Late War SA Dagger – RZM M7/12

Product Description: This is a good representative example of a late war SA dagger. The blade is in excellent condition, with evident crossgraining which of course you love to see. There are typical runner marks, and some very small spotting of graying. The original motto etching remains crisp and light which you will generally find on these M7/12. The reverse of the blade is crisply marked with a circular RZM logo and the manufacturer code M7/12, indicating manufacture by Carl Robert Kaldenbach. The brown wood grip on this late war SA dagger is very nice, with an attractive and very evident wood graining, especially on the reverse. The crossguards are silver plated, and show some wear and age. As is usually the case, some of the plating has flaked away, revealing the base metal. The wooden grip has shrunk slightly with time, causing some small, normal gaps where the crossguard and pommel fittings contact the wood. The original, German eagle and the enameled SA runic button roundel, show some wear, but no damage. The scabbard on this example has been repainted. Which being complete honest could have been done post war. We have no way of knowing for sure. The scabbard fittings are silver platted and have a typical, old patina. The tip ball has suffered from a small tap, but unlike most of these period daggers, has managed to keep most of its shape. This late war SA dagger retains lots of eye appeal.

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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