Mikee, To get the answer to your question is going to require the assistance of someone who owns a silver fitted �H�hnlein" dagger. Owners of same seemingly to be in short supply insofar as this thread is concerned. So I think it probably is never going to be answered.
Ed, To try and answer your questions as best I can: First we have to define whether or not it is period TR production that we are talking about or not, and I am going to mostly confine my remarks to normal period production.
"How many of this type dagger were produced at a time 1-3-7-12 ? Does anyone know ?" Probably not. But typically manufacturers do not like to set up and tear down for repetitive operations, so special orders were most likely made in batches. With the numbers of the �Huhnlein� marked daggers under discussion put at somewhere in the range of 20 plus (?) daggers. With (from memory) one report of about half of them being the �silver� types. I will have to go back and look, but think that I may have pictures of 10 or 11 (?) of all types.
"Did the same German craft's man make all the daggers or were they shop assigned at the request for purchase?" From period photos (and normal industrial practices) different work stations/workers did different operations.
"Was there a standard for fittings or did the recipient change them as he liked? Please don't tell me there were strict standards as High Officials did at times what they wanted. Stepp D. was a perfect example." RHIP, like General George S. Patton with his famous Colt Single Action Army .45 revolvers. The further down the food chain you are, the fewer choices you have. With the fact being that only two primary chain types are seen with the �H�hnlein� daggers indicating limited choices (unless you think that mixed parts/components construction was a part of the package as a different "grade"). FP
