SA HIGH LEADERS HONOR DAGGER BELONGING TO SA OBERGRUPENFUHRER FRANZ BOCK.
It has been a number of years sine I have had one of these very rare SA honor daggers to offer for sale and this is a superb chained example being the 1938 model with an Eickhorn maker marked damascuse blade, this dagger was recently obtained direct from the Bock family in Germany. This dagger is especially interesting to collectors as it features the 1935 / 41 Eickhorn trade mark, this trade mark is recorded on SA honor daggers but mostly they will feature the 1933 / 35 trade mark or the late 1941 pattern, the 1935 / 1941 trade marked is extremely rare to find on an honor dagger. The fine quality silver crossguards are the honor pattern which are decorated with oak leaves and acorns to the obverse and reverse sides, the upper crossguard is internally stamped 49 and the lower crossguard is stamped 89, the numbers do not match but this is normal for an honor dagger, on most original honor daggers the numbers will not match, only on rare occasions will you find matching numbers. The brown wooden grip is a typical late 1930's Eickhorn example but featuring a very fine grain, it is inset with the silver eagle and SA insignia. The blade is produced in beautiful damascuse steel and the quality and condition is outstanding, the obverse side features the SA motto with oak leaf and acorn sprig to each end of the motto, the gilding to the motto and oak leaves is remarkable with almost 100% still remaining (this is original gilding, it has not been re-gilded as most SA honor's have), the obverse side of the blade features the rarely seen Eickhorn Solingen 1935 / 41 squirrel trade mark, this fine blade would rate near mint. The tang of the blade is lightly stamped on the obverse side with the capital letter D for damascuse which is the correct marking for the latter produced honor dagger blade, early produced example's will feature the full title Damast, the tang probably also originally featured the HCA billet clamp mark, but if so this was ground of during the fitment of the grip at the factory. It is interesting to note that there is a fine quality brown leather buffer pad fitted to the blade, I have only ever seen this a couple of times on honor daggers but it is a nice extra feature to see, if you lift the pad there is a deep age pattination around it against the lower crossguard. The scabbard features the original brown leather covering, the leather is applied to the scabbards in two parts and is cut around the fittings which is the correct method for an SA honor dagger scabbard, it has a fine brown grain and it is totally original (most honor daggers have had there leather covering replaced), it shows a little wear mostly to the reverse side but all the leather is remaining and it is still in beautiful condition. The matching silver scabbard mounts are the honor pattern with grooved fittings to the obverse and reverse sides, the center mount features the swivel type fitting not the early riveted ramped type which is seen on the more common early type chained honor daggers. The chained hanger features links decorated with swastikas, five upper links and seven lower links, the belt clip is decorated with the large SA insignia, the clip is still in working order, the reverse side of the chain is plain with out makers mark or RZM code marking which is totally correct for a chained honor dagger of this period of production, only the latter chained honor daggers with the Eickhorn 1941 trade mark will have an RZM marked chain, the earlier examples are always plain with out any maker markings at all. This dagger probably dates to 1939-1940 period, the earliest chained honor daggers date from 1938 and they used up existing old stock damascuse blades featuring the Eickhorn 1933 / 35 trade mark, when these were exhausted new blades were produced featuring the new up to date 1935 / 41 trade mark and the new type and more simplified scabbard center mount swivel fitting, which is the model which I have. There are basically three types / periods of chained SA honor daggers, the most commonest are those that feature the post 1941 Eickhorn trade mark and the RZM marked chain hanger, the damascuse blade although made of original damasuse steel has a more factory made look to it than the earlier types, after that the second commonest are those that feature the 1933 / 35 trade mark with riveted and ramped scabbard fittings and a non maker marked chain, but the rarest with out doubt is this example which features the 1935 / 41 Eickhorn trade mark and the new type swivel ring scabbard fittings and with an unmarked chain. When I originally purchased this dagger although I knew it belonged to SA Obergrupenfuhrer Franz Bock, I thought it was unmarked as most honor daggers are with out the owners details or name, it was only after returning home and carefully examining the throat of the top scabbard mount and cleaning of some old dried oil and dirt that I noticed the very small but nicely engraved owners initials FB ( the F is very clear the B is more age worn now), this then conclusively confirms that the original owner of this SA chained high leaders honor dagger was SA General Franz Bock. Franz Bock was born on the 28th of June 1905 in Kaltenbrunn, he attended Volksschule, his early professional carrier was as a cashier in a bank and then working in the tobacco and ceramic industry. Bock joined the NSDAP and the SA in 1922 making him a very early member, he took part in the Munich Putsch with Hitler on the 9.11.1923 and was awarded the Blood Order medal for his involvement in this historical event (Blood Order medal number 791). Bock rejoined the party and the SA when it was reformed in 1925, NSDAP number 33014. His carrier and promotion in the SA was rapid and impressive, from 1927 -1932 he was the SA Fuhrer for Worms-Rheinhessen, by 1930 he was an SA Sturmfuhrer, 1931 he was promoted to SA Sturmbannfuhrer, 1932 SA Standartenfuhrer and Adjutant to SA Group West based in Koblenze, he then held various Adjutant positions untill mid 1933, 1.7.1933 he was promoted to SA Oberfuhrer serving as Stabsfuhrer for SA Gruppe Bayerische Ostmark, from October 1934 untill February 1935 he was the commander of SA Jager Standarter 3 and then from March 1935 until December 1936 he was the commander of SA Brigade 75 based at Gladbach-Rheydt, he was promoted to SA Brigadfuhrer on the 20.4.1935. From the 31.3.1937 untill 1942 he served with the high command of the SA (OBERSTE SA FUHRUNG or better known as the OSAF) as a department chief and successfully heading over time various departments in this SA organization, his last assignment with the OSAF was as chief of the SA Gruppenschulen. On the 9.11.1938 Bock was promoted to SA Gruppenfuhrer. After the death of the SA commander of SA Group Niederrhein, Bock was transferred to lead this SA group and held this position from 1.2.1942 untill 1945, on the 9.11.1944 Bock was promoted to SA Obergruppenfuhrer. Bock was also a member of the Reichstag representing Dusseldorf Ost from 1936 untill 1945, he also held a reserve rank in an army infantry regiment but probably did not see any military service as his SA carrier would have taken up most of his time. Bock survived the war and died in 1974 in Koln. Complete with the dagger is an original copy of the 1938 published book, THE SA BROWN BATTALIONS, page 32 shows an excellent photograph of Franz Bock at this time serving with the OSAH, he is in full SA Brigadefuhrers uniform wearing blood order ribbon, gold party badge and one other award. This truly is an exceptional dagger with a great history and it is in beautiful condition, very few SA honor dagger's can be attributed to an individual and especially to one as interesting as SA Obergrupenfuhrer Franz Bock…………PRICE ON REQUEST……….. [Condition: Exc++]
Code: 33094