Maker
Eickhorn Carl, Solingen
Model
M1935
Inscription
Mehr sein als scheinen. «Be modest but always excel»
Blade
double-edged
Length
373 mm
Weight
449 g
Hanger
Vertical hanger
Condition
EXC+
NPEA Graduation Student Dagger [M1935] "K" by Carl Eickhorn Solingen
NPEA service dagger of the 1935 pattern for students / course participants of the National Political Educational Institutes (NPEA), complete with belt frog. The blade bears the maker “Carl Eickhorn, Solingen”. The lower crossguard is marked “K 29”; the “K” stands for NPEA Köslin. The overall length is approx. 373 mm, the weight approx. 449 g including the belt frog.
Grip: Brown wooden grip in the typical style of NPEA student daggers. The lower crossguard is stamped “K 29”, which can plausibly be assigned to NPEA Köslin. Both crossguards are made of aluminium and are internally marked “E” and “W”, corresponding to the Ernst Wagner crossguards described in the literature. The top screw is made of iron and is magnetic.
Blade: On the front is the typical NPEA motto “Mehr sein als scheinen”, and on the reverse the maker mark “Carl Eickhorn Solingen”. The logo corresponds to Eickhorn Type 1, as described for the period approximately 1935 to 1941. The blade is double-edged; the blade shoulders rest cleanly against the lower crossguard. The blade is fitted with an original buffer pad.
Scabbard: Steel scabbard with preserved finish and good overall appearance. On the front is the retaining hook for the belt frog. The underside is marked “753H”. The scabbard appears appropriate to the dagger and together with the belt frog forms a coherent overall set. The scabbard ball is magnetic.
Belt frog / carrying pouch: Leather belt frog in classic form. Riveted on the reverse and consistent with the typical carrying method of an NPEA dagger. Together with dagger and scabbard, it forms a complete and collector-attractive ensemble.
Historical Context: NPEA service dagger model 1935 for students / course participants
The NPEA service dagger of the 1935 pattern belongs to the characteristic edged weapons of the school and pre-military organizational sphere of the Third Reich. It was intended for students and course participants of the National Political Educational Institutes and differs in several respects from other contemporary service daggers.
Particularly characteristic is the motto “Mehr sein als scheinen”, regarded as the typical guiding phrase of NPEA daggers. Also important from a collector’s standpoint are school- or institute-related crossguard markings. The marking “K 29” present here can convincingly be associated with Köslin, giving the piece a specific organizational connection within the NPEA system.
Of particular interest in this example is the combination of a Carl Eickhorn blade with internally marked Ernst Wagner crossguards bearing the letters “E” and “W”. Such details show that the production history of NPEA daggers can be quite complex and cannot always be reduced to a simple, one-dimensional maker attribution. Precisely this combination of clear school marking, characteristic motto and technically interesting production details makes the piece especially appealing from a specialist point of view.
The scabbard with retaining hook and the corresponding belt frog are also important for evaluation, since they document the typical carrying method of these daggers. In preserved condition with matching scabbard and belt frog, such an NPEA dagger ranks among the particularly interesting organizational edged weapons within this collecting field.
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