Introduction to German Edged Weapons
The venture of Adolf Hitler to become master of the world was executed with a symbolic flair. The effort being to spur his fanatical followers on to their maximum capabilities. Hitler traded the traditional brown uniform of his Nazi Party for the grey-green color of his conquering army and vowed before all Germany that he would not wear the brown uniform again until Germany was victorious over the mounting number of enemies. Fortunately for the world, the combined Allied powers did not permit Hitler to complete his symbolic transition.
The uniform change was but one symbolic act among the many that were effectively utilized by Hitler to gain growing support. In 1933, he instituted a wide range of dagger sidearms which were to reflect the intent and strength of the organizations which they represented. In many cases, the struggle for the right to wear the dagger became a means in itself. Hitler was able to get millions of people involved in his movement with such devices as uniforms and their trappings. The level of hysteria that he brought about in Germany was largely responsible for extending the war by at least one year.
Germany was on her way to total defeat when this author directed his attention to collecting German war souvenirs in 1944. Interest was spurred by the daily news coverage, the bond drives and other patriotic appeals to the war effort. Then, as the soldiers returned home, they brought with them a wide spectrum of war trophies.
The uniform change was but one symbolic act among the many that were effectively utilized by Hitler to gain growing support. In 1933, he instituted a wide range of dagger sidearms which were to reflect the intent and strength of the organizations which they represented. In many cases, the struggle for the right to wear the dagger became a means in itself. Hitler was able to get millions of people involved in his movement with such devices as uniforms and their trappings. The level of hysteria that he brought about in Germany was largely responsible for extending the war by at least one year.
Germany was on her way to total defeat when this author directed his attention to collecting German war souvenirs in 1944. Interest was spurred by the daily news coverage, the bond drives and other patriotic appeals to the war effort. Then, as the soldiers returned home, they brought with them a wide spectrum of war trophies.
It was not until 1955 that the first dagger was added to this author's general collection. There was an immediate appreciation for the craftsmanship contained in the daggers and swords of Nazi Germany. Blades of the era, more than any other category of relics, were considered to be art forms. It was this appreciation that brought about the concerted effort to acquire the wide range of patterns that were known to exist.
Due to the lack of available reference material, the collecting of blades by the general enthusiast was slow to gain momentum. The primary reference held by a few collectors was the Eickhorn Kundendienst. This initially scarce original sales catalogue was to prove a relatively reliable reference through the years. It was not until 1959 that the first in a series of dagger references was to enjoy national circulation. Armed with a degree of information, collector interest grew considerably.
As with any desirable commodity, the Law of Supply and Demand was imposed, and commercial values began their rapid increase. Some daggers that sold for $18 in the mid-1950's have increased to over $300. Prices in the thousands no longer draw a surprised reaction.
The first attempt at an authoritative reference was made in 1965. It was soon to gain the reputation of being the "bible" among collectors. For the first time, an effort was made to do more than just identify the various daggers.
A degree of newly founded information and rapidly rising values caused the appearance of specimens that had previously been unheard of. Armed with the knowledge that blade collecting held some new discoveries, interest was again stimulated. The introduction of a wide range of counterfeit daggers occured in 1964 when unscrupulous dealers attempted to capitalize on the rising values. The introduction of these pieces resulted in collecting becoming a task, and in some cases a very expensive gamble rather than an enjoyable pastime. It became apparent that more information was required by the general collector.
My serious gathering of research material began in 1960 in an attempt to sift out facts from the misconceptions and half-truths that existed. This book is the culmination of those efforts.
Archives of the United States, Great Britain and Germany have been exhausted, as have the original publications and sales material produced by the manufacturing firms during the subject period. These sources provide the regulations governing wear and the specifications for the manufacture and distribution of daggers, bayonets and fighting knives. It was also found that exceptions existed for every rule established by regulations.
Being cognisant of the regulations, and appreciating the various exceptions to those regulations, the collector can better understand the numerous variations currently at his disposal.
It is the purpose of this reference to provide factual information relating to the sidearms (excluding swords) which were utilized by the numerous military, political and governmental formations in Nazi Germany. An effort has also been made to provide a concise history of the organizations discussed. The one area that is necessary but sorely lacking, is the production figure for each specimen produced. Most of the records maintained by the manufacturers on their production were destroyed during the closing days of the war, and no central record facility was established to maintain such accountability. While some production figures were discovered among the tons of original documents, these figures would prove to be of little value without the total production figures to be used as a base. For any gaps that may exist, others are encouraged to fill them. Perhaps time will be the answer to the questions which still exist in the most interesting and challenging of collecting fields.
J.R. Angolia: "Daggers, Bayonets & Fighting Knives of Hitler's Germany, 1971, R.James Bender Publishing.
Due to the lack of available reference material, the collecting of blades by the general enthusiast was slow to gain momentum. The primary reference held by a few collectors was the Eickhorn Kundendienst. This initially scarce original sales catalogue was to prove a relatively reliable reference through the years. It was not until 1959 that the first in a series of dagger references was to enjoy national circulation. Armed with a degree of information, collector interest grew considerably.
As with any desirable commodity, the Law of Supply and Demand was imposed, and commercial values began their rapid increase. Some daggers that sold for $18 in the mid-1950's have increased to over $300. Prices in the thousands no longer draw a surprised reaction.
The first attempt at an authoritative reference was made in 1965. It was soon to gain the reputation of being the "bible" among collectors. For the first time, an effort was made to do more than just identify the various daggers.
A degree of newly founded information and rapidly rising values caused the appearance of specimens that had previously been unheard of. Armed with the knowledge that blade collecting held some new discoveries, interest was again stimulated. The introduction of a wide range of counterfeit daggers occured in 1964 when unscrupulous dealers attempted to capitalize on the rising values. The introduction of these pieces resulted in collecting becoming a task, and in some cases a very expensive gamble rather than an enjoyable pastime. It became apparent that more information was required by the general collector.
My serious gathering of research material began in 1960 in an attempt to sift out facts from the misconceptions and half-truths that existed. This book is the culmination of those efforts.
Archives of the United States, Great Britain and Germany have been exhausted, as have the original publications and sales material produced by the manufacturing firms during the subject period. These sources provide the regulations governing wear and the specifications for the manufacture and distribution of daggers, bayonets and fighting knives. It was also found that exceptions existed for every rule established by regulations.
Being cognisant of the regulations, and appreciating the various exceptions to those regulations, the collector can better understand the numerous variations currently at his disposal.
It is the purpose of this reference to provide factual information relating to the sidearms (excluding swords) which were utilized by the numerous military, political and governmental formations in Nazi Germany. An effort has also been made to provide a concise history of the organizations discussed. The one area that is necessary but sorely lacking, is the production figure for each specimen produced. Most of the records maintained by the manufacturers on their production were destroyed during the closing days of the war, and no central record facility was established to maintain such accountability. While some production figures were discovered among the tons of original documents, these figures would prove to be of little value without the total production figures to be used as a base. For any gaps that may exist, others are encouraged to fill them. Perhaps time will be the answer to the questions which still exist in the most interesting and challenging of collecting fields.
J.R. Angolia: "Daggers, Bayonets & Fighting Knives of Hitler's Germany, 1971, R.James Bender Publishing.
www.bender-publishing.com
Labels: daggers, edged weapons
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