Fred, In looking at the examples that you have posted and comparing them to the Gau marked examples shown at the beginning of this topic, there is marked difference in years that these pieces are constructed. Your photos are of M36 daggers that I would place in the 1939 and later made pieces. I base this on a time line that I have constructed to compare dagger characteristics and metals seen used in later produced M36 daggers, compared to those made during the period of 1936 -1938. Among these traits are but not limited to scabbard fittings, types of metal, chain construction etc. So showing a late M36 with typical war time fittings, in my mind really doesn't play into the M36 Gau marked daggers with typical otherwise early made chain daggers. My opinion is that the Gau mark was not a mistake on these early SS chains, but put there for a specific purpose of which we don't know the reasoning for as of yet.
