SMGO-0372 SA dagger by J.P. Sauer Early Period

This dagger came in with a horribly rusted scabbard that needed to be chemically stripped, as the anodizing was already gone, and the rust was just going to make things worse. I think this dagger got left in a humid place which caused the scabbard to deteriorate and left the wood grip very dry. The scabbard screws are not stripped and the ball end is in nearly perfect shape which is a rarity on these early ones. To preserve the dagger, the scabbard oxidation was neutralized, and the grip has been given a light coat with an antique wax preserver. The dagger itself has never been broken down and the blade is in really nice shape! You can see the fittings have never been cleaned and aside from the aforementioned controls, the dagger is in as found condition. The grip to guard fitment is nice and tight as you would expect on an early dagger and everything is nickel. The grip has what appears to be “H/X 1  S” carved into it, but maybe it’s some sort of “M”? The scabbard throat also has a fancy “W” (or M i guess) professionally engraved into it, but it was scratched out for some reason. A real shame to be honest, because with that feature unmolested and a nicer scabbard, this dagger would be a special piece. The blade is miraculously nice considering what happened to the scabbard. there is only a spot or two of light oxidation with beautiful cross graining and fairly average runner wear. This dagger will be shipped with a coat of oil on the blade to protect it from any leftover contaminants inside the scabbard, so you may need to wipe it down once in a while.  So, there is a lot going on with this dagger, but the blade condition and uncleaned guards are a real nice combo and, in my opinion, still a desirable dagger. It surely has some character.