The German command of the Third Reich specifically encouraged officers and soldiers, cultivating military spirit and honor. Thus, wearing a dagger or dirk was considered mandatory, and its use to protect honor was real military valor. The development of ordinary and ceremonial weapons was carried out by the craftsmen of Solingen, and this was one of the types of propaganda of the Third Reich during the Second World War, aimed at supporting ideology, as well as motivation. Each type of army had its own unique weapon. Talented gunsmiths have produced many items that currently have great historical and collectible value.

Types of German edged weapons from the Third Reich

The daggers of the Third Reich were presented to officers as a reward for military merit, as well as on the occasion of any significant date. Now this is a valuable antique weapon, as well as a piece of military history, so German daggers of the Second World War are especially valued by collectors. Many items that can be bought today are in excellent condition; they are decorated not only with traditional slogans of Nazi Germany, but also with commemorative inscriptions, insignia, and manufacturer's marks. The value of such daggers is quite high, since daggers were not only part of the uniform, but were also considered a sign of the privilege of their owner.

It is interesting that some historians even partially explain the success of Hitler’s ideology by the external attractiveness and recognizable style of edged weapons, which depicted the symbols and attributes of Germany at that time.

Among all such dirks and daggers, the following can be distinguished, the most common and well-known among collectors:

• Wehrmacht officer's dagger, produced in 1935-1943;
• Air Force (Luftwaffe) officer's dagger, produced from 1937 to 1944;
• aviation union dagger, produced in 1934-1937;
• railway police dirk, model 1935;
• dagger for Hitler Youth officers, produced from 1937 to 1942;
• naval officer's dagger, model 1938;
• an air defense dirk, which was worn only by air defense service commanders from 1938 to 1945;
• TENO officers' dagger, produced in 1938-1942.

At least ten other structures of the Third Reich can be noted, each of which had its own distinctive German dagger.

History and rare collectible antiques from the Second World War

Hand weapons with sharp blades in all countries and in different historical eras symbolized courage and fighting spirit, since they involve exclusively close combat with the enemy. That is why German WWII daggers are in great demand.

Their design, which was thought out to the smallest detail by the craftsmen, deserves special attention. Hitler systematically created a hierarchy in the German army and sought to instill in officers a new ideology and traditions. To be the owner of a dirk or dagger was very honorable. Therefore, the moral satisfaction from owning the bladed weapons of the Third Reich was no less important for each officer than the power vested in this or that structure.

The weapons were made of high-quality steel and alloys, the handles were made of natural or even ivory, the blades were manually engraved by the craftsman with mottos and symbols, and decorated with wood, enamel or cupronickel.

Today, any collector can become the owner of such a dagger, both one who collects any antique weapons and one who specializes in weapons of that particular historical milestone. Our antique store offers you to buy Third Reich daggers in excellent condition at an affordable price.

The existence of the Third Reich in Germany is one of the most controversial and darkest periods of its history. Extreme militarization, total control over all spheres of social life and the functioning of the economy are just some of the many prevailing features and characteristics of the society of that time. The construction of the line of Nazi totalitarianism affected all facets of the country's life and left its tangible imprint on literally every object. Such a necessary attribute as knives did not escape a similar fate.

With the coming to power of A. Hitler in 1933, the formation of a huge number of various organizations began in Germany, the main purpose of which was to introduce and maintain the basic principles of nationalism in society. For them, the development of knife samples began, which were supposed to increase their military potential and prestige.

Knives of the Third Reich

We are talking about knives specifically as bladed weapons, because other aspects of social life were of little interest to the Nazi leadership. But at the same time, it was also a necessary attribute of the dress uniform, as a symbol of the unity of spirit and cohesion of the nation. The components of the uniform were clearly spelled out, and everyone who did not want to face inevitable punishment had to follow them.

Troops third reich were divided into 3 main components:

• ground army;
• air force;
• fleet.

The country's leadership was equally engaged in the improvement and modernization of all types of its troops. Taking into account the plight of Germany after defeat in the First World War, the decline of the economy, changes were an objective necessity of the then realities.

