Original Item: Only One Available. The SS (Schutzstaffel - 'Protection Squadron') was originally formed in 1925, ostensibly to act as a small, loyal bodyguard unit to protect the Führer, Adolf H. 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 NSDAP and eventually controlled nearly every function of German life and much of Occupied Europe.

This is a very good condition German WWII SS Officer's Degen (Épée) Dress Sword with a stainless steel blade, complete with the original steel scabbard. Many of the fittings on the sword and scabbard are also stainless steel, which is referred to by collectors as the "Dachau Type.". During WWII, Paul Müller had set up a school and small factory at Dachau to train apprentices to produced edged weapons for the SS, and this has all the correct attributes that it should have. Some of these were etched a logo, but most are like this, completely unmarked. It presents very nicely, and does not look to have seen field service, just use on dress occasions, which is how these were usually used.

The officer's version of SS Degen is quite similar to the NCO type, except for the handle, which has a wire bound grip with an inlaid insignia, while the NCO version has an unbound grip and the insignia is on the pommel nut. The "D" guard flows downward through the crossguard area and ends in a tear drop. The leather blade buffer is still present on the blade side of the guard, and is the correct brown color for a "Dachau Type".

The upper grip ferrule is a simple ring, and the lower ferrule features the six standing oak leaves. The oak leaves have hand enhancement to the veins as well as the acorn caps. The casting seams are quite interesting as they have had a pebbled surface applied as well as a hand engraved acorn. Many of the fittings look to be stainless steel, correct for this type. The grip and ferrules are still tight on the tang, with just a bit of wobble, though the tang nut is only hand tight.

This sword has a lovely wire bound ebony handle, which has an inlaid ᛋᛋ doppelte Siegrune (Double Sig/Victory Rune) insignia with a darkened frosted background. The symbol is in very good condition and is still firmly set into the grip wood. The ebony of the handle has correctly not been lacquered, and the aluminum wire binding is in great shape. The rear of the grip has the correct inlaid bar covering the ends of the binding. The only issue to note is that there is a lengthwise crack running under the runes insignia. Ebony is a very brittle wood, and the staining used on these handles exacerbates the issue, so this is very common.

The stainless steel blade is a nice 31 inch length, with a lovely shape and a brushed matte finish. It is correctly unsharpened, and looks great! There is some scuffing and runner wear in areas, but no oxidation, as correct for a stainless blade. The tip is fully intact, and the edge correctly unsharpened. The tang shows discoloration from grinding but no oxidation, as is correct for a stainless blade.

The scabbard is nice and straight with no dents that we can see, showing only light use. The black enamel paint is almost completely retained, with just a bit of crazing and checking due to age. The upper stainless steel scabbard mount is a beauty featuring the Wotan's Knot. The areas between the loops still have some of the original blackening. This mount is retained by a single screw on the rear through a loop of the knot. There are no SS inspection marks, which is correct for the "Dachau type" sword. It still has the hanger ring and belt hook loop, which has some light wear due to use.

If you are looking for a great example of a "Dachau Type" SS Officer's Degen with a stainless steel blade and original scabbard, this example will go nicely in any collection. Ready to display!

Specifications:

Blade Length: 31"
Blade Style: Single Edge w/ Fuller
Overall length: 36 1/8“
Guard dimensions: 5" width x 4 1/2” length
Scabbard length: 31”