We all like to view mint to near mint daggers. There's something about the shine and crossgrain on a blade that stirs something deep inside us. That doesn't lessen the appreciation for lesser condition daggers especially when the maker is so rarely found.
I've been after my friend Dave (SADolch) to sell some of his daggers to me and I've finally succeeded in prying one out of his collection. This dagger has been used in both Fishers Reference books and here on GDC in the Makers Reference Gallery.
Condition is average but they don't come any rarer. As someone has said, maybe it's an 11.

Back view.

Front of grip.

Back of grip. It has a slight crack at the top but it doesn't really detract from it's natural beauty of being a piece of history.

Closer view of the from of the grip.

Closer view of the back.

Blade motto.

Back of the blade.

Close up of the maker. Otto Linder, as Mike McAlvanah has posted previously this, along with Artur Melcher, is the rarest SA maker.
So if you have to work years in getting a dagger from a friend and fellow collector it might as well be "The Rarest". Thanks Dave!

Last shot, the tip is slightly dented but then this dagger has been worn and didn't sit out history in a drawer.

Hi,
a great dagger, I never saw this marker before, thanks for showing and

Best regards

Winfried

Cool rare maker, thanx for showing
Looks like this maker used Pack grips, very nice

Sam,

Raymond:
That a beautiful dagger in it's own right and I don't want to steal any of you thunder here but an observation inre. to Arthur Melcher.
I have long suspected this maker was Jewish since "Melcher" is definitely a Jewish surname. This could account for the rarity as they were probably put out of business at a very early time.
Jim

Thanks guys. Jim, you could be right about Melcher. I'm only going by what Mike has said that he felt were the rarest makers were. I know of one more Otto Linder and only one Arthur Melcher.

Great rare dagger

But there most be more than 1 more Linder,and only 1 at all Melcher??????????

Very hard to find. Here is a picture I took at a show some years back. I didn't buy the dagger.

Dave

Carlos, I'm sure there're more out there. I was just saying I've seen one of each. The one Dave posted above is the other Linder I know of.

Thanks for the reply Raymond.
Maybe i have to get one of eatc of this guys,in my collection ;-)

Carlos:

Good luck with that, my friend!

John

I've personally never given much thought to makers marks, but I certainly don't have anything against worn examples.
When it comes to relics of a bygone era, they are what they are, and worn examples have more of a story to tell than minty examples, and certainly have more character.
Ideally, there would be at least 1 of each in every collection.

Raymond and Skynyrd well said, a lesser conditioned dagger does not mean a lesser piece, but just has more character IMO. Larry

Thank you for sharing that one is new to me.

Awesome to see this logo for the first time!$

Regards, Wim