UBB.threads Forums Edged Weapons SA & NSKK Dagger Forum My SA Marine

Hello collectors,
I thought I would share a few pictures of my SA Marine dagger by Eickhorn. I picked this up a month or so ago. I'm the forth owner including the original owner and it's been in one other collection besides mine. I know sometimes you buy the dagger and sometimes you buy the story. What can I say, I bought the dagger for what I thought was a good deal and was told the vet brought it back, it was bought from the vet by a collector, and I bought it through an auction company the collector consigned it at. It has a strange resemblance (3 links in the upper chain and no center scabbard band screws) of the dagger in Tom Johnson's book "German Daggers of WWII" page 448 however that dagger is a chained model 1936 Naval NSKK. Sorry for the so so pictures, I need to bug Larry for some pointers.

Rich

Cool, man!

Hey Pittbull,,Your photos are good but dont use a flash for direct shots,, either bounce the flash or use indirect lighting in a very light colored room preferably white. Your dagger is a beauty and the light colored grip goes very well with the gold wash...very attractive. im not sure of the one carrying ring on the upper scabbard mount,, looks to be a replacemment. Regardless of the ring over all its very nice! Regards Larry

What is a 1934 Eickhorn C.E. blade logo doing on a chained NSKK marine?
Can you give us a close up macro shot of the 'Korpsfuhrer' logo on the chain link?

Since you used a flash I won't say anything on the color until I see it with natural light.

-Serge-

Hello Serge,
I guess I don't have an answer for you. I've only been collecting for 10+ years and don't know everything about these daggers...still learning. I have Johnsons and Whittmans books and have spent countless hours reading on the internet but let's face it what we read and hear is all we can go by. If you can shed some light I would love to hear what you have to say about this piece. I read on German Dress Daggers.com that the Sa Marine Daggers did not have a RZM mark on the blade so I assumed it was a Sa Marine. I'm also now assuming by your post that if this is a NSKK marine that it has the wrong blade. Is it possible it may have been a field upgrade? I took it apart and inside the cross guards there is no plating as it shouldn't, from what I read, but they are stamped H E. Here are more pictures...no flash. Thanks Serge.

Rich

Nice, it's upstaged my post. I guess you wait ages and then 2 come along at once.

Great point and statement Pittbull as we have all seen Chained SS daggers with maker logos but no actual proof that it belonged to the dagger unless it was direct Vet bring back or there was an SS number stamped on it with the Dienstalterliste proving this,, other than that,, its a hard sell for me ( on the SS Issue ) Is it possible for your dagger to be a field upgrade?? ..absolutely!, but in theory. I have seen Chained Marine examples with a silvered chain,, does that make it wrong? Dont know that either but they are out there. Can a "Marriage" be proved in upgrades and period parts?,, AT A CERTAIN EXTENT yes they can and so can switched out parts. Is this dagger wrong because of the logo? IMO I dont think so in reference Chained SS daggers with logos. I cant imagine why anyone would want to switch out a lesser quality blade with a more superior Eichkorn replacement. So between silver chains on NSKK Marine Chained leaders and early mottos,, then which is it? Right or wrong? or is it another anomaly.

or those who have studied the subject extensively. Even so the top collectors are still learning to this day. Collectors and historians, have only scratched the surface on variations only. Period catalogs and found documentation are a treasure to find but there are still many missing pieces of the puzzle. In this hobby there are so many anomolies anymore, that its hard to keep up with. Its been said many times that reference books were not availiable back during the period,and this is true so we can only depend on Biographies and "Whispering down the lane" and hope by the time the information gets to the next guy that it will be right and not altered. I would like to hear more on the Gold wash issue.

I have encountered two different types of finishes for NSKK chained marine daggers. One is the typical one as shown in the other thread and as in the photo below. They both will have a coppery colored very thin applied finish topped with lacquer.

There is one other type that is really a rare one that used a expensive actual copper plating that actualy tarnished like an old wheat penny.

There maybe other collectors who feel fine with this color of plating, however I do not. All the ones I had hand examined that looked like yours, I felt where post war applied finishes to standard NSKK chained daggers.
The other early ones that were upgrades also had exhibited a copper/gold color rather than a brass.

Again buy the dagger and not the story. Also 'real' chained marine NSKK Marine is a very hard dagger to find and if it's the real deal your not going to get it usually for a 'good price' (especially in the condition you show.)

This type of dagger you don't buy unless you have 100% return warranty with no question asked return policy.

I would get other opinions on this one. Mine is just one. Patrice, Paul H. and a couple of others that only pop in here once in a while but have a lot of knowledge may help you a bit further.
Actually a stunning looking dagger. Here's a 1940 Eickhorn Marine.

-Serge-

Hey Serge,
Thank you for your reply and your info. I'm going to take more pictures as I do not feel that this 8 or 10 year old point and shoot Sony Cyber-shot camera is doing this dagger any justice. As I sit here and look at your picture, beautiful dagger by the way, and look at the picture on this site under "Dagger ID Guide" and also these daggers http://www.militarycollectiblesinc.com/catalog/product_info.php?cPath=14_42&products_id=3934 http://www.militarycollectiblesinc.com/catalog/product_info.php?cPath=14_42&products_id=4156 they look to me the same color. The pictures I posted do make it look brassy so let me snap some more photos and re post.

Thank you for all the replys

Rich

Here's mine.
100% certain it's a wartime item.

JC

Hey Matarese,
That's a fine looking Dagger also. Now to get to what I mean by different colors from different cameras. Now with no offense to anybody involved, because both these daggers are beautiful, the dagger pictured by Matarese looks like a copper wash to me, the one pictured by Serge looks more yellow compared to Matarese, and mine looks like yellow gold to me. I called my kid in the room to see the pictures, he is a photography nut, and I asked him why my pics look like yellow gold. He told me what do you expect from a crappy camera, no really he is a good kid. Long story short, he's going to do a little photo shoot on this dagger and I will re post the pics.

Rich

BEAUTY.

I wonder if Eickhorn had good and bad days with the color because of the variations