In order to begin arming our troops and numerous party and non-party organizations, we first had to establish our own production. A. Hitler’s gaze turned, of course, to the “city of swords,” as Solingem was sometimes called. This manufacturing city had a solid history of knife production, but it was in decline due to the historical and economic situation. Already in 1933, the Fuhrer made his first order to the craftsmen, which involved the production of sabers and daggers to decorate the ceremonial uniform.

The resulting models were given to members of the SA and SS assault squads for armament.

The SA officer's dagger of the 1933 model was a slightly modified formula of the famous model of the Holban hunting dagger, which was developed back in the 16th century. Its length was 37 cm. The handle was made of wood and painted brown, which was a symbol for the SA unit. This knife was symbolically overloaded. So, in the center of the handle there was a Nazi emblem depicting an eagle holding a swastika in its hands. The upper part of the handle was equipped with the name of the unit, and in the center of the blade there was an inscription with the motto “Germany above all.”

The first dagger of SS members was issued in the same 1933. In its main features it repeated the previous model, with the only exception that now the color of the hilt and scabbard was painted black. After all, it was he who was the calling card of the organization. The motto on the knife blade also changed; now it was: “My honor is called loyalty.”

An interesting model belonging to the category “ knives of the third Reich", is a 1937 model German Labor Front cleaver. It was a massive weapon, the purpose of which was suitable for field work. The predominant importance of physical labor was clearly indicated by the inscription on the blade: “Labor ennobles.” Its length reached 40 cm. The handle was fastened with two screws; deer antler was chosen as the material.

Undoubtedly, the Luftwaffe officer's dagger from 1935 is worth a look. It was a straight hexagonal blade with 2 blades, made of steel. The weight of the product was 567 g. The swastika is depicted on the guard, and the handle is twisted and made of wood.

The army dagger, which was a product with a total length of 40 cm, was also popular. Its blade had a smooth surface, as a rule, without any engraving. However, at the request of the customer, it was possible to apply a certain motto or drawing. The length of the blade ranged from 25.5 to 26.5 cm. At first, the handle was made of cupronickel. However, with the progress of the war and incessant orders, it was necessary to abandon it and switch to more economical materials, such as wood and even plastic, or to combine both of these materials.

Bayonet knives of the Third Reich

Among the varieties of knives produced and used by the Third Reich, the bayonet knife stands out. Without this sample it is difficult to imagine the army equipment of the early 20th century. It was also in service during World War II, but its actual practical use was increasingly reduced to zero.

Before the invention of the rifle, the bayonet was a real and very dangerous combat bladed weapon. Typologically, it resembled a small dagger, which had the ability to be attached to a long-barreled firearm. It became a deadly weapon in close combat, and should not interfere with the work of the firearm.

Many researchers and contemporaries point to the psychological role of the bayonet. Allegedly, in the conditions of modern technology and weapons, it is needed not so much for practical purposes, but to intimidate the enemy. But those who have never smelled gunpowder should not argue with such a statement.

There were two types of bayonets:

• front doors;
• official

Front doors bayonet knives of the third reich it was necessary to wear uniform clothing during free time from service. Their hilts carried no value or interest. Their tip was sometimes made in the shape of an eagle’s head, while the handle itself could be made of plastic, metal and was often gray in color.

More attention was paid to the blade of the ceremonial bayonet. The handle and blade had a nickel or chrome coating. According to some unspoken rule, manufacturers decorated the blade with situational scenes from the life of various types of troops. For this, the etching technique was used. There were also mottos, the most frequently mentioned of which was: “In memory of the service.”

There was no single service model at that time. It was made to order depending on the preferences of the customer and the type of his activity. Therefore, its sizes and shapes can be very diverse. Even on a combat model it was possible to decorate it with exquisite etching; this was not prohibited by anyone. The decorated blade did not have a protective layer or polishing, since it was assigned an active role in battle.

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With the advent of the twentieth century, edged weapons ceased to be necessary for officers around the world, remaining only as part of the officer's uniform. In the German army of the 1930s - 40s, such a costume attribute was the “Heer” dirk, produced by various companies producing edged weapons and distributed through their own representative offices.

After the Kaiser's Germany finally and irrevocably lost the First World War, the Treaty of Versailles was signed, prohibiting Germany from having any kind of air fleet. However, already in the twenties, Germany began to secretly develop the aviation industry, building aircraft factories (Dornier, Messerschmitt, Heinkel and many others), and training its pilots at the Lipetsk aviation school in the USSR.

