Original German WWII Ground Ernst Röhm Signed NSKK Dagger by Carl Eickhorn Original Items

Original Item: Only One Available. Prior to his “unmasking” as a traitor, Ernst Röhm was the leader of the SA. In 1934, he distributed NSKK daggers with his personal inscription on the reverse blade. These daggers were to honor individuals who had served with the NSKK prior to December, 1931. Other than the inscription, these pieces were identical to the standard M1933 NSKK dagger. After the Rohm purge, the inscription was ordered to be removed. Many examples were returned to the factory for grinding. Others were simply ground in the field by whatever means were available. Examples will occasionally be encountered with remnants of the original inscription remaining on the blade, but mostly none will remain. Some blades exist with an intact inscription, exhibiting only the removal of the Röhm signature. This example has the entire dedication and signature removed but traces of it are easily seen. Very, very rarely is an example seen with a full, untouched inscription, as the holder would have surely risked a charge of treason.

This is a great looking ground Röhm NSKK Dagger by Eickhorn. Originally it was acid etched to read In herzlicher kameradschaft [Ernst Röhm] (In cordial companionship Ernst Röhm). Ernst Röhm’s name has also been ground away, but traces of it remain.

The acid etched Alles für Deutschland  (Everything for Germany) motto is beautifully executed. The reverse ricasso is etched with a 1933-35 Eickhorn trademark logo: a double oval surrounding a seated squirrel with a smoothly rounded tail holding a sword, with CARL EICKHORN / SOLINGEN surrounding the squirrel trademark.  J. Anthony Carter’s book GERMAN KNIFE AND SWORD MAKERS, this firm used this specific “round tail” trademark on early SA and NSKK daggers, as well as Himmler signed SS daggers.

The blade still features original factory crossgrain on most of the blade.

The steel based, black anodized scabbard looks great but shows the usual service wear. The lacquer that was usually put over the anodized surface has worn off, as has some of the black finish especially on the edges. However there has not been any major rust and no dents. The solid nickel scabbard fittings are well done and in very condition. All four screws remain intact. The solid nickel-silver scabbard fittings look excellent matching the scabbard fittings in color and patina. The scabbard to crossguard fit is near perfect.

The brown hardwood grip is in very good condition with no cracks or chips. The solid nickel-silver eagle is crisp with a perfect fit. The SA roundel also has a perfect fit and retains 99%+ of its enamel, though it is stained around the edges. The pommel and cross guard are fine solid nickel silver examples, and the pommel nut shows no signs of being “messed with”. The lower reverse guard is Gruppe/Gau marked Wm, for Westmark, which encompassed the area around Saarbrücken, in the extreme West of Germany. This feature was only seen on daggers produced 1935 and prior.

A great opportunity to get a partial Röhm NSKK Dagger in wonderful condition.

History of the SA / NSKK: The SA or Brown Shirts, were a private political formation which Adolf AH and the NSDAP used to maintain order at organized Party meetings and demonstrations. The group was formed in 1921, and grew to a huge force of nearly 3,000,000 men by the later 1930’s. To instill esprit de corps, as well as create employment for the Blade City of Solingen, it was decided each SA man would carry a dagger with his Brown Shirt uniform. Huge quantities needed to be produced to accommodate the demand. The dagger initially was produced of hand-fitted nickel mounts with attractive finished wood grip and brown anodized (a bluing process) finished scabbard.

The blade was etched with the SA motto, Alles für Deutschland. Examples produced prior to 1935 were stamped with the German sector of the SA group on reverse lower crossguard. Later examples underwent standardization through the RZM ministry. These pieces were produced of cheaper plated zinc-base fittings and scabbards were simply painted brown.

The Night of the Long Knives, in June 1934, saw the wiping out of the SA’s leadership and others who had angered AH in the recent past in NSDAP Germany. After this date, the SS lead by Heinrich Himmler was to become far more powerful in NSDAP Germany. For all the power the Enabling Act gave AH, he still felt threatened by some in the NSDAP Party. He was also worried that the regular army had not given an oath of allegiance. AH knew that the army hierarchy held him in disdain as he was ‘only ‘ a corporal in their eyes. The Night of the Long Knives not only removed the SA leaders but also got AH the army’s oath that he so needed.

By the summer of 1934, the SA’s numbers had swollen to 2 million men. They were under the control of Ernst Röhm, a loyal follower of AH since the early days of the NSDAP Party. The SA had given the NSDAP’s an iron fist with which to disrupt other political parties meetings before January 1933. The SA was also used to enforce law after AH became Chancellor in January 1933. To all intents, they were the enforcers of the NSDAP Party and there is no evidence that Röhm was ever planning anything against AH. However, Röhm had made enemies within the NSDAP Party – Himmler, Goering and Goebbels were angered by the power he had gained and convinced AH that this was a threat to his position. By June 1934, the regular army hierarchy also saw the SA as a threat to their authority. The SA outnumbered the army by 1934 and Röhm had openly spoken about taking over the regular army by absorbing it into the SA. Such talk alarmed the army’s leaders.

By the summer of 1934, AH had decided that Röhm was a ‘threat’ and he made a pact with the army. If Röhm and the other SA leaders were removed, the rank and file SA men would come under the control of the army but the army would have to swear an oath of loyalty to AH. The army agreed and Röhm’s fate was sealed. On the night of June 29th – June 30th 1934, units of the SS arrested the leaders of the SA and other political opponents. Men such as Gregor Strasser, von Schleicher and von Bredow were arrested and none of them had any connection with Röhm. The arrests carried on for 2 more nights. Seventy seven men were executed on charges of treason though historians tend to think the figure is higher. The SA was brought to heel and placed under the command of the army. AH received an oath of allegiance from all those who served in the army. Röhm was shot. Others were bludgeoned to death. The first the public officially knew about the event was on July 13th 1934, when AH told the Reichstag that met in the Kroll Opera House, Berlin, that for the duration of the arrests that he and he alone was the judge in Germany and that the SS carried out his orders. From that time on the SS became a feared force in NSDAP Germany lead by Heinrich Himmler. The efficiency with which the SS had carried out its orders greatly impressed AH and Himmler was to acquire huge power within NSDAP Germany.