You are welcome, Scott.
"Why the motto is upside down?" that is exactly the question that the owners of these very early HJ-knifes must have had at the moment that they received their new, standardised & regulated HJ-daggers...
If you are familiar with (early) dress bayonets, you will notice that the etching is most often positioned the same way. I guess that is why these early HJ-knifes are often referred to as "honour bayonets".
Best regards,
Herman
