Description
Product Description: This Heinrich Himmler Presentation SS Dagger is a supremely desirable object, that could be the centerpiece of an advanced collection. We acquired this dagger last year from a veterans son in California, who wished to remain anonymous. The home of the veteran was burned to the ground during the California forest fires several years ago, and most of the relics the veteran brought home were destroyed. This is the only dagger the son was able to retrieve from the home before they had to evacuate. The blade on this one is very well preserved, with appealing luster and excellent crossgraining from the guard to the tip of the blade. The standard “Meine Ehre heisst Treue” etching on the obverse of the blade is crisp. The reverse of the blade bears a very rare Himmler presentation inscription. The Carl Eickhorn “squirrel” etched maker mark is positioned closer to the guard,to accommodate the dedication. The etching on the description is very nicely done. The handle on this piece is beautiful. The upper and lower guards are made of solid nickel, with a light patina. The lower guard is marked with a number stamp, which is what you want to see on these Himmler daggers. This one is stamped “4.” The ebony grip is very nice, with an inlaid nickel eagle and enamel roundel. There are some light chips on the reverse of the grip near the lower guard. This is a result of the wood swelling over time, as these grips were tightly hand-fitted to their cross guards during assembly. This Heinrich Himmler Presentation SS Dagger is complete with its original scabbard, which is a correct black anodized type. The scabbard is very nice, with no damage at all. Most of the original protective lacquer is still present on the anodized scabbard body. The upper and lower scabbard fittings have light, uncleaned patina, with no damage. This fine dagger was acquired this year from the family of the veteran who took it home, in San Francisco, California. This is a very rare dagger to find on the market, especially one like this that has never been tampered with or even been in another collection before! The condition of this fantastic piece rates as excellent plus.
Historical Description: The Model 1933 (M33) SS dagger was first serviceable dagger produced for the SS. The design was derived from a 16thcentury Swiss hunting dagger called the “Holbein”. The M33 SS Dagger was worn by all ranks within the SS. Becoming a member of the SS was held in high respect during the Third Reich, and their daggers became a symbolic piece within its ranks. Every year on November 9th, the new SS men would pledge their full allegiance to the Führer (Adolf Hitler) in front of the Feldherrnhalle monument in Munich and receive their dagger as a symbol of that oath. The inscription on the blade “Mein Ehre Heißt Treue”, which translates to “My Honor is Loyalty”, was the motto of the SS.
Manufacturing for these daggers began late in 1933 and continued until 1942 when production of all daggers ceased to conserve materials and labor for the war effort. Today, collectors categorize these daggers into three main categories; Early, Transitional, and Late period. SS daggers produced from 1933 to early 1935 are early and have anodized scabbards, nickel fittings, and are generally of a higher workmanship. Transitional period daggers were produced from 1935 to 1938, are usually found with painted scabbards, plated fittings and RZM codes with their makers logo on the blade. Late period daggers were produced from 1938 to 1942 and are similar to the transitional period daggers in that they use plated fittings, painted scabbards but will only be found with the RZM logo and code on the blade
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