharper edges together with some oxidation. The lower ball shows denting, a frequently encountered area of wear on service carried dagger scabbards.

All four dome headed scabbard fitting screws remain present. They show plating loss and oxidation but do not appear to have been significantly disturbed or repeatedly turned.

Attached to the scabbard suspension ring is a later pattern black leather belt hanger with plated steel hardware. The leather shows wear to the finish, some dryness, and minor tearing around the clip attachment area. The spring clip remains functional but displays plating loss and oxidation.

The hanger clip is marked with the stylized “barred A” trademark together with:

D.R.G.M.
RZM M5/8

The barred A and RZM M5/8 code identify F. W. Assmann & Söhne of Lüdenscheid, a major manufacturer of German uniform fittings and accoutrements. The D.R.G.M. marking denotes a registered German utility design. This marked Assmann hanger is especially appropriate for an RZM era SS dagger such as this 1937 example.

For the advanced German edged weapons collector, this dagger has a particularly appealing combination of features: the documented 941 / 37 / ᛋᛋ Carl Eickhorn contract marking, strong surviving blade crossgrain, crisp motto with substantial factory darkening, intact SS grip insignia, straight original black painted scabbard, and an RZM M5/8 Assmann hanger. The grip cracks, plating loss, loose hilt fittings, possible damaged pommel threads, scabbard oxidation, and hanger wear are all fully disclosed, but the blade and major identifying features remain strong. It would display particularly well in an advanced SS dagger, Carl Eickhorn, RZM era edged weapons, or German WWII militaria collection.

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

The SS (Schutzstaffel - 'Protection Squadron') was originally formed in 1925, ostensibly to act as a small, loyal bodyguard unit to protect the Führer, Adolf AH. Under the direction of the infamous Reichsführer-SS Heinrich Himmler, the SS grew to be the most ruthless and feared organization of the 20th century. They were the vanguard of NSDAP and eventually controlled nearly every function of German life and much of Occupied Europe. The SS-Dienstdoch (SS service 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 evoke the traditions of medieval Teutonic knights, was held on 9 November, the date of the unsuccessful Munich 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 cross guards with an ebony wood grip. The black grip contained a National eagle with swas insignia recessed in the center area and an ᛋᛋ doppelte Siegrune (Double Sig/Victory Rune) 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. They could be held with a standard belt hanger, or a much rarer vertical hanger.

The RZM, Reichzeugmeisterei, (National Equipment Quartermaster), was officially founded in June 1934 in Munich by the NSDAP, Nationalsozialistische Deutsche Arbeiterpartei, (National Socialist German Worker's Party), as a Reich Hauptamt, (State Central Office), and was based on the earlier SA Quartermaster's Department. The registry was was based at the Brown house in Munich and NSDAP party headquarters in Berlin.

The functions of the RZM were not only to procure and distribute items to Party formations, but also to approve chosen designs and to act as a quality control supervisor to ensure items manufactured for the Party met required specification and were standardized. Starting in late 1934 items manufactured for the SS came under the quality control of the RZM and as a result were to be marked with the RZM/SS approval/acceptance mark. Shortly after this, the SS started using a separate listing of contractors, and in 1943 the Waffen-SS assumed full control over their uniform item production and no longer fell under the authority of the RZM.