Gentleman,
Here are the pictures as stated. I for one am 99.999% sure this is an original, period, WWII Third Reich Government Official Dagger.(not a parts dagger either) I truly didn't think this thread would turn into weather or not this dagger was authentic, there was never a question in my mind. I only posted it because it was one of my finer pieces in my collection. The only thing missing from the pictures is the black crumbs, dirt, and crap that falls out when you open these 70 year old pieces.(I cleaned the dust and fine dirt out the first time I opened it) All the numbers are all in the right places thou some are hard to see due to the age and dirt inside. Sorry,I won't be cleaning the inside...that's where I draw the line. The "36" on the backstrap is faint due to dirt, "36" on the blade tang is there at the proper angle, hard to see but you can see it, the "36" on the wood is there but very hard to see without an eye loupe. Actually it's put back together and fits a little better. When I got this dagger, the first thing I did was turn the pommel nut out one full turn. The reason for this was, here in the eastern side of PA. we have summers with 100% humidity and winters that are dry. The Government dagger having a wooden base handle will expand and contract. The last thing I wanted was to get this dagger out after a few years and find that the simulated mother of pearl handle cracked. When I talked to Tom Johnson about this dagger he said all the pieses are hard to find but you never want to crack the handle. So everybody please cast your vote, I would love to hear what everyone is thinking.
Rich
