UBB.threads Forums Edged Weapons Miscellaneous Dagger Forum Lets Go Postal!

This is a postal leader that I bought off of e-ban 5 years ago. It is marked DRP 443 VERY early! The only thing bad was a missing bottom set screw (I made one to replace it) and the blade has some grey spots. Other than that is it very nice and one of my favorite. I thought about selling it to obtain a NM example BUT they are hard to find and VERY high $$$.

I can't find but 3 on the internet. I only saw 4 or 5 at the SOS show. I have been told that the Russians seem to snag these up fast. Too bad there is not much info about this branch.

If you have never owned or handled on of these you are in for a treat, VERY heavy and made of the highest quality materials!

Please post your postal daggers!!!!!!!

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There are three different models of the Postal Dagger: Marked and Numbered Postals, Unmarked or numbered Postals with a shorter scabbard and the famous "enlisted man's Postal-which is in reality the Postal School Dagger issued prior to the Postal Dagger being an issue piece.
The unmarked or numbered Postals have the shorter scabbard (about 1/2 inch), but all produced by Weyersberg.
The Postal School Dagger, sometimes referred to as the enlisted man's dagger, has been authenticated by period photographic evidence with a confirmed date prior to the Postal Official's Dagger being produced and was the first dagger for this organization and worn at the Postal School only by staff as far as can be determined.
Ron Weinand
Weinand Militaria

Ron, What about the postal bayonets? Any info on thoes?

ER

What do you want to know about the Postal Bayonet? It is not a dagger.
Ron Weinand
Weinand Militaria

Who recived them? NCO's? They seem to be quite hard to find.

Ron, personally I do not believe that this early postal was only a "school" dagger. It�s configuration totally resembles the 1st Mod. RLB officer�s dagger but with laquered scabbard. I think they (postal and RLB) soon found the small, single leather hanger too fragile for wear of this heavy daggers. Therefore the hangers were changed; RLB changed to the well known two arms eather hanger, postal choose to change to the well known chain hanger.
As postals initial run were numbered pieces they could be rejected for the altering to the chain hanger for as good as 100%.
As there is only ONE pic worldwide showing this early postal dagger in wear (I do own it ) I think it cannot be nailed down to a school dagger, only because this certain pic came out of a convolute of pics where also pics of a postal school were included. The caption itself on the back of the pic does not give the least hint on school duty of the certain official.

Wotan, please post to photo.

Wotan, you should know what that date represents and, as I remember, the photo is from a school personnel's album you told me. Next, if it were for all postal officers, why is the number of known pieces only a handful and, if this is true, why is the only know photo with this type of postal uniform?
Too many questions and too few answers.
We know for sure it is not an enlisted man's dagger, due to the date and the number.
The school answer is the only one that makes any sense.
JMO,
Ron Weinand
Weinand Militaria

Couple of photos of my Postal,portapee by TJ repro to hide a chip in the grip

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A very much under-valued dagger IMO

One problem is finding one with a scabbard with out chips due to the chain.Postal became part of the SS so when the chained SS run out maybe these will become in demand.One of my favorite for art deco

Great looking dagger as stated above "Love that art-deco look" -
Horst

hey Ed, don`t say things like "under-valued" on this site. The dealers are gonna love that!

I prefer to believe that they are under-appreciated

I really love the postal & frankly I would much rather have a postal than a chained SS. Railway daggers are also great pieces, neither of which I have....regrettably. It was my most earnest intention to try & add a postal to my collection last year for my 50th. A decent example did not turn up & those that did I felt were over-priced.

Seems that these Postals are harder to come by?

Vaughan,I doubt my words alone would drive the market up But I will agree your choice of words is better

Sold mine at the SOS... Cheap.

Portepee is repro.

Based on serial numbered ones and ones without serial numbers available, they appear to be more common than the TeNo Leader and about equal to the HJ Leader, but not as much in demand.
JMO,
Ron Weinand
Weinand Militaria

Ron, I know this is a bit off the subject BUT

1. Are there any records of HJ leader daggers that were awarded? I know that those daggers had to be "earned" and singed off my AH.

2. Are there any records of the Postal daggers produced?

3.How or why did a post worker get to wear the dagger? I know that the early ones were stamped due to the state owned them.

4. According to Tom Johnson�s web sight he has only owned 3 Postal Portepees in 30 years! WOW If you can find an original one it must be BIG $$$$$ SOOOOOOOO this makes me wonder if the portepee were used often by the Germans??????

If Ron is correct and there are as many HJ leaders daggers then there should be more plentiful

Mine has it's original portepee, unrestored, in original tie, never removed from the dagger. Unfortunately, for whatever reason it is quite the worse for wear! It's the only item which I've ever had any "conflict" about and that was whether to restore it or not. One person went so far as to refer to it as "garbage" until it was restored. I have always been of two minds about it. Tom Johnson even offered to have it sent to someone he knew to get it restored, if I wanted, but being as it is still wrapped/tied the same way as when it was worn . . . I'm disinclined to remove it!

Here are a couple of photos of my, unnumbered, Postal dagger. ~ Ian

With documents of service . . .

Now that's curious . . . I couldn't post the first picture until I'd reduced it to 320 pixels but the second one I could post at 650 pixels . . . now why would that be?
~ Ian

Ian does your original portapee have the orange flecking and orange at the bottom of the ball as in the TJ repro's? This is such a rare item we may all be looking for something (orange in the string)that is not there.I don't blame you for not untieing the knot.

Thanks Ed.

Yes the bottom of the ball has an orange "felt like" insert, but it is a different shade than the TJ repro's, as I have one of those too. I picked it up for comparison and with a fleeting thought of replacing the original for display. There is also an orange thread that can be seen in various places on the cord and the stem. Interestingly, the repro does not have any coloured thread running through the stem and the cord thread is, again, a very different shade of orange than that seen on the repro. ~ Ian

Thank you for the reply Ian,we all know TJ's are not meant to deceive and are for display only.

Too true Ed. In hand, there are a number of other "subtle" (?) differences between the TJ portepee and the one on my dag so it was worth the purchase if for no other reason but the education it provided. Even though it's a wee bit bedraggled . . . I can still make out the way it was tied and like the way it looks when displayed!

Finally dug out my Postals, love these things...Tiep

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Finally dug out my Postals, love these things...Tiep

I agree Tiep! I know they have their detractors, but I quite like the Postal design, particularly the somewhat "art deco" influence seen in the cross guard. ~ Ian

bushido, Yeh really I would rather have all Postals or art deco type dags rather than a bunch of armies, They dont have that defining period style to them, although they are nice.Red cross dags would be a second. Tiep

Very nice Tiep!

PVON

Hey ! Thanks PVON, always nice to hear that!I still think I'm going to pursue these dags , I just love em and I really think they'll increase in value , as if they havent enough. I think collecting off the beaten path dags are funner to deal and collect, kind of like my 61 Chevy... now you cant find any!!!! Regards, T

tiep, Any chance you can post a pic of the numbers on 929? I'd like to compare it to my 928. I gotta believe that the dies used were one and the same.