This exceptional Eickhorn Himmler SS Dagger is an extraordinarily well-preserved Model 1934 SS Honour Dagger manufactured by Carl Eickhorn of Solingen. Most importantly, its magnificent blade retains the complete Heinrich Himmler dedication together with the SS motto, early Eickhorn trademark and outstanding original-looking crossgrain.
Condition places this example firmly within the premium category. Rather than displaying ordinary wear, the dagger survives in mint collector condition beneath a beautifully developed natural age patina.
Furthermore, the underside of the lower crossguard carries the important Eickhorn benchmark number “4.”
That small stamping provides another significant authentication feature because documented original Eickhorn Himmler daggers also carry these single-digit workplace or inspection marks.
€ 35.000
1 in stock
This exceptional Eickhorn Himmler SS Dagger is an extraordinarily well-preserved Model 1934 SS Honour Dagger manufactured by Carl Eickhorn of Solingen. Most importantly, its magnificent blade retains the complete Heinrich Himmler dedication together with the SS motto, early Eickhorn trademark and outstanding original-looking crossgrain.
Condition places this example firmly within the premium category. Rather than displaying ordinary wear, the dagger survives in mint collector condition beneath a beautifully developed natural age patina.
Furthermore, the underside of the lower crossguard carries the important Eickhorn benchmark number “4.”
That small stamping provides another significant authentication feature because documented original Eickhorn Himmler daggers also carry these single-digit workplace or inspection marks.
The Model 1933 SS service dagger originally carried the familiar blade motto:
“Meine Ehre heißt Treue”
Early examples featured black wooden grips, solid nickel fittings and black anodised or burnished steel scabbards.
During 1934, a special presentation form appeared carrying Heinrich Himmler’s personal dedication on the reverse of the blade.
The inscription on this example reads:
“In herzlicher Kameradschaft H. Himmler”
or approximately:
“In heartfelt comradeship, H. Himmler.”
These presentation daggers occupy one of the most prestigious categories within SS edged-weapon collecting.
Specialist references associate their introduction with the aftermath of the June–July 1934 purge of the SA leadership. The SS played a central role in those killings and became an independent Nazi Party formation on 20 July 1934.
A normal early SS dagger is already highly collectable.
However, an authentic Eickhorn Himmler SS Dagger belongs to a substantially different category because Carl Eickhorn produced these special presentation blades in comparatively limited numbers.
Published estimates for total production vary considerably. Some specialist sources quote approximately 2,500 examples over the wider presentation period, while other historical literature gives much smaller figures for the initial 1934 issue.
Consequently, I would not advertise an exact production total as established fact.
What can safely be stated is that original Himmler-dedicated daggers remain scarce, heavily reproduced and keenly sought after by advanced SS edged-weapon collectors. Lakeside Trader maintains an extensive archive of genuine Eickhorn Himmler examples and describes them as difficult to find.
The blade represents the outstanding feature of this dagger.
Its surface remains exceptionally bright, while strong longitudinal crossgrain remains visible beneath the lighting.
Equally impressive, the motto retains deep dark contrast.
“Meine Ehre heißt Treue”
stands sharply against the polished steel and presents with exceptional definition.
Turning the dagger over reveals an equally impressive reverse.
The complete Himmler dedication remains crisp and highly legible, while the early Carl Eickhorn Solingen squirrel trademark sits correctly close to the lower crossguard.
In hand, this blade can reasonably be described as magnificent.
Very few surviving Himmler daggers appear with blades of this quality.
Unlike the Röhm honour daggers discussed elsewhere in the Nordmenn collection, this dagger does not carry an Ernst Röhm dedication.
Instead, the blade bears the considerably different:
“In herzlicher Kameradschaft H. Himmler”
presentation inscription.
That distinction is critical.
Therefore, this dagger must be catalogued as a Heinrich Himmler SS Honour Dagger, rather than a Full Röhm SS dagger.
The script itself remains remarkably well preserved.
Moreover, its darkening appears visually harmonious with the motto and maker trademark.
The underside of the lower crossguard carries the single numeral:
This marking deserves a dedicated section in the catalogue.
Early Carl Eickhorn daggers sometimes carry a single-digit bench mark, workplace number or inspection numberunderneath the lower guard. Specialist collectors associate these numbers with Eickhorn’s own manufacturing and quality-control process rather than an individual SS membership number.
Crucially, an archived Lakeside Trader Himmler Honour Dagger by Carl Eickhorn, item SS-41455, also carries benchmark “4.”
Lakeside describes that example’s HE crossguards and “4” benchmark as textbook crossguard features for Himmler daggers.
That is an exceptionally useful direct comparison for the present dagger.
Other genuine archived Himmler examples show corresponding Eickhorn inspector numbers, including “2” and “8.”
Accordingly, the number 4 strongly supports the expected Eickhorn manufacturing configuration.
It should not, however, be interpreted as SS membership number 4 or as the fourth dagger produced.
Carl Eickhorn ranked among Solingen’s leading edged-weapon manufacturers.
The firm’s early squirrel trademark appears on the reverse ricasso.
