This discussion started in the "Wanted" forum but deserves a topic here.

The Russian is looking to find an early Hack maker marked SA dagger. His good friend and mine, Mike McAlvanah insists that they do indeed exist and he once owned and example. NOT a transitional or RZM but the real deal.

I, on the other hand have not seen or heard of this early variation. A major reason I am skeptical is that Hackwerke is in Steyr, in Austria, and Austria did not "join" the Third Reich until 1938. By that date, SA production was firmly in the hand of the RZM and long past the era of maker-marked political pattern daggers.

Now Mike says he thinks there is an example in a miasma shrouded bayou in Louisiana and he is delving into that.

Anyone here have one / seen one? A picture would be great!

Regards,
Dave

If Mikey Mac has one & even The Russian doesn't have a crack at it, there's no hope for any of us

I've seen the occasional transitional Hackwerk but never an early model.

Well the company did use a TM other than RZM during the period as can be seen on this TR bayonet, so I assume it is possible that the mark exists on SAs. The TM also bears an uncanny resemblance to the Ed Gembruch TM also shown. Also an army dagger post here: http://phpstack-500133-1583587.cloudwaysapps.com/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=113102&page=1
What makes this interesting is the army dagger has a tapered tang making it an early piece likely produced around early to mid 1930s. If this is the case then it is probable that an early SA does exist IMO

Fitzer,

Yes, I know there are late 30's maker-marked Army and Luftwaffe daggers and bayonets by Hack. And lots of other manufacturers as well. The RZM had no control on most of that as they controlled political/party items.

My understanding is that by 1938, all production of SS/SA/NSKK daggers were either with RZM codes or the double-proofed RZM code + makers mark that we call transitional.

But, who knows ? Maybe Mike will emerge from the bayou, trailing Spanish Moss, shoes full of crawdads with an early type Hack. Hope so - its been years since we found a new SA maker.

Dave

Hi Dave,

I was also pointing out that the Hack-Werke Steyr TM army dagger posted on this forum has a 'tapered tang' likely placing its production prior to 1938 and shedding light on the possibility that Hack-Werke Steyr was producing TR daggers prior to the RZM period.

Fitzer

Just a thought, maybe that there is another possibility or point of view: Eg. one of the well known H�LLER army types with the Austrian distributor�s etching "D�RBECK" (once there have been several informative threads on it in the forum) has also a tapered tang. Which shows clearly that there have been at least army blades with tapered tang still on stock in Solingen at �38 and later.
Perhaps the Solingen firms took the occasion of the occupation in �38 and the sudden request for daggers to deliver "old" dagger parts which they could not use in the Reich any more to the new "Ostmark"?
As said, just a thought. And I have to add that I personally have not seen any Austrian manufactured SA/NSKK dagger with nickle silver fittings. Due to legal restrictions concerning the nazi party in Austria at these times I personally do exclude definitely a nazi dagger production prior to march �38.
And we also do know well the several Solingen firms which did produce eg. SAdaggers with the "Oe" crossguard stamp.
Regards,

Good mystery, this one.

Maybe Hack bought old forging molds from the Germans. Or, Maybe to jumpstart, the bought old inventory remain from German Heer makers.

Dave

Im leaning on Hack contracted a German producer since the Nazi activities were deemed illegal by the Austrian government. Possible Hack was a Hitler supporter and had daggers made in Germany. Just thinking out loud and I will also dig into this history.

Regards Larry

I agree with Larry that Hack may have contracted out to a German producer. On the Hack-Werke Steyr army dagger posted on this forum, the dagger appears to have Wingen fittings which are matched with the "W" Wingen stamp on the early blade tang. Perhaps Hack-Werke Steyr had early SA daggers produced this way. Due to the overall rarity of the TM I think this contract would only have lasted a very short time. Just my thoughts.