Rare Third Reich SA (Sturmabteilung) Dagger with ‘Christmas’ Pattern Motto to Blade by Carl Eickhorn, Solingen, fine example of an early SA dagger with brown wooden grip, nickel eagle and enamel SA device. Lower cross guard stamped with district / gau stamp ‘Fr’. Housed in the original anodised scabbard which has brown leather SA vertical hanger attached and single belt loop. Fine double edged blade with much of the cross graining remaining. The dagger has a variation early type motto ‘Alles fur Deutschland’, known as a Christmas pattern. The dagger blade has the early Carl Eickhorn, Solingen makers trademark to the reverse. The blade measures 22cms, overall 37 ½ cms. On the 15th December 1933, the SA Headquarters officially decided to institute a dagger to be worn with the SA uniform. On Christmas 1933 the first grouping of SA daggers were delivered to the higher SA leaders. These daggers are referred to as ‘Weihnachtsdolch’ (Christmas Dagger) and they have different design mottos to the later examples. This particular example is a transitional pattern with standard SA fittings. See previous lot for a earlier example with the 1927 pattern eagle

Rare Third Reich SA (Sturmabteilung) Dagger with Full Ernst Röhm Dedication by Carl Eickhorn, Solingen, fine untouched example of an early SA dress dagger with wooden grip, nickel SA eagle and enamel SA device. Lower cross guard fitting stamped ‘Nr’. Housed in the original early anodised scabbard with three piece brown leather hanging strap attached. The double edged blade has the motto ‘Alles fur Deutschland’ and the reverse has the makers oval trademark to the base close to the cross guard fitting. The reverse of the blade also has the full length Ernst Röhm dedication. The blade has some surface pitting and a small indent to the edge towards the top of the blade. This dagger is said to be the actual example shown in the reference work produced by well known UK collector Frederick J Stephens. The Ernst Röhm inscription daggers were produced and issued in 1934 to SA and SS members who joined before 31st December 1931 and had continued to serve throughout this period. The inscription translates to ‘In heartfelt comradeship Ernst Röhm’. When Röhm was removed from power and eventually killed, the order was given for these inscriptions to be removed and many members destroyed the blades by grinding the dedication off. Original examples do surface with partial erasure with his name removed, but very few survived with the full dedication intact.