Its close position against the guard corresponds with known Himmler presentation blades.
Original Himmler daggers also show distinctive Eickhorn hilt characteristics, including heavy early nickel fittings and Eickhorn-produced crossguards.
The combination of maker mark, blade configuration and benchmark therefore deserves considerable weight during authentication.
The black grip survives in exceptional condition.
Strong original contours remain throughout the characteristic waisted body.
At the upper section sits the circular enamelled SS runic button.
Below it, the national eagle remains firmly inset.
Neither insignia shows the obvious disturbance normally associated with replacement.
More importantly, the grip lacks the major cracking, heavy shrinkage and substantial chips seen on many surviving Himmler daggers.
Its condition contributes significantly to the overall desirability of this example.
Both crossguards retain excellent definition.
A soft natural patina now covers the nickel surfaces.
This patina should never be confused with poor condition.
Instead, it provides a visually coherent aged surface across an otherwise extraordinarily well-preserved dagger.
Sharp stepped details remain clearly visible around the guard terminals.
Likewise, the tang nut shows compatible ageing.
No polishing should be undertaken.
Removing this patina would reduce the untouched character that currently makes the dagger so appealing.
The original black scabbard accompanies the dagger.
Its steel body retains a strong dark finish beneath natural age patination.
Both nickel fittings remain complete.
Meanwhile, the lower chape retains its correct profile and ball terminal.
No major dents compromise the body.
Overall ageing appears entirely compatible with the hilt fittings.
That uniformity gives the complete Eickhorn Himmler SS Dagger a particularly convincing untouched appearance.
The dagger also retains the desirable black leather vertical hanger.
Known among collectors as a Steilgehänge, this arrangement allowed the dagger to hang vertically from the belt.
Its leather strap, buckle, suspension hardware and attachment components remain together.
Consequently, the hanger adds substantially to the completeness and display quality of this ensemble.
A comparable Lakeside Himmler dagger with benchmark “8” also survives with its hanger and was graded NM/Mint-.
The correct catalogue grade for this piece is:
Blade: Magnificent mint-quality appearance with strong crossgrain.
SS motto: Exceptionally dark, crisp and complete.
Himmler dedication: Complete, strongly defined and highly attractive.
Maker mark: Early Carl Eickhorn Solingen squirrel trademark.
Lower crossguard: Correctly carrying Eickhorn benchmark “4.”
Grip: Exceptional black wooden grip with excellent contours.
SS button: Complete and firmly seated.
Grip eagle: Complete with excellent detail.
Crossguards: Excellent early nickel fittings beneath even age patina.
Tang nut: Complete with matching patination.
Scabbard: Exceptional original black finish with naturally aged nickel fittings.
Hanger: Original-style vertical black leather suspension system.
Overall: Museum-grade premium example.
The benchmark makes this dagger more interesting than I initially realised.
A random single-digit marking would deserve caution.
Here, however, we have a documented exact comparison.
Lakeside Trader’s archived Eickhorn Himmler dagger SS-41455 also carries the number 4 beneath the lower crossguard and is explicitly described as having textbook Himmler crossguard features.
Collector research independently describes these Eickhorn single digits as factory inspection or worker bench marks.
Therefore, I would prominently photograph the number 4 for the final product listing.
It is one of the dagger’s useful authentication details.
This Eickhorn Himmler SS Dagger combines virtually every characteristic an advanced collector wants.
Exceptional blade condition comes first.
Next comes the complete Himmler dedication.
Eickhorn’s correct early maker mark follows.
The benchmark 4 provides another valuable manufacturing characteristic.
Finally, the mint grip, naturally patinated nickel fittings, black scabbard and vertical hanger create an exceptionally complete presentation.
Finding all of those characteristics together is considerably harder than finding an ordinary M33 SS dagger.
This remarkable Eickhorn Himmler SS Dagger represents an exceptionally preserved Model 1934 SS Honour Dagger produced by Carl Eickhorn of Solingen.
Its magnificent mint-quality blade retains the complete “Meine Ehre heißt Treue” motto together with the full “In herzlicher Kameradschaft H. Himmler” dedication.
Equally important, the underside of the lower crossguard bears the distinctive Eickhorn benchmark number “4.”
A directly comparable authentic Himmler dagger in the Lakeside Trader archive carries the same benchmark, making this small marking an especially useful supporting characteristic.
Natural age patina covers the otherwise exceptional early nickel fittings without detracting from their condition.
Combined with its superb grip, original black scabbard and vertical hanger, this dagger deserves classification as:
Explore related listings: SS Daggers; View original edged weapons at Nordmenn Militaria; View original SS items at Nordmenn Militaria; Numbered Full Röhm SS Dagger | Herder S.
Lakeside Trader – Eickhorn Himmler Dagger with Benchmark 4
A second near-mint comparison carries Eickhorn inspector number 8:
Lakeside Trader – Near-Mint Himmler Honour Dagger with Inspector Number 8
For historical background:
USHMM – 1934 Röhm Purge and SS Independence
For a documented auction-market comparison:
