Interesting Nazi War Memorabilia Arrives at Cedar Post Pawn

Being located near St. George, in Southern Utah, you wouldn't necessarily think that we would see a lot of European war memorabilia come through our doors. So it was fun to see some old German WWII items come in the other day.

One of our customers brought a Nazi Youth knife and a Nazi officers dagger in to the shop. The Hitler Youth were run very similarly to the Boy Scouts, except, of course, that Nazi indoctrination was the cornerstone of the program. Hitler felt that the German youth represented the future of his Third Reich, so he formed the Hitler Jugend for boys and the Bund Deutscher Madel for girls in 1935. After passing minor exams, the boys would receive a Hitler Jugend knife. The knives had nickeled hilts and black checkered grip plates with an enamel Hitler Jugend swastika. From 1935-1937, these knives were etched with the motto of the Hitler Youth...Blut und Ehre! (Blood and Honor!) After 1937, the blades bore the RZM marking instead.

Nazi daggers are a very sought after collectible because of their intricacy and uniqueness. Nazi daggers were issued to military, paramilitary, political and social groups of the Nazi government. They were first produced in 1933 and production ended in 1942. They were part of the ceremonial dress of all Nazi officers and were worn when these high ranking officials were seen in public and at important events. The daggers varied considerably in appearance depending on which branch of the military or government they were issued for. They would have different blade markings, lengths, hanger colors, etc. These differences make it fun for sword collectors to try to assemble several different variations.

See...between reading this blog and watching "Pawn Stars", you get all the history you need!

It Really Is Like "Pawn Stars" In Here!

The television show "Pawn Stars" on The History Channel has become a huge hit and people often ask me if life around Cedar Post Pawn in Hurricane, UT is as exciting as the Pawn Stars shop in Las Vegas. I have to say that it is. I love working at the shop because you truly never know what will come through those doors.

Just recently, we were able to purchase an old Winchester 1873 lever action 44-40 carbine with an octagon barrel. This rifle is known as "The Gun that Won the West" and every cowboy, lawman, and outlaw worth his salt carried one. What made the gun such a huge success was that shortly after Winchester introduced their 1873 44-40 rifle, Colt began producing a 44-40 Peacemaker revolver as well. This means that a cowboy could carry his lever action rifle as well as his six shooter and use the same cartridge belt and ammunition for both. Buffalo Bill, among others, favored a Winchester '73 and the gun inspired the 1950 Western film Winhester '73 starring Jimmy Stewart.

We are going to continue to post stories and facts from our favorite finds here on the Hurricane Cedar Post Pawn Blog...so check back often!