Early SA Dagger – Aesculap

Product Description: This early SA Dagger is a really nice example, with a wonderful look. The blade has very nice cross-graining, as well as typical runner marks from being in and out of the scabbard. It is bright, and appears to have been cleaned and polished at some point. The blade motto shows great contrast. On the reverse, the ricasso is etched with the early, commercial type maker logo of Aesculap in Tuttlingen. The beautiful handle on this dagger features a very nice grip with no chips or damage, as well as a correct early nickel grip eagle. The enameled SA roundel has no damage, and a nice, even patina. The crossguards are made of solid nickel, and retain eye-catching original luster with some minor wear. The reverse of the lower crossguard is stamped “SW” for SA-Gruppe Südwest. This handsome early SA dagger is complete with its original scabbard. The metal fittings on the scabbard are solid nickel, nicely matching the handle. The scabbard body has been repainted at some time in its life, and now has an even coat of glossy brown enamel paint. One screw is missing from the scabbard, and the ball at the tip of the bottom scabbard fitting is dented, which is typical. This dagger has great visual appeal, and is in excellent condition.

Historical Description: The “Sturmabteilung” (SA), formed in 1921, was the original paramilitary branch of the Nazi party. With the Nazi rise to power in 1933, a dress dagger was introduced for wear with the iconic “brown shirt” uniform. As the SA was a huge organization, with an eventual strength of close to three million men, there was a huge demand for these daggers, and they were produced by 123 different makers, from larger factories to small, cottage-industry workshops. The daggers featured a wood grip with an inset enameled SA emblem and the German national eagle and swastika emblem. The blade was etched with the motto of the SA, “Alles für Deutschland.” The early daggers were crafted with the utmost quality, in both workmanship and materials. Originally, the name and logo of each manufacturer was etched on the reverse of the blade. These early daggers featured hand-fitted nickel silver fittings, and scabbards that had an anodized coating. Prior to around 1935, the daggers were stamped with an SA group letter on the reverse of the crossguard. In 1936, the Reichszeugmeisterie der NSDAP (RZM) organization began to standardize the manufacture of the SA dagger. Commercial type manufacturer markings were to be eliminated, and replaced with the RZM logo as well as an RZM code to indicate the manufacturer. Late production daggers marked with RZM logos usually are made with plated zinc fittings and have aluminum grip eagles. Instead of the early anodizing process, later scabbards were simply painted. During the transitional period around 1936, many daggers were manufactured bearing the RZM logo and maker code in combination with the earlier type maker names and logos. These transitional daggers can be found with early or late features, or a mix of both.

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