In the summer of 1936, a coup d'etat led by General Francesco Franco broke out in Spain. At first, the rebels did not achieve any significant successes, despite the fact that the rebellion was supported by almost the entire Spanish army and the fact that at the beginning of the rebellion most of the Spanish provinces (35 out of 50) were in the hands of the rebels.
The Spanish Air Force and most of the Navy also remained loyal to the Republic.

The Treaty of Versailles literally “cut the wings” of the German fleet. The Germans were allowed to leave mainly light ships and several battleships of the old type, which in all respects were inferior to the British, American, and French. However, even in such a seemingly obviously stalemate situation, the Germans do not give up and secretly begin to build submarines in foreign shipyards. From the moment Hitler became Reich Chancellor, prohibitions are no longer given the slightest importance, and a powerful navy is being built openly.

In the second half of the thirties of the twentieth century, the Navy of Nazi Germany began to experience rapid development. Three new heavy cruisers of the Deutschland class were put into operation at once, immediately nicknamed “Pocket Battleships” because, in terms of displacement, they formally did not violate any agreements, including the notorious Versailles Peace Treaty. In addition, a large number of small ships are being built. As in the First World War, the submarine fleet was growing at a tremendous pace, existing ships were undergoing deep modernization, and two battleships were being built at the shipyards, terrifying contemporaries with their scale and firepower: Bismarck and Tirpitz.

SA assault troops (Sturmabtielung) appeared almost simultaneously with the emergence of the National Socialist Party of the NSDAP in 1921 and were essentially its first paramilitary forces, designed to maintain order during meetings and congresses. They were formed from members of volunteer brigades (Freikorps).
The commander of the stormtroopers, or, as they were also called because of the color of the uniform, “brown shirts,” was Ernst Rohm.

In 1934, the SA award dagger was introduced, which was awarded to officers, non-commissioned officers and enlisted men who joined assault troops before 31 December 1931. On the reverse side of the blade of these daggers was the inscription “In herzlicher Freundschaft. Ernst Rohm" ("As a sign of cordial friendship. Ernst Rohm"). Ernst Röhm was one of the founders of the SA assault troops (Sturmabtielung). To ensure the safety of Adolf Hitler, he created a mobile group from the soldiers of the 19th mortar company, which was later renamed the physical education and sports department, and then the assault detachment. In 1931, Ernst Röhm took over as chief of staff of the SA.

After the “Night of the Long Knives” in which SA leader Ernst Röhm was killed, the role of stormtroopers in domestic politics dropped to almost zero: unlike the SS, the SA was forbidden to have its own troops (this meant that in case of war, a stormtrooper, regardless of his rank, was called up into the army as an ordinary soldier), the number of stormtroopers fell, and their responsibilities until the fall of Germany became propaganda work, pre-conscription training of youth and the formation of auxiliary detachments to guard concentration camps.

The elite stormtrooper unit Feldherrnhalle was formed in 1936 by Viktor Lutze, chief of the stormtroopers. It was created for the purpose of protecting the stormtrooper commander directly and participating in ceremonial processions at organization meetings.
The Feldherrnhalle dagger was introduced for wear by selected Feldherrnhalle commanders and the SA commander's bodyguards.

The Schutzstaffel (SS) Dagger 1933 was introduced by Order No. 1734/33 on 15 December 1933, signed by the SA's acting Chief of Staff, Obergruppenführer von Krausser.
The Schutzstaffel (SS) was formed in 1925 as a stormtrooper unit whose main task was the personal protection of the Fuhrer. The SS remained a low-profile unit until 1929, when control was transferred to Heinrich Himmler.

Cold steel played a very important role in Hitler's Germany. All external paraphernalia only emphasized the unity of the nation in the face of the tasks being solved. The German leader drew a fine line connecting the German tribes of the fall of Rome, the crusades of the Middle Ages and the modern era through symbols close to the heart of every German. A powerful outreach was carried out among all segments of the population, from primary school age (Hitler Youth) to the Nazi party itself. There is no doubt that a beautiful dagger, bayonet or sword formed an important part of the German national concept (Einheit).

