UBB.threads Forums Edged Weapons SA & NSKK Dagger Forum Blond SA Dedicated Question

This is the dagger that will be in Tom Wittmanns SA book. Could one consider this a "blonde" SA? If I were to remove the patina from the grip I am 100% sure this would be much lighter in color.

Also I would like to find out about Scharfuhrer Ernst Hopf 4. Schur 7/R36 There is also a date of 10/6 1934. Can anyone help????

Grip

3

Note the small logo by Anton

the neat part!

Nice dagger but it's not a blonde in my opinion.

ok is it a Dirty blonde?

Hello Eric...just saw a "blond" on Paul Hogle's site...check it out...

http://www.lakesidetrader.com/pics/SA-318ddd.jpg

Now that's blond!

Regards,
Stu

R36 Would be Resevre Standarte 36 attached to Brigade 36 of Gruppe Sachsen located in the Auerbach-Plauen region.

What wood was used to make "blond" handles?

I for one am skeptical that any SA daggers were intentionally made with "blonde" grips.
However any of the common fruitwoods,apple,pear,etc. that were used for SA grips would end up very light if the staining step was omitted during construction.
Jim

The one I posted could be sanded down to the original wood and it would be VERY blonde. I bet there are no "blonde" grips with ANY orignal varnish!

The one on Paul's site may or may not be the same dagger that is pictured in the GDC reference galleries. Most of these blondes seem to be Kobers. I have a Kober that I acquired from Paul that is light wood and has 100% of the original lacquer on the grip. Still, it is not like the one that Paul currently has for sale, nor the one in the reference gallery. I believe that these originally were like mine is, but the lacquer (or varnish) has been removed. No need to sand anything.

Hello Eric
At me is precisely same. Color of grip is very similar.

I think that light collor grips were made of wallnut tree.

Walnut tends to be a darker brown. Gunstocks are a good example of walnut. My guess would be the "blonde" colored grips are made from a fruit wood of some sort like Jim said, or possibly Maple. If you look at the blond grip on Pauls site, you'll notice the graining is very tight, hardly noticeable.

William

Is the group mark No or ? I believe it's a different Standarte 36, as the one noted would have been in Sachsen. I can check on it but wanted to see which group it should be part of.
Erich

Interesting subject these blonde grips. I tend to agree with Eric most we see today are made by sanding down lighter grips and removing the stain. Real ones do exist. For the sake of newbies I thought I would share some things I look for in original examples:
Good:
-Original lacquer remaining on the grip. I look for that tell tale sheen and loss patterns consistent with normal wear.
-Original patina to the eagle
-No evidence of ever being apart
-Known makers of blondes, for example Kober.
Bad:
-Dark spots to the grip. Sanded and stripped grips tend to hold stain in the nicks and crannies naturally resulting from wear. I avoid these pieces
-Bright eagles, nickel tends to patina to a dull silver yellow. If it's bright and shiny has it been recently buffed?
-Buggered nuts. Why was the dagger apart?
-smoothed out contours, possibly from sanding?

The dagger Paul shows resided in my personal collection for several years. I purchased it about 5 or six years ago from Denny Roach when he sold me mostly all of his remaining SA daggers. It has some very interesting red grain in the wood and it's sale allowed me to get an Allach Mouse that I posted in that forum.
I studied tht SA very much and although some feel SA grips were never this blonde but rather bleached, I believe this one to have been issued that way. I have never seen one so blonde, not even close. Sounds like sellers remorse? Darn tootin'!

Congrats to whomever winds up with that dagger. In my studied opinion..it's as issued.

Mark

All great info! Paul made some very logical points. I would not think the blonde grip was "not to code" since 99% of the grips are brown or dark brown, but it is a neat vatiation of the dagger.

There are several makers whom used burly woods, tiger strip woods for the grips, I REALLY think they are "rare" or even an optional feature. Case and point Wittmanns high leaders grip. Out of the dozenes of SAs I have owned only 3 or 4 have been curly, tiger type grips. The one JR just sold on the forum has a VERY nice burly wood grip. Oh ya that one is now mine.....

Speaking of unusual grips; Would the person who showed me the 33 SS with the oak grip at the SOS this year please contact me!
Jim

Hello All, can I get some opinions on this grip? Thanks, Leipzig

Pic-2

Who is the maker? I see lacquer on the eagle. Is there wear to the eagle? Whether it is original or due to post war refinishing I can't tell. The photos are inconclusive... for me anyway.

Hello, Skyline, the maker is Gebruder Heller, Schmalkalden [anchor logo] Here is a close-up of the grip eagle, it appears to have been laquered over at one time, and now shows wear to the high spots. Regards, Leipzig

Gebruder Hellers are known to have been lacquered. I think yours is original and not quite as light as the first photos.

SD, Thanks for your help! Regards, Leipzig