RZM 1198/39 SS Dagger with Hanger

She’s not much to look at but still an SS Dagger nonetheless. The blade is marked with the RZM 1198/39 manufacturer marking, and has a fair amount of scratches and spotting. I wouldn’t say its been sharpened, but it does look as if someone may have tried steel wool on it at one time, until they realized it would leave marks. They’re not deep scratches by any stretch but visible in the right lighting. Still a great looking blade when comparing to many of the blades I see from day-to-day.

The grip wood is chipped in a couple of places, the most noticeable bing the section missing just above the lower cross guard. There is also another very small chip (about 1/4” x 1/8”) just opposite the missing section. This smaller chip is only a surface chip. There are also about 3 small cracks, including one hairline crack running through (and behind) the SS roundel. Otherwise there are the standard minor dings and dents as well.

The SS roundel is in very good condition, with no notable loss of enamel, but some very minor dings (I’m being picky). The eagle had lost about 30% of its detail, but is still a beauty, with age to match the rest of the dagger. The cross guards and pommel nut show even signs of wear, with no indication whatsoever that they are replacements. Some pitting to the finish, but I’d estimate about 95% or greater of the plating is still in tact.

The scabbard… well she’s seen better days! A couple dents can be found on the lower half, as if someone thought it would be neat to use it as a hammer. About 50% of the scabbard has either scratching or surface rust, but surprisingly still appears nice and black despite the flaws. The metal fittings also show rust spotting, more so on the lower tip cap than the throat piece, although the rear of the throat piece has quite a bit of scratching from the hanger clasp rubbing at it throughout the years. There is also one screw missing from the lower tip cap.

The leather hanger has aged nicely! It shows a similar degree of aging (wear) as the rest of the dagger, so I suspect this was original to the piece. The leather is still very flexible, and not at all brittle. The metal buckle is a bit rust spotted, but the clasp looks nice, with only a couple small chips in the finish where the clasp rubbed against the back of the scabbard throat. The marking stamped into the leather of the hanger reads, “RZM 48/39”, which coincides with the date of the dagger RZM (39).

This may not be a collector’s dream, but if you’re looking for a reasonably priced SS dagger with a lot of character, and a somewhat hard to find SS dagger hanger, this is the one for you!