Dagger Handle Wood Shrinkage

[Marjnal]

Hello everyone,

This is my first post! I am an "old retired noobie" wanting to learn a little more. This is a top notch forum. I have been "lurking for quite a while and decided to ask some questions. I know very little about Daggers and want to learn.

I have two daggers that were given to me from someone in my family. (I am not looking for a free appraisal or verification of authenticity.) My SS Dagger has a much larger side gap on the top of the handle. After doing some research this could be because it is a "Parts" Dagger.

I know storage and care would count quite a bit, but is there an average allowable amount of shrinkage that would be considered acceptable?

Regards, Al

[mametz]

looks to be quite a lot of shrinkage there, plus the runes button
may have been tampered with. Also the crossguard looks very
gray, may be the pic but should be bright nickel silver.
Regards
Mametz

[Marjnal]

Thanks for the response. There is shiny plating on the blade side of the crossguard. I can see places where whatever the plating is has flaked off. Other than on the crossguard what ever plating there is is a dull gray. I wonder if someone tried to clean it and ruined the plating. I think this Dagger had a hard life!

Sorry about the quality of the pictures, but my wife dropped our camera and it doesn't work very well. Grandkids are buying one for me for Christmas.

Al

[Eric Hall]

Hey Al,
I think you are right, looks like 3rd Reich parts put together.

Early SS dagger grips usually fit alot better than the one you show here. That fit along with the cross guards and scabbard apearing to be later production points to a parts dagger in my opinion.

Looks like someone may have tried to dr up the grip at some point to.

Nice first post!!!

[Marjnal]

I'll have to check the other Dagger scabbard. That one is black also. It may be the one for the SS. Judging from where it came from anything is possible. They came along in a pile of junk from my wife's
elderly bachelor brother. He said that they were in his possession for many years. But as we all know, that doesn't mean much!

Regards, Al