WWII German SS Honor dagger -
The SS was formed in 1925 as a personal guard unit for Nazi leader Adolf Hitler, ("Die Schutz-Staffel der NSDAP" - Shield Squadron of the NSDAP). Under the leadership of Heinrich Himmler between 1929 and 1945, the SS grew from a small paramilitary formation to become one of the largest and most powerful organizations in Nazi Germany. It was composed of police, security, paramilitary and military branches.
The edge weapon featured here is the SS honor dagger.
The design of the dagger consisted of a circular pommel that has the image of a swastika imprinted. Heavy
leaf ornamentation is shown in all the fittings, including the side of the pommel. The handle is of wooden
construction and has a shape that ressembles a Coke bottle. The upper section of the handle has the SS
runnes contained in a small circle. The center of the handle has a silver eagle.
The scabbard is of metal constrution. It has silver fittings in the throat and tip sections. Both fittings are
heavily decorated with leafing. The throat has a suspension ring attached. A leather hanger is tied to
the ring. The hanger provides the means to attach the dagger to a uniform.
The example shown here has the triangular paper issue tag. It is riveted at one end. It displays the SS
runnes and RZM logo.
The blade is of stilleto type. Double edge construction. Damascus pattern with gold inlayed motto and
manufacturer's logo. One side of the blade displays the motto "Meine Ehre heist Treue" which translates to
"my honour is loyalty". Something unique to the honor dagger was the addition of a leaf at the
begining and end of the motto.
The other side displays the manufacturer's name, Eickhorn of Solingen, and logo
which is a squirrel inside an oval shape.
Eickhorn was a well known manufacturer of high quality edge weapons during the Nazi regime.
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This page is a recognition and identification guide for German bayonets. Multiple
detailed photos of a specific sample are provided. Descriptions point out specific
points that should be noted.
One of the most commonly asked questions is "How much is my German bayonet worth?".
A price guide is included here to address this question. The value of the Nazi bayonets is
reviewed over a period of several years. A trend can be observed. The present worth
of the police sword in the collector's market is illustrated.
This service is provided free of charge to the visitor/enthusiast courtesy of
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a company dedicated
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The damascus pattern on the blade could have been applied using a variety of methods. The one employed in
most high ranking blades involved the welding of of iron to steel with a small torch. This was known as
genuine damascus.
There are a couple additional versions of the SS dagger. These models are known as the
chained SS dagger and the
standard SS dagger .
The back of the hanger clip has a manufacturer's logo in the shape of a triangular figure.
Many German edge weapons are currently
reproduced.
It is becoming more difficult to be able to tell the fake ones from the real ones because
the quality of the reproductions is improving. The collector must become familiarized with
the construction style and materials employed in the manufacturing of this item.
Attention to the details is critical in order to be able to determine the authenticity of
the collectible.
If you have an interest is seeing other edge weapons of the Third Reich, you can do so by going
to our
WWII German daggers and Swords
identification guide, Where we cover blades from the Heer (Army), Navy (Kriegsmarine), Air Force
(Luftwaffe) and other organizations.
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