2ad3a32e_es__World_War_II__Nazi_Germany__Description
[Grade] E [Item #] D231 [Description] 
SA Dagger by VERY RARE Maker Beien(?) with small Bulldog Trademark. I searched every reference book and internet site at my disposal looking for this trademark and only found one unreliable source who claims a "high probability" that it belonged to the Beien firm. Looking further I made a discovery that adds even more intrigue to this piece...The "Ho" Gau or District stamp on the far right side of the reverse cross guard tells us that this dagger was produced in the Hochland District which was in the "Highlands" of upper Bavaria & Schwabia...not far from the Austrian border and home to the "SA Gruppe Hochland." According to an SA dagger collector who was kind enough to share his knowledge, there were about 16 different makers of SA daggers is this region...but Beien is not noted as being one of them. He said "never say never" but until I get more proof I think the jury is still out on this one. Any additional information on this trademark or the Beien firm would be greatly appreciated. I purchased this piece from an old grizzled biker named Chester who got my card from an antique mall near Denver. He claimed his father gave it to him when he was a boy. Unfortunately he played with it, but the damage is minimal and due to neglect rather than abuse. The condition is surprisingly good despite it's last 60 year history. When I first saw it, it was very dirty and the scabbard fittings were covered with green corrosion...typical of nickel plated brass. When I pulled it from the steel scabbard I was surprised to discover the blade was covered in cosmoline and still in excellent- condition with minor corrosion and most of the cross graining still visible. It obviously suffered from exposure to humidity so I carefully cleaned the corrosion off with gun oil then a silver polishing cloth. You can still see the cross graining but there are some subtle scratches and spotting on both sides. Normally I won't clean a dagger and leave this task to the buyer, but I could tell there was a rare beauty hidden below the crud so I decided to clean it to prevent further damage....and so we could all see what was hidden below. Amazingly, the red mahogany grip is in excellent++ condition with a hair line crack on the reverse, a few subtle dings, and a very small chip on the reverse just under the upper cross guard on the left...nothing major. The SA button and grip eagle are in near mint condition, both showing some green crud (cleaned off) from the brass or copper base. The button appears to be nickel plated while the eagle is silver. The cross guards are cast from a zinc alloy with a nickel plate while the scabbard fittings are brass with a nickel plate. The scabbard retains 99% of the brown oxidized ("anodized") finish, but only 10% of the protective lacquer coating has survived the years. The shell is straight and virtually dent free with one very small blemish/dimple on the obverse, on the left side at the center. Overall, it's a little salty but the rarity more than makes up for it's history following the war.....at least it hasn't been tampered with or "restored." I added some more detailed photos so you can see everything...so be sure to wait for the entire page to load.
Third Reich Depot, military collectables, World War II, Nazi Germany
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