I don�t think that the reversed swastika was deliberate either. And was of the opinion that whomever created the �master� casting pattern could have committed a gross error thinking that it would come out OK in the finished product. Things like that do happen from time to time with tool and die makers, and with someone with less experience would not be terribly surprising. I have a much greater problem imagining anyone shipping out something like that during the Third Reich even with non milspec items. However, in the postwar period in the United States, many automakers had a reputation for knowingly shipping out defective cars from the factory. So perhaps the concept is not a completely unrealistic one. And seems to be limited to one (relatively) minor manufacturer.
There is no question in my mind that legitimate brass hilts would be earlier. What is not known is the exact timing because the one posted could have been made at the tail end of using brass for hilt manufacture. And while lacking a good closeup of the brass one already posted, it does not appear to be as well made as Houston�s sword, but does seem to be better made than the alloy example that started the thread. I�m also wondering quantitatively how many are brass and how many are alloy? Which has a bearing on the timing, and possibly as regards the dagger and the rest of the �package�.
Also in looking at the images. I noticed that the ferrules on the brass and alloy example seemed to match the �artwork� (for lack of a better description) of their respective backpieces which is a good sign. If it's not too much trouble, perhaps Roger and Ace could provide some closeups of the hilts/knucklebows (including the ferrules, and especially the langets) of their swords for comparison purposes. Regards to All. FP