All branches of the military, party and non-party organizations had to strictly adhere to regulations on the appearance of the uniform, the procedure for wearing it in everyday life and during participation in hostilities. However, people are people. And each individual soldier, officer or general wanted to be not only a cog in the huge colossus of the Third Reich, but at least in a small way to show their individuality and stand out from the homogeneous mass. This desire resulted in a tendency to at least somehow diversify the appearance of personal edged weapons. And since the scabbard and hilt were usually in plain sight, there was wide scope for individual design of blades and blades.

Therefore, it is not surprising that companies producing edged weapons offered customers entire catalogs with various design options for personal weapons. The most common inscription was “In memory of the service” (“Zur Erinnerung an meine Dieustzeit”). However, when decorating the dagger, they were not content with only inscriptions and mottos.

Manufacturers took upon themselves the task of making a completely unique product (to the delight of collectors and true connoisseurs of weapons). Very often, the blades and blades of daggers were engraved with images of battle scenes characteristic of different branches of the military. For example, on an army bayonet-knife of an infantryman, a scene of infantry going into an attack was depicted, The artilleryman's blade had a scene of transporting a gun in a stowed position carved into it, while the engineer's had figures of people building a pontoon bridge.

Brands of manufacturers of edged weapons

Manufacturer's logo on the SS blade

The manufacturer stamped almost every blade. They allow you to find out the history of a bayonet or dagger. Some companies not only put one general mark on the product, but also put additional marks on the component parts.

The largest number of manufacturing companies were located in Solingen. The mark was usually applied by stamping or etching under the hilt on the flat part of the blade. The brand consists of the company name and its logo.

Some manufacturers used several varieties of their mark. For example, during the existence of the Third Reich, the company of Karl Eickhorn designated its products with four different types of marks. A huge number of different marks have been preserved to this day and continue to surprise both collectors and researchers and lovers of edged weapons of that era. Even experienced and seasoned researchers and collectors are still greatly amazed when they discover some new, previously unknown company. manufacturer. After all, only 44 official companies produced the entire line of SA dagger models. Therefore, you can be sure that over time a couple more manufacturing companies of bladed weapons will be discovered. When assessing whether a particular type of mark belongs to a particular company, it is necessary to take into account the production capacity of its factories during the period from 1933 to 1945 and the number of weapons it produced. Nevertheless, the absence of a mark does not mean that it is a fake. (Many companies might not put marks on their products. Everything depended on the time of production of the weapon and its manufacturer. Some forges removed their marks from daggers made during the war.) And, conversely, the presence of a mark on the dagger does not give one hundred percent confidence in the authenticity of the blade

RZM sign

RZM mark on SS blade

All daggers and knives produced specifically for the needs of party organizations such as SA, SS, NSKK and Hitler Youth underwent mandatory quality control, which was certified by the RZM (Reichszengmeistrei) mark. The Reichszengmeistrei was formed in 1934 to exercise strict supervision over the production, pricing and quality of products produced for the needs of the party. Any company engaged in the manufacture of uniforms, awards or insignia, as well as other similar products, was required to obtain official permission from the RZM and the corresponding control number. As an example, here is the decoding of one of these numbers:

RZM M7/66/42 RZM: (Nazi Control Service (Reichszengmeistrei));

M metal product;

7 : type of product of the manufacturer (in our case, edged weapons);

66 : manufacturer code (in this case, Karl Eickhorn);

42 : year of issue.

Unfortunately, today the complete list of manufacturers and suppliers of bladed weapons (Industrie und Handeishammer zu Zolingen) has been lost. This happened as a result of massive bombing of the industrial areas of Solingen by Allied aircraft.
Therefore, modern collectors find individual copies containing a control number that cannot be identified precisely due to lost records and other adjustments made by the passage of time.

