Only One Available. Major Jim Atwood was one of the pioneers of Third Reich dagger collecting. During the 1950’s while stationed in Germany he would travel to the blade making region of Solingen buying up daggers and surplus unused stocks of dagger parts. From these parts he constructed many daggers. Some were conventional “parts daggers” but others were made up with the addition of newly made parts. Jim Atwood was a true pioneer in the hobby of Third Reich Dagger collecting. No true reference book was available when he wrote his in 1962. It was the only reference where information concerning the origin of the daggers and the companies that manufactured them which also identified some of the many daggers types for the first time.
This particular example of a Model 1933 SS Dagger is an original Atwood production. It is comprised of both original and post war produced parts. The blade appears to be post war but is marked with the F & A Helbig maker logo and RZM number. Guard and Grip appear to be real as does the scabbard and the hanger. Overall a really nice high quality mixed original and post war parts SS Dagger offered at an unbeatable price!
The SS (Schutzstaffel) was originally formed in 1925, ostensibly to act as a small, loyal bodyguard unit to protect the Führer, Adolf AH. Under the direction of the Reichsführer-SS Heinrich Himmler, the SS grew to be the most ruthless and feared organization of the 20th century. They were the vanguard of NSDAPsmand eventually controlled nearly every function of German life and much of Occupied Europe. The SS dagger was introduced in 1933. Early on, members of the SS were awarded their daggers during a ceremony at the Feldherrnhalle Memorial in Munich. The annual ritual, charged with mysticism and meant to evoke the traditions of medieval Teutonic knights, was held on 9 November, the date of the unsuccessful Munich Putsch of 1923. Both officers and enlisted men wore the identical dagger until 1936. After this time, only enlisted men wore the M1933 dagger.