New to Collecting, First acquisition...seemed like a good deal.

[LrdWinter]

Hello,

My handle is LrdWinter. but my name is Matthew (Matt is fine). I am Veteran of Afghanistan with the Canadian Military as a Medic. My Paternal Grandparents both served in WWII, my Nanna was with the Canadian Womens Auxillary Corps (CWAC) and my Grandfather was with the 2nd Canadian Div.

I have always been fascinated by the military and especially WWI and WWII history and artifacts. I used to know more but due to becoming ill during my service my memory is no longer as good as it once was. My wife and I have attempted to make several acquisitions at local auctions, yet were unsuccessful. This beauty happened to show up on a local Buy/Sell Facebook page. I did some quick research and I believe it to be an authentic 1933-1936 SA Honor Dagger. Although I am not 100% sure as I do not have the experience, yet. Please have a look and enjoy the pictures. Comments and suggestions are welcome. Also not sure how much I should clean it up or just leave it as is.

Paid $250 Canadian for this.

[Chopperman]

Hi Matt,
Welcome to the forum.

I am not one of the resident dagger experts here but I do know that when
it comes to German daggers, blade condition is everything and quite honestly,
yours is in pretty tough shape. Most dagger collectors would probably pass over it.

All that being said---For someone like myself who works on a small budget and does not
care about it being "mint". I think finding a non-RZM marked dagger for $250 is a good find.

I'm sure that Larry or one of the other experts will ba along shorty to give better opinions.

[Larry C]

Hi Mattisfine ...joking ..welcome to the forum ..and yes the dagger is authentic and as Greg has sated the blade is everything to be desired and what holds the value of a dagger..no matter what branch of service.

Unfortunately on 2 points.
1. The blade is seriously degraded with pitting caused by blade cancer which still shows black traces in some areas.
2. I do not see this particular dagger being an Honor dagger although the producer Friedrich Herder did not produce Rohm inscription honor daggers. ( see this link ) June 30 1934 - Rohm inscription pattern

Another Herder family member did by the name of Richard Herder.

The guards and grip show Herder traits
The scabbard has lost all of its color anodizing and worn down to the metal

The scabbard throat has been replaced and also askew is the small dome head screw on the side of the upper fitting.

My spider senses are telling me the blade may have been replaced and I could be wrong. Some of the math is not adding up from what Im seeing with the condition inside and out. Yet..the good news is....all that is seen on your dagger is all early time period and correct material usage.

The SA gruppe mark Nrh" for Niederhein seen on the lower reverse guard is also correct.
The blade question that I have is 50/50....which also could be the result of geographical conditions causing the blade to erode quickly.


Could you post a photo of the underside of the lower crossguard and the tang nut side view and top view looking down Please .
and also the blade shoulders against the lower guard also.

You could also take a peek into this website from one of your fellow Canuck bretheren . Lakesidetrader | German WWII Daggers & Medals
very decent examples of SA daggers and very reasonably priced.

Looking forward to your photos when you have time. Enjoy your stay
Best Regards Larry

[LrdWinter]

One of my questions is, what should I do if anything to properly store it? Should I "repair" the blade and bring back it's glory. Or leave it? I know refinishing the sheath isn't a good ideal.

[LrdWinter]

Still getting used to the attachment program.. there may be doubles. Already I am learning so much from this site. I ca now see a few questionable items on the dagger. None that wold refute the authenticity of the period but perhaps the originality? Or maybe it was just a soldier doing his duty and keeping his kit clean?

[Rakkasan187]

Matt, welcome to the team and thank you for your service to your country. I also served in the US army and a 22 year veteran. You will find some great folks here who will share their knowledge with you. I like your dagger even as aged as it is. I would leave as is and try not to restore it or clean it up. The patina on the blade is nice. Enjoy your collecting and we look forward to seeing more items . Smitty...

[LrdWinter]

Thanks for all the great replies!!! I have already learnt so much such reading here and other threads. It may not be perfect, but it's a part of my collection now. Which I can hopefully keep expanding and actually organize. Thanks again for the great welcome. Looking forward to being as active as I can.

Winter

[Larry C]

Hi Mr Winter .....first thankyou for the many photos ..which are always welcome..the more the better .

I agree also with Smitty ..in the present condition the dagger is in and after viewing all the details ...your dagger is an Authentic early Herder.
If one day you seek to add another SA to your collection as one is never enough ...give our forum sponsor site a look through.
Lakesidetrader | German WWII Daggers & Medals

Glad your here LrdWinter ..enjoy your stay
Regards Larry