Item:
ONSV23TMS38

Original German WWII SA Dagger by Rare Maker Richard Plümacher Sohn with Scabbard - RZM M7/83

Item Description

Original Item: Only One Available. This very good condition mid war period produced SA Dagger is made with nickel-plated fittings throughout. The crossguards and tang nut are made from alloy, most likely zinc-based, and still have much of the original plating intact. There is overall oxidation and light bubbling on the fittings, with flaking off the plating near the guards, which is common due to exposure to the wood. The pommel guard has a bit more oxidation, than the cross guard, and the plated steel end nut does show some plating loss and rust, as well as signs of turning.

The grip is a fine product having a fine red brown colored mahogany tone in the surfaces and having medium center ridge construction. This grip is in good condition with nice grain, and fits the crossguards well. There are some small dents from service, and a few stress cracks near the guards, but nothing major. The SA symbol button is nicely set in the grip, with fully intact enamel, though the plating is mostly worn through. The details are still there to the inlaid eagle, including the beak, breast feathering, wing feathering, talons, wreath and mobile swas (hook cross). It looks to be the later war style aluminum eagle.

The blade of this example is in very good condition, with the factory final polish cross grain still visible throughout the blade. This texture is iconic, and is the definitive identifying characteristic for a real WWII German Blade. The blade definitely has seen some light staining and oxidation in the past, and was then cleaned and polished, so the cross grain is now faint in areas, but definitely still visible in the light. There is some runner wear and light scratching on the surface, but nothing more. The acid-etched Alles für Deutschland (Everything for Germany) SA motto is still quite crisp, with the factory darkening mostly worn away.

The rear is etched with the RZM contract information:

((RZM))
M7 / 83

This marking indicates the dagger was made by RZM Dagger contractor "83", which records show is the rare maker Richard Plümacher Sohn, Stahlwarenfabrik (steel wares factory) located in Solingen, the legendary "City of Blades" in western Germany. Per J. Anthony Carter's fine work GERMAN SWORD AND KNIFE MAKERS, this company was a restructured version of Richard Plümacher, Messerfabrik, which began operations in the 1920s. First registered in 1934, they originally made mostly cutlery and knives, but later made SA and NSKK daggers for the Third Reich. This is the only example of a Richard Plümacher Sohn edged weapon that we have ever had. The company did survive the war, but stopped trading in 1962.

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 83 stands for Carl Schmidt Sohn of Solingen.

The scabbard shell is straight throughout and has very good original brown enamel paint. It has just a bit of scuffing and the usual crazing in the finish, with only small areas of finish loss, and the original steel texture can still be seen. The scabbard shell is equipped with fine matching plated steel mounts, which show only light wear and very little oxidation. They nicely match the crossguards and are complete with all four dome head screws.

A great example of a mid to late war pattern SA dagger from a rare maker, complete with scabbard. 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.

  • This product is available for international shipping. Shipping not available to: Australia, France, or Germany
  • Not eligible for payment with Paypal or Amazon

YOU MAY ALSO LIKE

Cash For Collectibles