UBB.threads Forums Edged Weapons SA & NSKK Dagger Forum Mintish SA

Hi everyone. Have just joined your forum and would like to introduce myself. My name is Ross and I have been collecting TR since 1975. I got my first dagger in 1978 and collected the bolk of my 23 daggers in the 80s and early 90s so got them at good prices.
Would like some comments on a SA dagger I got from Johnson in 1987. It is in fantastic conditon but my feeling, as a jeweller, is that it was pollished by a jeweller to give it a tune up. The blade also I think may have been polished. It has all its cross grain with only very minor evidence of rust spots in a few places so it would have been a very fine touch up by a buffing wheel. The cross guards have very little wear or dints so again it was only a very fine touch up by a buff. Will post images laiter.
Do you think its value has been reduced greatly by this as I think it was done by a professional. And what do you think its value would be now.
If you go to my blog site you can see me and my photo albums.
http://ross-the-jeweller.spaces.live.com
Thanking you for your help.

Ross

Hi Ross, welcome to the forum.

Best to post some pictures when you have them for comments/opinions.

Thanks for that.

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The dagger has been very, very cleaned ... perhaps a little too well.

Some bad news, mate - The buckle of the hanger is a fake and perhaps the leather as well but I am not sure ... but the buckle is a reproduction as the real ones are are oval. Sorry for the bad news.

I've been to NZ a few times, but the closest I got to you was Dunedin. It was colder than a well-digger's wallet as I was there is June about 10 years ago. But the beer was good so who am I to complain ?

Thanks Dave. Have only got two daggers from Johnson. The first was a HJ which was a fake. Sent it back. Done again I suppose. You would not expect that from someone with his authority would you.

Cheers Ross. Yep the beer is good.

Hello Ross -

Welcome to the forum. Dave is correct about the hanger, it's a distraction from a very nice dagger. Your Carl Tillmans, although having been cleaned, appears to be a very nice looking piece. It's also relatively rare as far as maker's are concerned. It rates 8 on the McSarr list.

I like that maker very much and the dagger still has a good amount of crossgraining remaining. I must agree with Dave that it would be better if it were not so polished. Get a correct buckle from Johnson and you have a beauty there. Tom may be kind enough to do that for you if you let him know.

Mark

Thanks for comments chaps. Am feeling a bit better about it now. I got it 20 years ago from Tom so don't feel so confident about contacting him about it. Timid sort of chap I am.
Anyhow I like the feeling I get from this forum.

Cheers

Ross

Hi Ross,
Welcome to the forum.
I'll take it off of your hands for the price you paid in 1990, just kidding. Mark is right take that hanger off and find another. I would contact T.J. it never hurts to ask he might even have one he can sell you. If not check with some of the other dealers like Wittman, Gotlieb, Lakesidetradder Etc. Heck do a post in the "Wanted Forum" someone has one out their.
I'm no expert but as far as the value goes it is worth more than $600.00
Eric

Hi Eric

Thanks for kind offer to take it off my hands. Must decline though. Just for the record it cost $230 US in 1987.

Ross

OK everyone now in addition to Mint, Mint++, Mint+, Mint-, Mint--, near Mint, almost Mint, nearly Mint,close to Mint,virtual Mint and about Mint, we have the new MINTISH. Lets be sure to use this adjective enough in the near future so we get sick of it. Mike

How about, "stone cold mint".
Is that better than "mintish", or maybe is less than "Mint ++" ?
I mean seriously, there's one dealer out there that grades his daggers as being "Near mint ++", how near mint can a dagger get when he claims that it is "NM++". Wouldn't you think that a "NM++" would be nice enought to be "Mint" ? It would at least rate as a "Mint -", don't you think ?

I always enjoy an "after dinner mint"

I just bought an expensive NM dagger, it was Excellent++ at the best, maybe..


Mike W.

I love the Mint Julips!

Tsuba- Welcome to the forum and congrats on a great dagger!!!
Good Hunting,
Johnny

I love the US mint!

PVON

Mint is as Mint does ...

My Mama told me that life is like a box a mints, you just never know what you're gonna get ...


;o)

You are exactly correct Patrice-In addition to the stone cold, add the famous DROP DEAD MINT. Mike

How about....
Mint alicious
Mint astic
Mint ational
Mint tine

Hi guys. Glag your having fun but I am in the dog box with Tom and would like to make a public oppology regarding my comment on the bad HJ I got off him. He would like me to print the e mail he sent me but I cannot work out how to copie and post.

Anyhow I did buy a HJ off him in 1987 which had " Germany " on the blade and all credit to him he put me right and refunded me. I still have all his correspondence regarding this knife. At the moment he thinks he did not sell me a bad one. At the time he thought it was probably an end of war one made as a GI souviner and said to me he will look closer at his knives before selling as he did not spot Germany on the blade.

Regarding the buckle he will replace it for me if it is bad but he says there were square buckles made and I have sent him more shots of it to look at.

Well chaps and Tom my words were not meant to offend. They were just statements based on me taking peoples word about the buckle and the factish that I did buy a bad knife all those years ago.

Will keep you posted on the buckle.

Time for a beer.

Ross

Thanks for all those hits on the blog site. Now do I look the type to deliberately offend people?

Cheers

Ross

I dont think anyone is offended, we are just having a little fun. Do a google search for SA Hangers and see if you can find any with a square buckle. I have never seen any, but I havent really been looking either.

In all fairness to Tom, I have had and seen a couple of SA Hangers with square buckles over the years. My impression is that they were pre-regulation hangers and of private sources in the 1933-1934 period and not the standard SA Hanger we are used to seeing.
That being said, the source was directly from a US veteran, so I know they were period and on nice early SAs.
Ron Weinand
Weinand Militaria
PS: Dave, I have also seen early SS Hangers of the same background with square buckles.

Regarding the hanger, I have to agree with Ron. I, too, have on occasion encountered square buckled SA hangers that were original.

Personally I think that's a fine looking dagger.

Great news. Something new turns up in the hobby all the time.

Can either of you post a picture of another of these rectangular or squarish buckles so we can confirm it's existance ?

Dave

Welcome to the forum Ross. -wagner-

Ross, you are in the dog box for calling a HJ knife with Germany on it a fake ?

Joe

Thanks for all your comments chaps. Will post shots of the hanger front and back. Tom is probably right about it being good. Its quallity and condition is consistant with the dagger. I hope he now remembers the HJ as I have sent him the catalogue number etc when I got it. I think he was a bit taken back about me discrediting him even though a mistake was made at the time of listing the HJ.

Ross

Have just got mail from Tom and it is the reall deal and quite a rare one. He offered me two normal ones for this if I want. Anyhow he thanks Ron for his input as a seasoned collector.

The leather is stamped RZM L2/371/39

Ross

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Dang Ross, I'd take him up on that. That hanger is too late for the dagger you have, which is earlier...unless it was a "replacement". It's a nice dagger, and you must be storing it very well, as I'd think some patina would start to redevelop over these last few years. I'd like to add a hearty welcome as well!

John

Herr Hohaus: I don't have any here any more. It was back several years when I restored lots of daggers for collector friends and others. The ones that I saw were not in that great shape so I frequently replaced the leather strap. I, personally, always thought they look alot nicer than the oval types. I also want to add here that those that I saw were made of steel (magnetic) because I remember removing some rust from one in particular.

Ross - send it back !

Joe

Just put a magnet on this one and the clip and buckle are magnetic. Not an ounce of rust on it. Will keep because of rarety and yes it looks good too. I don't think the 39 date on leather is too much of a problem.

Ross