RZM paper label

Features of applying stamps to variousand organizations of Nazi Germany

Some organizations, such as the Nazi Party School, the Postal Service and the German Red Cross, stamped their initials directly on the hilt of the weapon. In the case of the DRK, the corresponding inscription was applied on the back of the dagger in the place where, on the front side, there was an image of a German eagle clutching the Red Cross emblem in its talons. In contrast to this

marking method, organizations such as NSFK and DLV put their emblem at the end of the dagger sheath. In rare cases, you can see two stamped emblems of these organizations on the same sheath. The reasons for this should be sought in their history. First, as mentioned earlier, a community of DLV pilots was created. It then came under the control of the Nazi Party and was reorganized as the NSFK. Serial numbers were also used to record the number of military personnel in a particular organization

A typical example is the daggers and cutlasses of the German Postal Service, Technical Corps (TENO), Party schools, as well as bayonet knives of police units. By the numbers stamped on the daggers of the SS, SA and the National Socialist Corps, it was possible to find out all the ins and outs of its owner.
Along with these numbers, the manufacturers themselves applied special numbers that facilitate the process of releasing the final product during assembly production. If the components of a certain type of dagger were not manufactured at one enterprise, but were dispersed in different places in the city, then they were all marked with one code so that the final assembler knew which product they belonged to. This is clearly seen in the example of daggers for diplomatic workers. Here, each part of the dagger is marked with a special two-digit code

Group affiliation

As mentioned earlier, the daggers of the SA, National Socialist Corps and SS units were marked with special symbols or numbers that determined membership in a particular group (mainly by geographical location). Using this abbreviation, it was possible to find out which regional organization the owner of the dagger belongs to, as well as a division and an army unit. The SS daggers were marked with the army group code in Roman numerals. On the Hitler Youth knife there was a number directly above the RZM control sign, which indicated the territorial affiliation of the organization of which its owner was a member.

Patent marks

Many German bladed weapons contain the abbreviation Ges. Gesh This is a shortened form of Gesetzlich Gesehutzt, which literally translates to “protected by law.” This mark was placed on the hilt of the dagger itself, or on the blade under the hilt, where the manufacturer’s mark was usually located. These innovations may lie in the method of manufacturing the product, and in the special shape of individual parts of the dagger, etc. This mark indicates that the company received a patent for the production of this type of product. As in modern production, the manufacturer cannot deviate from the standards introduced by the company or organization-patent holder. The company, the copyright holder, can put on the blade the symbols D R.P., which stand for Deutsches Reichs Patent and indicate its rights and the design of this product cannot be repeated without prior agreement with another manufacturer

Mottos on blades

The motto "My honor is called fidelity" on an SS blade

All members of one or another organization of the Third Reich were required to wear the official mottos of their formations, which, as a rule, were etched on the blades of their daggers. The official and most common mottos were the following:

SA, NSKK - “Alles fur Deutschland” (“Everything for Germany”); SS - “Meine Ehre heisst Treue” (“My honor is called loyalty”); NPEA - “Mehr Sein als Scheinen” (“Be better than you are”); Labor Corps - “Arbeit adelt” (“Labor ennobles”); Hitler Jugend - “Blut und Ehre” (“Blood and Honor”).

Hitler Youth knife with the motto "Blut und Ehre" - "Blood and Honor"

Runic images

Nordic runes

The Nazis wanted to force the German people to embody a nation of conquerors, like the ancient Vikings. Therefore, Hitler and the party bosses tried in every possible way to impose on the German society the idea of ​​\u200b\u200bdescending from the illustrious northern peoples, whose way of life was a warrior. In this regard, suffice it to say that the first model of the Luftwaffe dagger and the senior commander's dagger The composition of the Hitler Youth were almost exact copies of the weapons of the inhabitants of the Scandinavian Peninsula.

Like any other mass movement, symbolism played a primary role in promoting the idea of ​​Nazism. The Nazis used ancient ancient images of runes as the basis for the development of their paraphernalia. The origin of the word “rune” dates back to the symbols of the Greek alphabet, reinterpreted by the ancient Scandinavians in their own way. Runic writing dates back to approximately 300 AD. Translated from the ancient Scandinavian language, the word “rune” means “hidden”, since rune first found its use in the role of secret writing among the Druids and Tallinn priests. Collectors of German edged weapons are interested in runes because they were included as design elements for blades and handles. For example, a runic inscription decorated the hilt of Hermann Goering’s favorite dagger. The most famous are the so-called Zig runes - runes that are also called “SS lightning”. Sigrun consists of a runic image of the letter S (this is exactly how it looks in the runic alphabet). Sigrun (or her double image) comes from an abbreviation of the German term Schutzstaffel (SS), which translates to "security squads".