Original Item: Only One Available. This is an original German WWII Model 1933 SS honor dagger, or SS-Ehrendolch, in relic condition with its black painted scabbard and later pattern leather belt hanger. The dagger shows extensive age, service wear, and exposure to the elements, while still retaining its recognizable SS motto, grip insignia, scabbard fittings, and RZM marked Assmann hanger.

The Model 1933 SS Honor dagger was introduced as a dress and service sidearm for members of the SS. Early examples were generally fitted with nickel hardware and blackened scabbards, while later production increasingly used plated alloy fittings and black painted scabbards. The organization itself expanded under Heinrich Himmler into a central instrument of political repression, policing, persecution, forced labor, and mass murder throughout Germany and occupied Europe.

The blade is in relic condition and shows extensive oxidation, with evidence of old peppering and pitting that was later cleaned. This wear has removed all visible traces of the original maker marking.

The obverse blade motto remains discernible:

Meine Ehre heißt Treue

or “My Honor is Loyalty.” The etched lettering is still readable, though the edges are no longer crisp because of corrosion and subsequent cleaning.

The hilt fittings are the later plated alloy type. Both the crossguard and pommel show substantial plating loss, particularly along the edges and adjacent to the grip. The exposed zinc alloy beneath has developed corrosion and pitting. The steel pommel nut is oxidized on its exposed surface, and the hilt fittings are somewhat loose on the tang.

The black wood grip has a medium center ridge and remains in fair to good relic condition. It shows cracking, service wear, areas of missing wood adjacent to the reverse crossguard, and another loss near the upper grip by the insignia button. There are also signs of earlier repairs and removed material.

The upper SS rune button remains firmly attached and is positioned at approximately 7 o'clock. The silvered double Sig rune device and surrounding double circles remain clearly visible, though a substantial amount of the plating has flaked away. The inset grip eagle is the high necked type with the beak angled slightly upward. It appears to be nickel or nickel plated brass and remains in good condition overall, with only light scratches, a few small dents, and relatively little wear compared with the rest of the dagger.

The scabbard shell remains straight and shows only a few small dents despite clear exposure to the elements. It retains the later black enamel painted finish, which now shows age related crazing and checking. There are scattered chips and scrapes through the black finish, with oxidation visible where the steel shell has been exposed. There is also possible evidence of an older refinish, though the exact date of any repainting cannot be established.

The nickel plated zinc alloy scabbard mounts remain in very good condition relative to the rest of the piece, with wear to the plating and localized oxidation. The lower ball shows only slight denting. All four dome head mounting screws remain present and do not show obvious evidence of recent turning. The throat fitting is plated steel and magnetic, providing the stronger material needed to support the internal scabbard runners.

Attached to the scabbard suspension ring is a later pattern black leather belt hanger with nickel plated steel hardware. The leather remains in good service used condition, showing surface cracking, finish wear, and edge wear. The hanger hardware retains a pleasing aged patina. The buckle remains functional, as does the spring clip, which still retains much of its original plating. The original keeper loop is present, though its stitching has been replaced.

The rear of the spring clip is marked:

Barred A
DRGM
RZM M5/8

identifying F. W. Assmann & Söhne of Lüdenscheid, a major manufacturer of uniform accessories and related hardware.

Overall condition is best described as relic condition with substantial originality remaining. The blade corrosion and cleaning, missing maker mark, plating loss, grip cracks and wood loss, loose hilt fittings, scabbard finish damage, possible old refinish, hanger wear, and replaced keeper stitching are all fully disclosed.

With its surviving Model 1933 SS configuration, readable blade motto, high necked grip eagle, double Sig rune button, black painted scabbard, complete scabbard screws, and Assmann RZM M5/8 marked belt hanger, this is a notably complete relic example. It would display especially well in a German WWII edged weapon, SS dagger, RZM marked accoutrement, Assmann manufacturer, relic condition militaria, or advanced Third Reich dagger collection.

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

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.