Ethnographic Arms & Armour - View Single Post

Philip · 11th January 2007, 05:54 AM

I don't know if Nazi daggers (like bayonets and other military edged implements massed-produced in an industrial setting) can be strictly called "ethnographic", but maybe somebody else can weigh in. This isn't my field of interest or expertise by a long shot, but I have friends who have been active in this area for decades, and I'd like to pass an important caveat along to you.

This branch of collecting is loaded with fakes!!! Composite pieces and flat-out repros have been cranked out since the late 1950s in various countries, and each generation of fakes has gotten better and better. It's gotten to the point where you can't safely buy from pictures anymore unless you absolutely know and trust the seller. There is a considerable body of reference literature devoted to the problem of authenticity in Nazi daggers, and it's recommended that any collector study this religiously, and actually handle as many daggers as possible, before reaching for the checkbook. Anyway, this is what the 'pros' tell me and I hope that it saves you from flushing good money down the toilet on a bad piece.

11th January 2007, 05:54 AM	#2
Philip Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: California Posts: 1,036	I don't know if Nazi daggers (like bayonets and other military edged implements massed-produced in an industrial setting) can be strictly called "ethnographic", but maybe somebody else can weigh in. This isn't my field of interest or expertise by a long shot, but I have friends who have been active in this area for decades, and I'd like to pass an important caveat along to you. This branch of collecting is loaded with fakes!!! Composite pieces and flat-out repros have been cranked out since the late 1950s in various countries, and each generation of fakes has gotten better and better. It's gotten to the point where you can't safely buy from pictures anymore unless you absolutely know and trust the seller. There is a considerable body of reference literature devoted to the problem of authenticity in Nazi daggers, and it's recommended that any collector study this religiously, and actually handle as many daggers as possible, before reaching for the checkbook. Anyway, this is what the 'pros' tell me and I hope that it saves you from flushing good money down the toilet on a bad piece.