http://militaryedgedweapons.com/germandaggerhangtaggallery4.htm

This control tag is from the firm Robert Klaas,Solingen-Ohligs. The tag itself is about 7/8" across and the one side shows the word "Qualitat" above the twin storks or better known as "Kissing Cranes" and below the year the firm began 1834. While the reverse of this tag is somewhat unique in that a small section is left blank(no printing) and above again are the "Kissing Cranes" and above that again the wording "Qualitat Seit 1834". The string is a very light weight type with the string extending through the lower section of the tag. I offer the theory that the blank area on the tag was for either a price or a model number of the item. I have seen two other types of Klaas control tags one was a metal variant an the last was a larger paper tag with the "Kissing Cranes" and the founding year. I do not have photo reference of either of those tags. Klass produced a wide range of dress daggers and bayonets along with vast amounts of cutlery for europe and for export. As side note: In Anthony Carter's reference Sword and Knife Makers he states that the trade mark seen here on this tag, the storks with no reference to the Klaas name is from 1938. The Klaas firm made various dress daggers and bayonets along with other types of cutlery.

This factory control tag is from the firm Friedrich von der Kohlen GmBH. Stahlwarenfabrik, Solingen. The more common trademark seen is the monogramed backwards "F" next to a "K". The tag here is rather large in size 1 5/8" x 1 1/4". It is constructed of a 2 piece(front and reverse)foil covered paper with a light weight double strand string, light yellow in color that extends through the lower portion of the tag. The tag itself shows "Solinger" and "Wertarbeit" in a red oval around a green inner oval. the inner oval shows the founding date 1874 the front to back FK and Qualitat. The tag is printed the same on both sides. The firm made early SA and NSKK daggers and it is also reported the made H/J's along with various types of cutlery.

I should comment here that while I have added values to some of the control tags you see I have not done so to all of them. To be fair any type of real market research is next to impossible. Some dealers offer common and even rare control tags fixed to a dagger at times and many times as a single tag. I try to keep up with the values but much of it is hit or miss. When a tag is added to a dagger the value jumps for both, but to get a real sense what value is added is again cloudy at best. While some of the more often seen tags can generate a good"ballpark" type of value other tags would be impossible to place any type of loose value on because they are so rare and just not seen. Possibly in the years to come as collectors get older and sell off "old time" collections more tags will enter the market again and can be tracked with some accuracy. Again, Tom Johnson has been of assistance in helpng with these values as of (summer)2009.

Who's to say you never run into a brick wall. Here is a control tag from the firm Carl Stocker, Solingen. The firms name and "QualitatArbeit" surrounds the trademark "hand grasping a staff with a glowing globe" above the word "SIGNAL". The founding date of Seit 1930 flanks the staff and globe. The string here is a light weight double stranded lemmon yellow color, it extends through and exits the lower section. Both obverse and reverse are printed the same. When I first picked up this tag I was hoping it was from the SMF firm, as a tag from them is unknown(with the exception of a modern made tag for the collector market only, these were made in low numbers). SMF is a Stocker firm but in Solingen like many places some names are duplicated. I have been offered one guess as to the maker mark, it was in relation to to german hunting horns of the period. I have no concrete proof of that being factual or not. The Signal word on the tag would lend itself to that idea. As any facts come forward on this unique tag I will add the information here.