Original German WWII Ground Röhm Signature SA Dagger Paul F. Dick of Esslingen with Scabbard & Hanger Clip Original Items

Original Item: Only One Available. Prior to his “unmasking” as a traitor, Ernst Röhm was the leader of the Sturmabteilung (SA). In 1934, he distributed approximately 100,000 SA daggers with his personal inscription on the reverse blade. These daggers were to honor individuals who had served with the SA prior to December, 1931. Other than the inscription, these pieces were identical to the standard M1933 SA dagger. After the Röhm purge, the inscription was ordered to be removed, and failure to comply would be considered treason. Some were simply ground in the field by whatever means were available. Many other examples were returned to the factory or arsenal for grinding and refinishing. 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. Very, very rarely is an example seen with a full, untouched inscription, as the holder would have surely risked a charge of treason.

The front side of this blade is in excellent condition, with most of the factory final grind cross grain intact , and just a bit of runner wear. This texture is iconic, and is the definitive identifying characteristic for a real WWII German Blade. There is some past staining visible towards the end of the blade, which has been polished out. The acid etched Alles für Deutschland motto is beautifully executed, and still retains about 75% of the original factory darkening.

However, the rear shows distinct area that was ground away, possibly using a grinding wheel. This looks to be a bit too well done to be a “home brew” removal, but definitely too crude to be from a manufacturer. We would assume this was done at arsenal, and it is completely consistent with other examples we have seen. Sighting down the blade confirms variations in the surface and loss of material. We also can see tiny portions of the original “In Herzlicher Freundschaft Ernst Röhm” (In heartfelt friendship Ernst Röhm) inscription on the new spine of the blade. Comparison with an original has been able to match these portions to part of the etching.

Apart from the removed signature, the rear of the blade is in the same condition as the front, showing very little use and great cross grain, except near the tip where there is some removed water staining. The maker logo is also fully intact, and this fine example was produced by desirable maker Paul. F. Dick of Esslingen. The rear of the dagger is clearly marked with the company’s trademark “der Pfeil” (the Arrow) logo inside a cartouche:

(Arrow) F. DICK

Paul. Freidrich Dick, Stahlwaren- und Werkzeug-Fabrik (Steelware and Tool Factory) was a storied edged weapon producer located in Esslingen am Neckar, Württemberg. According to J. Anthony Carter’s book, GERMAN KNIFE AND SWORD MAKERS, the company was first founded in 1778, and traded as Freidr. Dick until 1920, when it became Paul. F. Dick. They made most of their SA and NSKK daggers with the 1895 “No. 433” trademark marked vertically on the blade. They were a known maker of the Röhm daggers, and we have seen other ground examples from this maker before with identical maker marks.

The grip is a fine product having a nice mahogany brown color, with a medium center ridge construction. There is only light wear and pressure denting, with no cracks that we can see. It fits the cross guards nicely, with no wobble we can feel, though the pommel guard is slightly turned. The solid nickel-silver eagle is crisp with a perfect fit, and just a bit of oxidation. The SA roundel also has a good fit and retains all of the enamel, though there is a bit of verdigris around the edges.

Both guards are solid Nickel alloy, and really in great shape. They have a lovely lightly worn patina, with no flaking or bubbling, showing that they are indeed solid alloy. The non-magnetic pommel nut is present, and shows no rounding from tightening. The lower reverse guard is Gruppe/Gau marked Sw, for Sudwest (South West) a district in far South West Germany, with the principal city being Stuttgart. This feature was only seen on daggers produced 1935 and prior.

The steel scabbard shell is the early-war style, with a brown “anodized” finish on the steel, originally covered by a lacquer protective coating. The steel body is slightly bent near the drag fitting, where there is a sizeable dent on the rear side. The the lacquer coating is only still present near the fittings, and the rest of the body has had the anodized coating wear away a bit, but it is still clearly brown. The upper and lower fittings are solid nickel silver, and have a nice polished patina, with some dents and scratches showing typical wear. The ball on the bottom fitting is canted and dented in a bit, very common due to the softer nickel alloy. The top mount and throat throat nicely matches the cross guard, and all dome headed screws are present and unturned.

Attached to the hanger ring on the scabbard is a very nice later pattern belt hanger, with plated steel hardware. The leather is in very good condition, showing wear and cracking to the finish. The plated steel clip on the end is marked with (RZM) code M5 / 71 for Overhoff & Cie. of Lüdenscheid, whose OLC in a diamond trademark is also present.

A great opportunity to get a partial ground Röhm SA Dagger by a rare maker in wonderful condition, “sanitized” after the Night of the Long Knives! Complete with a scabbard and hanger clip, this dagger is ready to add to your collection and display!

Specifications:
Blade Length: 8 3/4″
Overall length: 13 3/4”
Crossguard: 3”
Scabbard Length: 10”

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 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.

AH 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.