Original Item: Only One Available. This is a type of German Dagger that we have only ever had once before!  Very similar in construction to the M33 SS dagger and SA Dagger, this is a very nice NPEA Student Dagger, made by Karl Burgsmüller of Berlin. It is contained in its original olive colored steel scabbard, in an original leather belt frog. The National Political Educational Institute (Nationalpolitische Erziehungsanstalt) was an SS-run organization established for the purpose of training future leaders for the Reich. A number of NPEA schools were set-up throughout Germany and many of its occupied countries, with most leaders and instructors coming from the SS.

There were three forms of Political daggers associated with the NPEA. The Student version, the Staff Leader and the Chained Leader. The Student version (produced by Karl Burgsmüller and WMW) had no insignia in the SA style wood grip. The cross guards were solid nickel on early versions and aluminum on later types. The scabbards were an all steel version painted olive drab. There were no mounts on the scabbard except for the scabbard button.

This mid to late war example has solid aluminum cross guards and tang nut, which have a "bright" polished finish. There is not any major chipping or dents in the fittings, just the light wear from use and age. Per a customer request we removed the fittings to look for markings, and the cross guard is marked E W, while the pommel guard just has an indented circle. The grip is a fine product having a nice red mahogany tone in the surfaces and having medium center ridge construction, with a nice varnished finish. This grip is in very good condition with great grain, and fits the cross guards like a glove. There is just a bit of chipping near the crossguard, and small hairline cracks near the pommel guard.

Close examination of the grip shows that one side has APRIL ?? 1945 / GERMANY faintly present on the reverse, and a partial name on the front reading Larry Mer??en. This definitely looks to be a USGI bring back from WWII, and perhaps someone with better eyes would be able to read the entire thing. Definitely some great potential for further research!

The blade of this example is in very good condition, though the original factory final grind cross grain has been almost completely removed by cleaning and polishing. It looks like there may have been a bit of oxidation staining in the past, which was cleaned away. The edge is correctly unsharpened, and the tip sharp and unbent, and the original felt blade buffer is still present, but worn.

The acid-etched Mehr Sein als Scheinen ("Be More Than You Appear") NPEA motto is relatively crisp, with the factory darkening mostly worn away. The rear is marked by supplier KARL BURGSMÜLLER in an arc over BERLIN. This was one of the few suppliers of this dagger type, the others being Eickhorn and WMW.

Karl Burgsmüller & Co. of Berlin-Charlottenburg was a distributorship, and was awarded a contract to supply NPEA daggers, however they were not manufacturers. Per J. Anthony Carter's book GERMAN KNIFE AND SWORD MAKERS, the scabbards, and most likely the daggers themselves, were made by E. & F. Hörster of Solingen. For further information on this arrangement, please see NPEA Daggers and Associated Knives by Ron Weinand.

The scabbard shell is straight throughout, and still has most of the original olive drab paint. There is the expected crazing and checking in the enamel, but it is sound with no major rust. The brown leather frog has shrunk a bit and is definitely stiff, so it can no longer be removed from the scabbard without risking damage. Per a customer request, we did check under the frog stud for markings, and we believe we can see the letter H next to a number, however there is also oxidation, so we are not able to make out the number.

These daggers are extremely rare in any condition, and were not made in any type of large quantities. A very nice example of a rare German WWII NPEA Dagger with some great research possibilities, Ready to display!

Specifications:
Blade Length: 8 3/4"
Overall length: 13 3/4”
Crossguard: 3”
Scabbard Length: 9 7/8”