Nazi "SA" Dagger - brown enameled scabbard, brown wood grip, "SA" logo on small round medallion below
pommel-cap. Inscription "Alles fur Deutschland" translates to "Everything for Germany."
This particular dagger was carried by the officers of the SA or "Sturmabeilung" from 1934 to 1945.
This was basically the Nazi Party security force referred to as "Brownshirts"; the scabbard is brown-enameled with single-ring hanger and nickel-plated throat and drag.
The "SA" Dagger is virtually identical to the "NSKK" (Nationalsozialistisches Kraftfahrkorps) Dagger carried by the Party Motor Transport Corps; however, the NSKK scabbard is black-enameled with single-ring hanger, and nickel-plated throat and drag (see image of unissued dagger below).
Another dagger, the "NPEA" (National-Politische Erzichungsanstalten) Dagger was for certain members of the National Political Education Institute; however, the NPEA blade has a different motto and the scabbard is one-piece, black-enameled, with a frog-stud, and without nickel-plated throat and drag.
Yet another similar dagger is the "SS" (Schutzstaffel) Dagger; it is also virtually identical to the "SA" Dagger except the "SS" Dagger has a black handle with "SS" medallion, and the motto on the blade usually reads "Meine Ehre heist Treue" (My Honor is Loyalty); the scabbard is black-enameled with single-ring hanger, and nickel-plated throat and drag.
Original daggers should be marked - as were all Nazi political daggers (such as SA, SS, Youth, etc.) - with the circular logo containing "RZM" Reichzeugmeistereider (National Material Control Office).
This was Nazi Germany's controlling organization for various manufactured products under Hitler's Third Reich. Every firm authorized to
manufacture products was assigned an RZM "registration number." This number usually is placed near the RZM logo and consists of a raw material letter,
a product number followed by a slash (/), and then the firm number string; occasionally this is followed by another slash (/) and a 2-digit manufacture year indicator.
A typical number will appear marked as M7/25 or M7/25/42 where M7 indicates a metal fabricator and maker of daggers and knives; 25 is an example of a unique manufacturer's
number commonly found on these knives; any numbers after this - as in the second example string - would be 2-digit representation of the year of manufacture - such as 42 - in this case 1942.
Watch for fakes; they are quite plentiful. CAVEAT EMPTOR!
If you need further information concerning markings or blades, please post your questions to me via the Guestbook.
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