I got this in on consignment and know nothing about them so I will post photos and Ron et al can please help.

My first concern is the grip. This appears to be a former SA grip where the holes for the eagle and insignia have been filled. The grip is also ill fitting at the top.

I remember people discussing the scabbard tips. This one is secure and metalic.

Crossguards appear to be polished aluminum. There is a leather washer.

Blade etch. What other photos do we need.

scabbard lug

Jim,

I'll wait for Ron, Dons & John M. to chime in for a definitive statement but that grip is in no way original to the piece. You're quite right that you can see the roundel outline as well as the spot where the grip eagle was. The blade buffer looks wrong & crossguards look very new like they've been recently made or replated.

Is the underside of the scabbard lug numbered?

Well, a few observations. The long style stud was only seen on early Eickhorns, and has two parallel lines at the top and the bottom, so this one is suspect. Also the screw location above the lug is the first I've seen. I wonder if there are any holes on the inside of the scabbard which have be filled in? The all brass ball is only one give away on fakes, but I have also seen a steel bayonet scabbard ball put onto SA scabbards. Pictures of the runners would help, but require removal of the throat.


The crossguards look like overly shiny plated ones, too new and the accent grooves are too shallow. Pictures of the inside of the crossguards would be useful.

The blade evaluation would require closer pictures of the maker mark and pictures of the tang(shape, grinding etc) and any markings.

Grip is a non-starter.

Enough irregularities for me to run away....

John

Thanks guys,

For the learning experience, I will break it down and get some better photos so you guys and Ron and all can comment further.

To clariy one point on the scabard, the tip is steel and it has the same paint in the groove.

I will get photos of the crossguards, but I just looked and they are unmarked and look like they were cast yesterday. Could these be aluminum?

Again, thank you..

I believe my goal at this point is to determine which parts are original.

Looks like a Spanish 1960s to me. Early TM and later fittings. Scabbard is not the correct type and motto is too far down the blade from these photos.
Ron Weinand

Thanks everyone for the info.

As I have never seen an original, I would like to go ahead and post additional photos of the blade, tang, tm to get comments and determine if anything on this dagger is original other than the SA replacement grip.

Thank you for your help.

Here is the blade and fittings. The fittings look to have been cast yesterday and are not aluminum.

Better shot of the blade. The leather washer is soft and pliable and looks like the 1st luft leather. Do originals have leather washers?

Here is the tang. It appears to have been welded together.

TM

This is obviously all wrong. You can see where the eagle and roundel were! Then there's the tang, the motto too far down and possibly a ground out valley, the scabbard screw, new or re-plated guards, etc., etc., etc.! Def. run from this one.

Actually, I am sending this back to the consignor with a suggestion to destroy it.

Thak you

Hello again, VERY smart move! That is EXACTLY what I would do. Norm

quote:

Originally posted by Jim W:
Better shot of the blade. The leather washer is soft and pliable and looks like the 1st luft leather. Do originals have leather washers?

The motto runs at a rather drunken angle !!