Looking at Third Reich collectors from the outside in, it is difficult for many to understand what drives them to own items reflective of such a dark period in modern history. Black hats, uniforms, daggers, swords, Honor rings, and the most recognizable item; the "Deaths Head" or "Totenkopf".

To say the SS were a colorful group would be a understatement, if one looks at them without bias and from an historical perspective, and understands the power of aesthetics, the only word that can be applied is "Magnificent". And the steadfast SS collector will go to great lengths to study and to obtain original pieces that represent this organization and its era. It is this collector that has fallen prey to items that reach out and grab you like no others. In what is referred to in the hobby as the "Dark Side"  Once the collector takes on this facet of the history and the hobby, there is no escape from its appeal. To try and explain it is another topic entirely.

The SS dagger is one of the most sought after pieces for the collector, and for the SS collector a must have item. The first model that would be the dress dagger of the SS, the model 1933 would be the more common of the two variants, but untouched original examples are becoming increasingly rare, and the marketplace is not for the faint of heart with new fakes and real prices. 

Photo Credit: Patrice Vialle