Sendjaja, I'm not sure that I am following your line of reasoning correctly or not, but please permit me to make a few observations: Photographs like that presented by Joe Wotka leave no doubt what model sword is being used. For a great many others there is some ambiguity as to what it is and it has to be guesstimated, with another large number being unidentified other than it looks like some kind of SS Degen style sword. My point being that with all of this discussion the unquestionable photographic record is still minimal.

The SS-Junkerschulen were essentially Infantry Officer Schools with some indoctrination and a few other things thrown into the mix. As such they followed for the most part German Army traditions. Those ranks were arranged from enlisted men, to junior NCO's, senior NCO's (Unteroffizer mit Portepee) and then officers. Swords for Unteroffizer mit Portepee were provided as an item of issue. Cavalry enlisted and junior NCO's were permitted swords. But for the infantry only senior NCO's and officers were permitted to carry them as a badge of rank. Junior NCO's and enlisted infantry were not permitted to carry swords.

That is consistent with information from the earlier thread which stated that SS officers-in-training were not officers (yet) and held NCO ranks as they progressed toward becoming officers. If they failed in school they normally were permitted to keep their NCO status. That would explain why NCO swords are seen with personnel in training at the schools. With the war, the amount of time for training decreased, but W/SS* candidates still had to spend two months active service with a unit after the school before they actually became officers.

As for Manfred's observation on the "Private Purchase non-awarded SS Officer Degen" (PPOD for the sake of simplicity) he is IMO correct and at least some were very clearly privately purchased. TW's SS book shows a number of "custom" manufactured examples of the PPOD which are indicative of private purchases not government issue.

German Police Officers had to purchase their degens and all SS personnel had to purchase their own daggers. The only "freebies" (as far as I know) were the Honor Swords themselves that were awarded directly from Himmler. What still remains to be determined is how the non Honor swords were purchased/distributed and through what channels.

Regards, FP

* IMO the overwhelming majority of W/SS officers did not have Honor Swords.