Original Item: Only One Available. This very good condition mid-late war period produced NSKK Dagger has nickel-plated fittings throughout. These daggers are identical to the SA dagger, except they have a black finished scabbard. The crossguards and tang nut are nickel plated alloy, probably zinc or aluminum, and have most of the plating intact, with some lifting and flaking near the grips. There is some oxidation where the grip wood meets the guards, which is typical, but both still have most of the plating, with light wear. There are not any major chipping or dents in the fittings, just the usual effects of age. The grip overall is still tight to the blade.

The grip is a fine product having a fine chestnut colored 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 is a bit of chipping near the cross guard, and also a bit by the pommel, but it is only cosmetic. There are also a few pressure dents and the usual marks from use. The SA symbol button is nicely set having fully intact enameling, and the plating partially intact with some verdigris and oxidation as shown. The details are still there to the inlaid nickel plated eagle, including the beak, breast feathering, wing feathering, talons, wreath and mobile swas.

The blade of this example is in excellent condition, with almost all of the factory cross grain still easily visible in the light. This texture is iconic, and is the definitive identifying characteristic for a real WWII German Blade. There are just a few areas of very light staining, and it also does show light runner wear from being removed and replaced in the scabbard. The acid-etched Alles für Deutschland (Everything for Germany) SA / NSKK motto is still quite crisp, however the factory darkening is faint.

It looks like the blade was cleaned several times, which removed the late war etching. Some makers did not use recessed etching on the blades, which is why be believe that the RZM marking on the back has been completely obliterated. There are also examples of unmarked SA and NSKK daggers made late in the war.

The scabbard shell is straight throughout and has very good original black enamel paint. It has a bit of scuffing, as well as a lot of fine checking and crazing overall, but does not show any signs of alteration. The scabbard shell is equipped with fine matching nickel-plated steel mounts. These mounts are in very good condition overall, with only a little denting to the lower ball. They nicely match the crossguards and are complete with all four dome head screws. This really is a nice solid scabbard with a lovely patina of age.

A very nice example of an NSKK dagger with a great blade, complete with scabbard and ready to display!

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

History of the SA and NSKK-

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. Many already had SA daggers, so these had the scabbards painted black over the original brown anodized finish.