Early NS Student Knife in trench dagger form by Pack Ohliger & Co. Solingen

The NS Students' League knife was more than a utility blade – it symbolized camaraderie, discipline, and unity within the National Socialist student movement. Produced in the early 1930s, its trench-dagger form reflected the militaristic ideals and traditions of pre-war Germany.

The manufacturer Pack Ohliger & Co., Solingen had been active in edged-weapon production before the First World War. Bayonets and combat knives from the Imperial era bear its mark. In 1922, the company underwent reorganization: Robert Ohliger left, and the successor firm Ernst Pack & Söhne (E. P. & S.) Solingen emerged, continuing the family’s craftsmanship under new leadership.

The technical and artisanal continuity remained intact – many craftsmen and processes transitioned directly. As a result, early Pack Ohliger pieces and later Ernst Pack & Söhne products share nearly identical materials, finishes, and workmanship. Both firms were regarded in Solingen as top-tier producers of precision blades and ceremonial daggers.

Knives marked Pack Ohliger & Co. Solingen are considered important transitional artefacts, illustrating the evolution of Solingen’s blade industry from pre-war craftsmanship to the standardized, RZM-regulated production of the Third Reich.