M33 SS Dagger, Mack-Eicklenberg
Price: Sold
Description: A later period, 1939 SS Dagger by one of the more obscure makers “Mack-Eicklenberg”; the obverse blade ricasso bearing the etching: ‘RZM M7/81’ – ‘RZM 1241/39 SS’ reflecting this maker. Blade remains in superb condition showing nearly all its cross graining & no issues. Motto is well defined with all its dark-gray etched coloring. Excellent Nickel-silver crossguards, and scabbard Fittings.Black ebony wood grip fits snuggly to both top and bottom fittings with only the slight shrinkage; some minor bruising to wood above lower crossguard. No cracks or chipping to the grip. Correct aluminum national eagle and enameled SS button are excellent and nicely fitted to grip. Black lacquered steel scabbard is a beauty showing 99% of its original finish; Nickel silver scabbard fittings retain all four of their unmolested retaining screws. Dagger comes with its original black hanger marked RZM M5/25.
BACKGROUND: The Allgemeine-SS, (General-SS), was originally formed in May 1923 as the Stosstrupp Adolf Hitler, and re-designated SchutzStaffel, in April 1925 with the official acceptance of the name verified on the second anniversary of the failed Munich “Beer-Hall” Putsch on November 9th 1925. On January 6th 1929 Heinrich Himmler was appointed as Reichsführer-SS, and on July 20th 1934 shortly after the, June 30th 1934, purge of the SA, on the “Night of the Long Knives”, the SS was rewarded by Hitler by being granted the status of an independent organization under direct control of the NSDAP Nationalsozialistische Deutsche Arbeiterpartei. The SS M33 service dagger was introduced on December 15th 1933 for wear by all full SS members, regardless of rank. The SS M33 daggers were bestowed annually to newly accepted SS members at 10:00pm on the anniversary of the unsuccessful Beer Hall Putsch, (November 9th), in front of the Feldherrnhalle in Munich. Originally the daggers featured an anodized scabbard and utilized nice quality, solid, nickel/silver fittings until roughly late 1936, early 1937 when the scabbards began to have a painted finish and cheaper, nickel/silver plated fittings replaced the earlier solid, nickel/silver fittings in 1938. Regulations dictated that the daggers were to be worn on the left side of the waist belt suspended by a specific, dagger hanger. During the course of the Third Reich there were five, distinct, SS daggers introduced starting with the SS M33 Service Dagger in 1933, the short lived, (Circa February 3rd 1934-July 4th 1934), SA-Stabschef, SS Ernst Röhm Dedication Dagger with the inscription, “In herzlicher Freundschaft Ernst Röhm”, in 1934 the very limited production, Reichsführer-SS Heinrich Himmler Dedication Dagger with the inscription, “In herzlicher Kameradschaft H. Himmler”, in 1934 for presentation to two hundred members of the SS who had participated in the purge of the SA during the “Night of the Long Knives”, the ornamented SS Honor Dagger in 1934 for high ranking officers for recognition of special achievements and the Chained SS M36 Dagger on August 25th 1936 for bestowal to SS personnel who had been members as of November 9th 1935 and to personnel with a minimum of three years service in the SS. Further production of the SS M33 Service Dagger was discontinued in September 1940 and production of the Chained M36 Service Dagger was discontinued in late 1943, both intended to be re-established at the successful conclusion of the war. The other three, (Dedication and Honor), Daggers were only produced for a short time in limited quantities.
