The SS were the most hated and feared unit within the apparatus of the Third Reich of WWII era Germany – everyone knows this from history class back in school. Their status as a relatively small part of the German army during that war has led to a huge demand by collectors of militaria for any of the accoutrement of this organization, the most despised out of all of Nazi Germany’s military.
SS daggers are one of the most sought after of these pieces of militaria relating to the Second World War. Their relative rarity makes them both highly prized and quite expensive compared to other fighting knives used by the armed forces of any of the nations involved in that global conflagration. The difficulty of finding SS daggers makes the pursuit of these collectibles an adventure in itself.
The first SS daggers were introduced before the war began, as early as 1933. These early SS daggers feature the insignia of the organization in a round device set into the handle, right at the top of the grip, with the Nazi eagle emblem (an eagle holding a wreath at the center of which is the swastika) in the middle of the handle. Other detail includes the phrase “Meine Ehre Heist Treue” etched in gothic lettering on the surface of the blade. The grips were at first made of ebony and later other woods dyed black to give them the appearance of ebony. These daggers were in production between the years 1933 and 1942.
These of course were hardly the only make of SS daggers which were produced during the Nazi era. Other models also demanding a high price from collectors are the Rohm, the Henckels, the RZM and the Boker. All of these, at least in good condition are rare and highly prized by collectors of World War Two militaria. In exceptionally good shape, some of these knives can fetch in the thousands on the market.
All of these rare SS daggers have a fascinating, if dark history and learning more about it is a big part of the fun of military memorabilia collecting. This is truly a hobby which can be educational as well as allowing one to amass a collection of interesting conversation pieces for the den or home showroom. It’s not always easy to find SS daggers, especially as many impostor pieces are on the market – but if you buy from a reputable dealer who knows their sources, you can collect in confidence that you SS daggers are the genuine article.