UBB.threads Forums Edged Weapons SA & NSKK Dagger Forum SA DAGGER BY JULIUS OHLIGER

I recently received an SA dagger stamped with Julius Ohliger. My wife's grandfather served in the 3rd Infantry, and he got this dagger in Europe in 1944 or 1945. I've read on some sites that Julius Ohliger is particularly rare - is this true? If so, what might this dagger be worth? We're not interested in selling, only in knowing. Many thanks! - the duck

Welcome to the forum!
You're right, this maker is rare, do you have any photos to post that show the condition of this dagger?

Sam,

There were two Ohligers F Ed and Julius. They are both rare. I have a nice example by the former.
Jim

Thanks for the welcome. I am attaching some pictures of the dagger. Any comments on rarity, condition, or appraisals would be appreciated. As mentioned in the original post, we're not trying to sell, just wanting to learn about the dagger. Thanks, - the duck
ps sorry about photo quality

photo#2

photo#3

photo#4

I misspoke in my original posting - my wife's grandfather was in the 3rd Armored Division, not the 3rd Infantry. - duck

Duck:
I you'd like a rarity listing contact the moderator of this forum. They are very reasonably priced and the proceeds go to the forum.
Jim

Thanks Jim,
I'll do that - and any photos you have of yours done by F. Ed Ohliger I'd be interested in seeing as well.
Thanks again,
duck

Duck:
I'll get mine out and post tomorrow when I've got some natural light back.
Jim

I've had this F.Ed.Ohliger for many years and it's one of my favorite NSKKs:

The condition is just about as nice as it gets and I have a thing for vertical hangers:

The crossgraining and motto blackening is virtually 100% and I also really like this makers Logo:

Thanks for the pictures Jim, it's a great looking dagger. I like the makers mark too - what's the hand holding? Also, I've seen crossgraining mentioned several times - what does this refer to? It sounds like a desirable characteristic. Thanks again for the photos - duck

Duck.
If you look at Jim's photo of the Maker's mark you will see lines running horizontally across the blade,this is the crossgrain.
The more crossgrain the more desirable the blade.Lovely example Jim!!

Duck - Ian:
Correct on the crossgraining. I think the beacon is actually some kind of "guiding light".
Duck: you didn't ask but the reason this is an NSKK(Motor Corps dagger) and not an SA dagger is the black scabbard. Additionally; You have one nice family keepsake there!
Jim

Sold my F. ED. OHLIGER...

2

Still have the JULIUS OHLIGER...

pic 2

I don't know how well this will show but this is what the crossgrain looks like on a $5.00 Chinese folder. I bought two of these years ago and the use of the other one is described above:
additionally: One of the characteristics of a cheaply made folder is that they will rapidly get very sloppy at the point where the blade rotates into the open position. When this occurs the blade will easily flex from side to side. This one is as tight as the day I bought it.

JUST AN OBSERVATION GUYS,ON CHECKING FISHER QUICK REFERENCE,THE GAU MARKS LISTED ARE Nrh,No and Nm,this one is Wm,on DAVES RARIRTY THREAD THIS MAKER ONLY HAS Nrh SO FAR,SO NEEDS TO BE ADDED.IS IT UNUSUAL FOR FISHER REF.TO MISS A GAU MARK LIKE THIS FOR A MAKER?IN SUCH AN INDEPTH STUDY AS IT IS.
F.Ed OHLIGER IS LISTED AS USING Wm
REGARDS,IVAN.

Thanks for all the information guys, and the photos too - some very nice examples. It's interesting to see an object that appears to be mass produced (factory-style), coming out of so many different workshops. Jim - I was curious about yours being an NSKK since it seems to have the SA insignia on the handle, but the difference in scabbard color makes sense. Any more information will be appreciated. I've tried finding background information on Julius Ohliger, but most searches don't say much about him or his history. Thanks again! - duck

duck... SA and NSKK daggers are the same except for the scabbard. The NSKK was the motorized division of the SA. Most NSKK daggers started off as SA daggers and were converted to NSKK by painting the scabbard black.

Thanks again for so much helpful information and photos. I'm also curious about Ivan's point that the gau mark of Wm isn't listed on some rarity lists. Also, I was wondering how to care for the dagger to keep it in top condition. Is it necessary to oil the blade or polish the handle etc?
Thanks,
duck

I suggest that you don't do anything to it except to gently wipe down the blade with a clean cloth (like a T-shirt) to remove any gunk or foreign material. If you plan on becoming a collector learn more about the pros and cons of cleaning before you do anything. Doing the wrong thing is much worse than doing nothing at all.

duck:
The Ohligers, like many of the small operations , were "cottage craftsman" to a degree and more than likely assemblers rather than actual manufacturers. There were specialists shops that just made grips,or blades or crossguards and these items were sold to others. Apparentely these parts were purchased in that manner and just the final assembly and fitting was done and that was probably the case with the Ohligrs.
The only difference between a SA dagger and a NSKK dagger is the color of the scabbard. Should you decide to begin collecting these daggers you'll find it a fascinating area of study.
Yours doesn't appear to ned any cleaning. I coat the grips and blades of mine for two reasons.
1.Wood tends to shrink and crack here due to the arid conditions.
2.The wax has eliminated any concerns about fingerprints spotting the blade. I personally have found this to be the best protection.
Others use silicone and different products for protection.
Jim

Thanks for all the information Jim, I appreciate it. I am going to keep this SA dagger with a couple 3rd Armored Division keepsakes I have. I'm also going to email my brother-in-law about sending me some digital images of three Nazi daggers he has as well as one sword (no SA's). When I get some of these from him, I'll post again to get the low-down on them.
Thanks for your help - duck

I believe that the "Ed Ohlinger" mark is a hand holding a flashlight. Never seen a flashlight that looks like that? Well, check out the one below, it is WWII era and german made. It is for sale on bunkermilitaria.com