Original Item: Only One Available. This is a type of German Dagger that we have very rarely had before, and never in this "Chained Leader" configuration! 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 which bears fittings and a central ramp, as well as a hanger chain (possibly replaced). The National Political Educational Institute (Nationalpolitische Erziehungsanstalt or NPEA) 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. These were all produced by Karl Burgsmüller and WMW, with Carl Eickhorn producing only Leader Daggers, and had increasing levels of ornamentation. All had an SA style wood grip, with the student dagger having no insignia, and the two "leader" daggers having a Reichsadler eagle inset into the grip as in the SS, SA, and NSKK daggers. The Staff leader dagger had the same olive green finished bayonet style scabbard as the student dagger, but the Chained Leader dagger had a scabbard like the chained SA and NSKK daggers, except that it was finished olive green. As with the other similar daggers, the cross guards were solid nickel on early versions and aluminum on later types.

This early example has solid nickel alloy cross guards and tang nut, which display a lovely lightly oxidized patina, with no major dents, dings, or other damage. There is not any visible flaking or other signs that would indicate that they are not solid nickel, and the accent grooves are still crisp. Per a customer requests we remove the fittings on these daggers to look for markings, and the cross guard is marked P A, while the pommel guard has a faint indented circular logo. The grip is still firmly attached to the tang, though we have left the tang nut loose so the guards can be inspected if desired.

The grip is a fine product having a nice red mahogany tone in the surfaces and having medium center ridge construction, with a nice oiled 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 pressure denting and staining, with what looks to be a knot in the wood above the eagle, which is the correct "high necked" type, and definitely made from solid nickel, as indicated by the color and light oxidation.

The blade of this example is in very good condition, with the original factory final polish grind cross grain still easily visible on both sides close to the cross guard and near the central spine of the blade. This texture is iconic, and is the definitive identifying characteristic for a real WWII German Blade. The blade is still bright, but does show signs of past resurfacing towards the tip and edges, possibly to remove staining and oxidation. The tip of the blade looks like it may have been reshaped at some point, and the original felt blade buffer is still present, but a bit 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 - CHARLOTTENBURG, which is the early pattern marking (later examples removed "Charlottenburg"). 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 features nickel plated throat, ramp, and drag fittings. We do not know if these were ever made with all nickel fittings, and they are in very good condition, showing just a bit of plating loss and oxidation. The olive green paint on the body is well retained, but definitely shows deterioration and possible repainting during the WWII period. The attached chain is in good shape, though it does show signs of being replaced with another chain during the WWII period, as the links attaching it to the fittings show very rough solder markings.

These daggers are extremely rare in any condition, and were not made in any type of large quantities. A great example of a rare German WWII NPEA Chained Leader Dagger, ready to display!

Specifications:
Blade Length: 8 3/4"
Overall length: 13 5/8”
Crossguard: 3”
Scabbard Length: 9 3/4”