Original Item: Only One Available. This is an excellent wartime production German WWII SA Dienstdolch Service Dagger manufactured by Carl Eickhorn of Solingen under RZM code M7/66 and dated 1941. It retains exceptionally strong original blade crossgrain, a crisp SA motto with much of its original darkening, bright nickel plated fittings, an attractive mahogany toned grip, and its original brown enamel scabbard with matching nickel plated steel mounts.

The upper and lower guards are nickel plated alloy and retain nearly all of their bright finish, with no significant flaking or heavy oxidation. The nickel plated steel pommel nut is likewise very well preserved and shows only slight evidence of having been turned. The hilt assembly is somewhat loose on the blade, most likely from age related shrinkage of the wooden grip.

The wooden grip has a rich mahogany tone with a medium center ridge and attractive visible grain. It fits the guards well and remains in excellent condition overall, with only scattered pressure dents and no major chips or cracks. The SA roundel is well seated with its translucent enamel intact, while the surrounding plated surface shows only minor oxidation and verdigris. The inlaid aluminum eagle remains sharply detailed, including the beak, breast and wing feathering, talons, wreath, and mobile hook cross.

The blade is in excellent condition and retains the full factory final polish grind crossgrain on both sides, a finish known in German as Pliesten. 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.

There is only light runner wear and some very faint staining on the reverse, none of which obscures the original crossgrain. The blade has deliberately been left untouched rather than polished in an attempt to remove these minor age marks. The edge remains correctly unsharpened and free from nicks, and the point is straight and undamaged.

The obverse bears the etched SA motto:

Alles für Deutschland

or “Everything for Germany.” The etching remains crisp, with much of the original factory darkening still visible.

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

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. 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.

The scabbard body is straight and free from significant dents, retaining excellent original brown enamel finish. The surface shows only light age crazing and checking, with the underlying texture of the steel still visible through the finish. The nickel plated steel throat and lower mount remain bright and closely match the hilt fittings, showing only minor handling wear and no significant plating loss. The lower ball is not dented, and all four original dome head screws remain present.

With its exceptional surviving factory crossgrain, crisp and still darkened SA motto, 1941 dated RZM M7/66 Eickhorn marking, excellent mahogany grip, bright wartime plated fittings, and very well preserved brown enamel scabbard, this is a particularly strong wartime SA dagger. The slightly loose hilt, light runner wear, faint blade staining, minor grip pressure marks, and light age crazing to the scabbard are all fully disclosed. It would be an excellent addition to an advanced SA dagger, Carl Eickhorn, RZM marked edged weapon, or German WWII militaria collection.

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.