History

Dagger and sword accoutrements were used to hang and suspend the edged weapons from, or in some cases to decorate them.
Just like the weapons themselves, the designs and quality of the accoutrements was eventually controlled by the RZM (Reichszeugmeisterei = national quartermaster’s office).
Leather parts of accoutrements used by the SS were generally black.

The M33 dagger was worn suspended from a belt loop on the left side. The first suspension device used was a short hanger that features an oval buckle on a short leather strap, attached to a metal snap clip, which in turn is attached to a so-called D-ring (named due to its shape) made of metal, which held the leather belt loop. The lower leather strap was attached to the dagger’s scabbard ring.

Due to the simple design and the fact that this hanger was a standard part of the dagger, which was factory-applied before the weapon was delivered, it was fairly standardised, and there is little to be found in terms of variations.

The snap clips were produced by several different hardware companies. A limited amount of variations can be found with this part. Prior to 1936, the hanger’s metal parts were made of nickel and were generally unmarked. Exceptions to this rule exist, for example the company of Assmann’s “A” mark.
Around 1936, the material was changed to nickel-plated steel, and RZM codes were used to identify makers. Markings can most often be found on the reverse of the snap clip. In rarer cases, the reverse of the leather belt loop may also be marked.