SS Himmler Dagger

[cogwheel]

This was the first dagger in my collection and started me on the road to collecting madness.

[The Red Baron]

Beautiful piece and an awesome way to start!!!

[Billy G]

Why didn't you just stop after that one? It doesn't get any better that this. My first was a far cry, an RZM SA but it still put me on the same road.

[Mac 66]

cogwheel, now thats a real nice conditioned peice for your 1st dagger

[ROB B]

Thats a beauty , my first was an army with a Blade that a grinder had serviced . Buti thought it was great at the time

[ValhallaMilitaria]

Why didn't you just stop after that one? It doesn't get any better that this. My first was a far cry, an RZM SA but it still put me on the same road.

An NSKK RZM got me started...for 700! I have learned much since then. Nice Himmler dagger...what a way to start..where did you find it? garage sale? the tale of where it came from is often as intriguing as the piece itself.
Regards,
Eric

[Robert H]

lucky you, you know well what dealers are asking for and then just find one in this condition

[cogwheel]

It was sheer luck that I had come in contact with a friend of a friend in 1991 whose uncle, a WWII US Army officer, had passed away leaving him a footlocker full of US Army ooficers uniforms, a Luger, and .....the Himmler dagger. He offered to sell it for $150 so I went over to look at it. At the time I had no books and no collector acquaintances, so when I saw that dagger loaded with dirt and ambergris I almost reneged on the deal. I finally wrote him a check, took it home and cleaned it up. It was almost a year later that I found out what I really had.
I sometimes think about this - what if I had reneged?

[Mac 66]

$150

renaged on that super mega deal =

bet you,ll never part with it

[Ernst Kemper]

If I would be an SS dagger-expert, I would be interested in some detailed close-up's from the Himmler inscription.

Regards,

Ernst

[juoneen]

I thought it looked buffed. It used to be popular to try and clean stuff up , but now days of course we feel differently about it. Whats done is water over the dam. I think the hardest dagger to find of all is : the SS dagger w/ roehm enscription , un ground, and un touched (virgin).

[cogwheel]

Funny thing is that the blade didn't need any buffing at all. The only thing dirty were the hilt and scabbard fittings which were heavily oxidized.

As for appearance, I like my daggers cleaned and free of rust and oxidation because ultimately it destroys the finish. I don't know what the current trend is regarding dagger maintenance in the collecting community, and what the ideal appearance should be these days. But I'm not into the 'antique' look but prefer them to look the way they were worn. Whenever I watched a small formation of Marines during a ceremony I have never seen an oxidized uncleaned sword being displayed.
Ultimately it comes down to individual tastes and collecting goals.

[ValhallaMilitaria]

Like I said, the tale is often as interesting as the item...150? it happens, lightning can strike you've got a great item there.

It was sheer luck that I had come in contact with a friend of a friend in 1991 whose uncle, a WWII US Army officer, had passed away leaving him a footlocker full of US Army ooficers uniforms, a Luger, and .....the Himmler dagger. He offered to sell it for $150 so I went over to look at it. At the time I had no books and no collector acquaintances, so when I saw that dagger loaded with dirt and ambergris I almost reneged on the deal. I finally wrote him a check, took it home and cleaned it up. It was almost a year later that I found out what I really had.
I sometimes think about this - what if I had reneged?

[Ernst Kemper]

Gentlemen, be honest!

Whatever if buffed or not! But who is be able to say this dagger is good or bad based on this two photos and without additional close-up's of the inscription?

That is my question to the experts here.

Best regards,

Ernst

[cogwheel]

Herr Kemper: Nun brauchen wir nur noch Ihren Himmler Dolch zum Vergleich.
Diese Vergroesserungen muessen genuegen denn ich habe zur Zeit keinen Microscop Adapter fuer meine Kamera.