NPEA dagger, real or fake?

[clmesser]

Hello everyone,

I recently found this NPEA dagger and was wondering if it is real. Any help would be greatly appreciated!

[clmesser]

More pictures

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Last picture

[Billy G]

The thing that jumps out at me is seeing a type II Bergsmüller mark with nickel silver crossguards. Ron W. would be much better judge as to whether the configuration is plausible.

[Barry Brown]

The thing that jumps out at me is seeing a type II Bergsmüller mark with nickel silver crossguards. Ron W. would be much better judge as to whether the configuration is plausible.

N 270 lower crossguard is shown in Ron Weinand's first NPEA book (1988), page 58 upper plate. No other details of the dagger, just a picture of the lower crossguard with N 270.

[Billy G]

Barry,

My books are packed away so I can't check but honestly, the number sounded familiar. Does Ron's book also show the graduation dedication?

[Barry Brown]

Barry,

My books are packed away so I can't check but honestly, the number sounded familiar. Does Ron's book also show the graduation dedication?

No, Billy; just a close up picture on p58 of the lower crossguard, no other info' given about N 270.

I maintain a database of NPEA daggers. Have details of 426 daggers, to date. I entered N 270 several years back but could not note TM , construction details, nor other markings.
In the range N 31 (lowest) to N 273 I have noted 10 daggers with type I TM and nickel guards, and 6 daggers with type II TM and nickel guards.
In the range N 296 to N 534 (highest) I have noted 2 daggers with type II TM and plated guards, and 18 daggers with type II TM and aluminum guards.

I will add that over the years of maintaining my database I have noted parts being changed over time. e.g., In the early 1980's I owned a leader dagger marked W 090 with type I TM the blade of which had a shortened tip. It left me as found! But, W 090 surfaced a few years back on a dealer site now sporting a perfect blade with type II TM. Duly noted on my database. School marked NPEA's are perfect for tracking. I know, I know, I should get a life!

Regards

[clmesser]

NPEA real or fake

So it kind of stands a chance ? And is the frog correct, as I have not seen others with the snap. Thanks .

[John4022]

Im also very interested in learning more about this dagger, IMO it is original but these pieces can be very hard to authenticate and I am defiantly not a expert.

[Reichskanzler]

Dagger looks 100% right to me and a very nice one as well. Not sure about the frog though.

[Ron Weinand]

This dagger was originally owned by Dwight Pruitt and many photos of it from him are in my first NPEA Book. It is rather unusual in that it is a leader's dagger in the "field" scabbard (leaders had two scabbards for dress and field use). This one is not a graduation piece, but rather one given to the teacher when he left the school at Naumburg (dates he taught at the school on the back of the upper crossguard). The dates run from Easter (Herbst) term to Easter term end in the years that correspond to the graduation terms for most classes at NPEA Schools, hence the years when this teacher taught or worked at Naumburg. He was probably drafted for military service or transferred to another NPEA School (usually the reason most teachers left the schools). The blade has the second style Burgsmuller trademark. From the N270 number and other N270 series numbers, it is seen that this is the transition numbers where the trademarks changed in that run of numbers at Naumburg. Also, I have seen several officer daggers in the N270 rang (see other photos in my two NPEA books).
I was at the auction where this dagger was sold yesterday and was in contact with the winner. A great buy for him.

[DwightPruitt]

This dagger was originally owned by Dwight Pruitt and many photos of it from him are in my first NPEA Book. It is rather unusual in that it is a leader's dagger in the "field" scabbard (leaders had two scabbards for dress and field use). This one is not a graduation piece, but rather one given to the teacher when he left the school at Naumburg (dates he taught at the school on the back of the upper crossguard). The dates run from Easter (Herbst) term to Easter term end in the years that correspond to the graduation terms for most classes at NPEA Schools, hence the years when this teacher taught or worked at Naumburg. He was probably drafted for military service or transferred to another NPEA School (usually the reason most teachers left the schools). The blade has the second style Burgsmuller trademark. From the N270 number and other N270 series numbers, it is seen that this is the transition numbers where the trademarks changed in that run of numbers at Naumburg. Also, I have seen several officer daggers in the N270 rang (see other photos in my two NPEA books).
I was at the auction where this dagger was sold yesterday and was in contact with the winner. A great buy for him.

I was given this dagger by a veteran sometime around 1985 as a gift for working on the gentleman's car. It is exactly how it was given to me. I sold this dagger about ten years later to a local dealer named Jim Hazel. I'm sure Ron remembers him.

Nice to see it again.