Hang Tag Gallery 1

This research gallery is for you the collector. It is dedicated to Mike Hansen (aka) "2New". Mike is no longer a collector of Third Reich daggers and their factory hang tags(factory control tags). Mike was one of the very first collectors I meet via the internet in late 1999 and early 2000,he was an advanced collector and had a fantastic collection of edged weapons and factory hang tags. He was at a minimum a motivated collector. Mike was also a no bullshit kind of guy and called the ball where it fell. This is a trait the hobby is sorely missing today. He didn't own every tag known and really thats the beauty of this field of collecting is that no single collector has seen every tag. Its really unknown if some tags even exist and others are so rare that collectors have seen one or two examples today. In the same breath some tags are abundant. It is my goal to pickup where Mike left off and offer a research gallery for these tags. If you have a tag in your collection and wish to add it here please feel free to contact me or send some high resolution images and I will post them here. I will always give credit to the owners if they desire. Please dont steal my images as its just not cool....I will add to these pages as time allows.

This hang tag is from the firm Ed. Wusthof Driezackwerk,Solingen. The firm is well known for its "Trident"logo. This tag was a private purchase by me from a collector out of Pennsylvania. I purchased the tag with out the dagger. The construction is of heavy paper with the string running all the way through the tag and extending out the lower edge. The tag is printed with the "Trident" logo in a outlined circle and Dreizack Solingen, The reverse of the tag shows the logo and an empty box. I can only offer a theory that the box would contain the item number of the piece the tag was to be affixed, but I have no proof. The string as shown is a bit weak. I have added this tag to the RAD Leader shown in the image. While doing some research on this firm I noted dress daggers and bayonets, H/J, SA. I also noted Miniature Army dress daggers both cased and uncased exist. In near 25 years of collecting I have never seen a full sized Army by this maker. I wonder if the firm ever made a full size rather only the "minis" marked with the Alexanderwerk stamping. I would be curious to see if any collectors have ever seen a full sized Army dagger by Ed. Wusthof. I would like to give a bit of a plug here on the dagger shown. It came from Brian Maederer and retains nearly all the blue to the scabbard panels.

This tag is from the firm Daniel Peres,Solingen. The trademark is that of a beer barrel with a spigot. The tag as shown is made of a light weight foil covered paper with a medium blue string, with each end extending through the lower section of the tag. I have seen SA's, H/J's by this maker and a as of yet unconfirmed dress bayonet. Peres also produced commercial products in the cutlery industry for use in europe and for export. The tag shown came attached to a Daniel Peres SA dagger. The dagger and tag were purchased from a pocket knife collector who knew I am always on the hunt for maker tags. The dagger and tag exhibit minor wear through out and it is a true "sock drawer" specimen. The hanging ring shows zero hang time. The tag was placed on the take down nut, I have since removed it and placed on the scabbard ring as to not cut the string on the nuts sharp edges. Mike McAlvanah who has produced the MCSAAR(an SA dagger maker rarity scale) had told me since he has been collecting this is only the second Daniel Peres control tag he has ever seen.

This factory control tag is from the firm Alexander Coppel, Solingen.GmbH. Also known as ALCOSO. Many times the last "o" is mis-read as an "a". The colors shown in the photographs are near exact. I mention this as another tag with black in the outer ALCOSO circle is being offered at Thomas Johnson's web site. Another difference between these tags are; the hang tag on Johnsons's web site also has an "C" in the ACS and scales logo. Where my tag read AWS with the scales. The "W" on my tag stands for "WERK" This shows the difference from when the Coppel family left the firm. The family was jewish and at that period in time jewish ownership of a german firm was forbidden. The AWS tag dates from around 1940 or just a bit later. Anyway both tags are correct and pre-1945. This yet another example of how tags can have variations. The tag I show here is made of medium weight foil covered paper,with a thin yellowish toned string running through the tag with the end extending out the lower section og the tag. Alcoso made a wide range of items, dress daggers and bayonets to various cutlery. I added this to a very late war ALCOSO in script navy dagger. The dagger has hammered hanging rings and a hammered scabbard. I'll also give a plug on the dagger,it's from "Chip" Gambino.

I will add two more variants of ALCOSO factory control tags here alomg with a rare and possibly never before seen ALCOSO factory shipping wrap paper. The tag on the lower left is from Tom Johnsons for sale section and is the type he offers. It shows a black border around the ACS and scales trademark also a black double wound light weight string. This will be refered to as type1. The next control tag on the lower right here is also of the same type of manufacture and size, however the border is a deep blue surrounding the AWS and scales trademark. This tag like the other from my collection is from the period after the Coppel family owners were purged by the Germans. This will be refered to as a type 3 variant. Johnsons tags shows the word QUALITAT on the lower section and the ACS and scales. This tag dates from when the Coppel family was still in control of the firm and before the purge by the Germans.

Also shown here at the bottom of the page possibly for the 1st time is a sheet of ALCOSO firm shipping wrap paper. This would have been wrapped around a bayonet or dagger and then place in the bag. Some ALCOSO bagged bayonets and daggers have been seen with this shipping wrap paper but to date none has been recorded showing the company trademark and the ALCOSO in script logo. It is possible that it does exist in a collection(s) but has not surfaced or perhaps just never been recorded. I will say that the "wax paper" or shipping wrap is quite rare and almost never encountered. The paper itself is somewhat transparent and the firms logo and founding date is present. Not a control tag but a nice treat and a bonus as it came with the type 3 variant hang tag shown below right. As to valuation of these, Johnson lists the type 1 on his site as a POR. I would think possibly in the area of 200-300.00$ usd. This is an estimate on my behalf. Due to lack of other specimens of the waxed shipping wrap trying to place a value on it is difficult. I would place it in the area of 500.00$ usd +/- .