Description
Product Description: This rare and very desirable early SA Dagger is an appealing, honest piece, with great character. The maker of this textbook early production dagger was Rudolf Büchel, a very hard to find producer that ranks 9 of 10 on the McSarr scale. This one features a beautiful blade with nearly all of the original cross-graining intact and only scattered light freckling. The motto is crisp, with intact darkening. The reverse is marked on the ricasso with the nice and seldom seen Büchel maker emblem. This dagger has a very appealing handle, with a nice, uncleaned patina to the solid nickel upper and lower guards. The dark rosewood grip shows scattered marks, but no major damage. The early grip eagle and enameled roundel show handling wear and patina. The pommel nut appears untouched. This early SA Dagger is complete with its correct original anodized scabbard. The steel body retains most of the original brown anodized finish, with light wear that matches the dagger. There are no dents to the scabbard body, but there is one light paint mark on the reverse, likely from being in a veteran’s workshop decades ago. The correct early nickel throat and drag fittings show no issues and the suspension ring is intact. This rare dagger has pleasing visual appeal and is in excellent condition.
Historical Description: The “Sturmabteilung” (SA), formed in 1921, was the original paramilitary branch of the Nazi party. With the Nazi rise to power in 1933, a dress dagger was introduced for wear with the iconic “brown shirt” uniform. As the SA was a huge organization, with an eventual strength of close to three million men, there was a huge demand for these daggers, and they were produced by 123 different makers, from larger factories to small, cottage-industry workshops. The daggers featured a wood grip with an inset enameled SA emblem and the German national eagle and swastika emblem. The blade was etched with the motto of the SA, “Alles für Deutschland.” The early daggers were crafted with the utmost quality, in both workmanship and materials. Originally, the name and logo of each manufacturer was etched on the reverse of the blade. These early daggers featured hand-fitted nickel silver fittings, and scabbards that had an anodized coating. Prior to around 1935, the daggers were stamped with an SA group letter on the reverse of the cross-guard. In 1936, the Reichszeugmeisterie der NSDAP (RZM) organization began to standardize the manufacture of the SA dagger. Commercial type manufacturer markings were to be eliminated and replaced with the RZM logo as well as an RZM code to indicate the manufacturer. Late production daggers marked with RZM logos usually are made with plated zinc fittings and have aluminum grip eagles. Instead of the early anodizing process, later scabbards were simply painted. During the transitional period around 1936, many daggers were manufactured bearing the RZM logo and maker code in combination with the earlier type maker names and logos. These transitional daggers can be found with early or late features, or a mix of both.
With nearly 30 years of expertise handling, collecting, and studying some of the finest and scarcest military collectibles, Empires Past offers the best prices for your collectibles.
We purchase German, American, and Japanese Military Artifacts.
FROM SINGLE ITEMS TO ENTIRE COLLECTIONS…
WE ARE ALWAYS BUYING!!!
