The German SS dagger is one of the most well-known attributes of shaped weapons of Nazi Germany. Now in the hands of collectors are many original copies and copies of this blade weapon. Replicas often look much better than the original, but do not carry any historical value. The first models of daggers were adopted in 1933 and were intended for soldiers and officers of the German army. Immediately after the start of the release, the knives were sold freely, so there could be no talk of any premium and ceremonial daggers of the SS. From February 1934, free sale to private individuals was prohibited, and the simple blade began to turn into an attribute of SS officers.
The history of the appearance of the blades Waffen-SS
The Nazis were very proud of their past, building it to the ancient Germanic tribes, so they chose the hunting dagger Holbein as cold weapons for the assault troops. The blade got its name thanks to the picture of Hans Holbein the Younger, written in the 16th century, where the classic Swiss dagger for hunting, like the Nazis, was depicted. Some interesting facts related to the appearance of this cold weapon:
- The shape of the blade of the SS dagger copied Roman swords;
- The scabbard, suspension, handle and other structural elements were developed in Munich, which is not a center for the production of bladed weapons in Germany. Most of the world famous knife shops were located in Solingen;
- The dagger in its final form was modified by the professor of the Munich art school Schmidt.
The final version of edged weapons was approved by the CA von Karlshausen.
The first models of cold arms of the German troops
In the army of fascist Germany, there were many types of troops and military formations, each of which had its own distinctive signs. Melee weapons are one of the main attributes of belonging to a specific military unit. SA assault troops first began to wear daggers.
After the start of serial production, the standard CA dagger of the 1933 type gained popularity among the military and civilians supporting the ideas of fascism. The knife cost 8.40 Reichsmarks and was sold on credit. Features dagger SA:
- The blade is double-edged;
- The knife is made with a predominance of brown shades, since the shape of the SA was of that color;
- On one side of the dagger is the inscription "Alles fur Deitschland" ("Everything for Germany");
- On the reverse side of the blade - the mark of the manufacturer.
The SS dagger appeared in the same year. It is made in black colors, the color of the form of the SS. The knife has the same dimensions as the option for the SA. The main difference, except for the black color of the tree on the handle, was the inscription "Meine Ehre heisst Treue" ("My honor is called fidelity") engraved on one side of the blade, and on the other - the stamp of the manufacturer and the year of manufacture.
Elite attribute of German officers
On February 17, 1934, the Gruppenführer Kurt Vittier, who is the head of the SS Directorate, banned the free sale of official cold weapons of the Third Reich, the SS dagger. A knife with a handle in the original black lacquer color could only be purchased through SS structures. The sale was carried out through three main centers for the production of uniforms in the cities:
- Dresden;
- Munich;
- Berlin.
In 1935, a special order came into force, according to which every dismissed SS member is obliged to hand over the SS service dagger to the party representation. In the case of resignation by age or voluntary care, the former employee received a special document giving the right to legally own these cold arms.
The most famous knife workshops in Germany made these blades:
- "Böker & Co.";
- Richard Herder;
- Karl Aichorn;
- Robert Klaas and others.
The first models of SS daggers, released from 1933 to 1935, had the mark of a master.
The main parameters of the SS dagger
The SS service dagger was produced strictly according to the drawings and had its own quality standard. Parameters of the knife of the Third Reich:
- Type of melee weapons - dagger;
- Blade 220-230 mm long, double-edged. The maximum thickness of the blade 5.5 mm, width 34-37 mm;
- The length of the weapon in the sheath is 360-375 mm, without the scabbard - 345-350 mm;
- Handle 110 mm long, 21 mm thick and 35 mm wide.
The handle of the dagger was made of natural wood, in the middle an enamel swastika was mixed with an eagle. By production the tree without knots and other defects was selected. The blade was separated by a massive guard, and a part of the hilt, adjacent to the handle, had a notch.
The sheath of the SS dagger was made of metal: copper or tin. Sheaths for senior officers were often decorated with military runes and decorative elements using gold or silver. The entire headset sheath was fastened with special screws with semicircular heads. The suspension was represented by a short strap made of genuine leather and a metal clasp with a flat carabiner.
Varieties of premium and military weapons of the SS
The very first SS daggers were made more qualitatively, which was confirmed by the marks of the masters who did not put them on consumer goods. All metal parts of the handle were made of nickel silver, and the sheath was oxidized. From the end of 1934, the hilt and backplate were made of aluminum, and the sheath was simply painted.
There are models donated to SS members personally by Himmler. These blades bear the inscription "As a sign of cordial friendship. G. Himmler". Only 200 such copies were released, it is almost impossible to find them now. The standard motto on the blades "My honor is called loyalty" appeared in late 1931. This phrase was uttered by Hitler, who thanked Kurt Dalyug, head of the Berlin SS units, for his help in suppressing the uprising.
The highest command (Führer) staff wore an SS dagger with a lanyard of silver thread, which showed the status of the owner to ordinary people. The length of the lanyard of this type was about 42 cm.
Now there are both original SS daggers and numerous replicas on sale. It should be remembered that the sharpened blade is a melee weapon, so only registered collectors buy them. Unqualified models are not considered cold weapons, anyone can purchase them. When buying historical daggers, it is necessary to pay attention to the state of the blade: if the remaining parts are easily restored, then the rust and ground blade is almost impossible to fix.
