What do you do with Nazi memorabilia?

Submitted ⁨⁨6⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago⁩ by ⁨ThatWeirdGuy1001@lemmy.world⁩ to ⁨[deleted]⁩

I own a long dagger/short sword. The hilt is in the design of the German eagle with its wings spread out as the hand guards and in the middle of the hand guard is a swastika. The scabbard is also adorned with swastikas on the top, mid section, and bottom.

I don’t want to own this piece as I don’t want to be seen as a Nazi sympathizer or anything of the sort, but I don’t want to sell it to someone who actually is a Nazi sympathizer or something like that.

What do I do with it besides trash it? I don’t want to trash it because it’s decent quality. It’s not historic in any way (which disturbs me to think about) but it’s well made.

What can I do with it?

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Comments

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actionjbone@sh.itjust.works ⁨6⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago
If it’s not of historic significance? Modify it.

Know anyone who does metal work? Ask them to change it to something interesting.

Got a Dremel? Buff away the Nazi bits until it’s smooth metal.

There are lots of different ways to change it!

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- neidu2@feddit.nl ⁨6⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago
  Seconding the dremmel approach. Worst case scenario: Y destroy a nazi sword. Best case: You end up with with a cool denazified sword.
  
  Grind down the swastica, and change to a smaller grit to get a nice and polished finish.
  
  Not sure, but I think the eagle predates the nazis.
  
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  - WhiteHotaru@feddit.de ⁨6⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago
    The eagle as a symbol predates the nazis - a lot. The „Reichsadler“ has been used since 800 A.D. as in the region that is now Germany:
    
    The Reichsadler, i. e. the German Imperial Eagle, originated from a proto-heraldic emblem that was believed to have been used by Charlemagne, the first Frankish ruler whom the Pope crowned as Holy Roman Emperor in AD 800, and derived ultimately from the Aquila, i. e. eagle standard, of the ancient Roman army.
    
    en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reichsadler
    
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- ThatWeirdGuy1001@lemmy.world ⁨6⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago
  This is probably what I’m gonna end up doing.
  
  I was just hoping someone could come up with something that wouldn’t involve damaging anything? Idk I don’t want to damage it but I don’t want it to exist 😅
  
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  - dhork@lemmy.world ⁨6⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago
    It’s already damaged with all of that Nazi shit, you would be fixing it.
    
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  - nix@midwest.social ⁨6⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago
    A craftsmen wouldn’t be damaging it, they’d be modifying it to make it more useful to you.
    
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scytale@lemm.ee ⁨6⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago
Donate it to a museum.

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- PlutoniumAcid@lemmy.world ⁨6⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago
  It belongs in a museum!
  
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  - Alice@hilariouschaos.com ⁨6⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago
    💩
    
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wesker@lemmy.sdf.org ⁨6⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago
Maybe it’s sonething a museum would be interested on?

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- ThatWeirdGuy1001@lemmy.world ⁨6⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago
  I doubt that. As I said it’s not historical. It was made within the last two decades so I don’t see a museum being interested.
  
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  - SpaceNoodle@lemmy.world ⁨6⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago
    Oh, so it’s not actually Nazi memorabilia. Melt it down.
    
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  - wesker@lemmy.sdf.org ⁨6⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago
    Oh, I missed that part. Just trash it, then.
    
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  - The_Picard_Maneuver@lemmy.world ⁨6⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago
    Oh, yeah so it’s just junk.
    
    If it were actually from WWII, I’d say there’s no reason not to hold on to a piece of history, but if it’s just neo-nazi garbage? I agree with the others saying modify it or toss it.
    
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  - mister_monster@monero.town ⁨6⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago
    Oh it’s a replica? Why do you have it in the first place?
    
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  - errer@lemmy.world ⁨6⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago
    My only other thought besides destroying it: maybe gift it to a theater so it can be used as a prop? There are plays that focus on nazis/neo-nazis (e.g. The Producers) so maybe they could get some use out of it?
    
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  - kent_eh@lemmy.ca ⁨6⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago
    
    It was made within the last two decades
    
    In that case, destroy it and drop it bin a scrap metal recycling bin.
    
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- WhiteHotaru@feddit.de ⁨6⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago
  Happy cake day! 🍰
  
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Melkath@kbin.earth ⁨6⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago
Melt it down and cast it the metal into a buttplug.

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- Sammy@lemmy.dbzer0.com ⁨6⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago
  Simply the only solution
  
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- Starb3an@sh.itjust.works ⁨6⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago
  I get fucked in the ass by enough things, I don’t need to Nazi’s doing it too
  
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SauceBossSmokin@lemmy.world ⁨6⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago
Does MTG know that it’s missing from her house yet?

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vivavideri@lemmy.world ⁨6⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago
I concur with the dremel approach. Grind the shenanigans off and proceed as usual. Bonus spitepoints if you do antifa logo or something.

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- gex@lemmy.world ⁨6⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago
  They could just draw three arrows on top of the swastika
  
  en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Three_Arrows
  
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PhlubbaDubba@lemm.ee ⁨6⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago
If it’s an artefact you may be able to turn it in to a reputable museum to get it off your hands

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givesomefucks@lemmy.world ⁨6⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago
I mean, the only person who would want it is a nazi…

If you knew a blacksmith they might smelt it, but I don’t even know if that would be a waste of money/effort for them. Maybe one would do it for the symbolism? Same for a scrap recycling place.

Just break it and throw it away

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AFC1886VCC@reddthat.com ⁨6⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago
Since it’s not genuine, I’d just destroy it. I think real historical artifacts have their place in museums for educational purposes. Reproduction Nazi memorabilia isn’t worth shit.

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- asdfasdfasdf@lemmy.world ⁨6⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago
  It wasn’t clear to me from the post that it isn’t genuine. I interpreted the post to mean that it wasn’t famous in some way, just a standard issue dagger, but that it wasn’t a reproduction.
  
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Nougat@fedia.io ⁨6⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago

It was made within the last two decades

decent quality

Are you sure about that? I mean, maybe you're a person who's way more into blades than I am, but a regular person who be hard pressed to differentiate between a "quality" blade and a "mall ninja shit" blade.

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- ThatWeirdGuy1001@lemmy.world ⁨6⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago
  It’s definitely well constructed when it comes to actual use. I’ve used it for test cutting before and it’s held up just fine. It wouldn’t be useful for defense but it would function as a dagger/short sword.
  
  And I’m no expert but I studied machining and metalworking in school so I know good steel.
  
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Boozilla@lemmy.world ⁨6⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago
Read enough comments to learn it’s a replica. Got a talented buddy with lathe? They might be able to transmorgify it into something very different, maybe even cool-looking.

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problematicPanther@lemmy.world ⁨6⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago
melt it down and turn it into some anti-fascist art.

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- Alice@hilariouschaos.com ⁨6⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago
  💩
  
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Shimitar@feddit.it ⁨6⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago
Keep it like it is, and make a point to explain to anybody what your views are. I understand you not wanting to be considered a Nazi, but it is still ab almost 100 years old piece of history and I think it would be a pity to trash it.

Never forget history, means also keep “historic memorabilia”. There is nothing bad in keeping a piece of history, good or bad, it’s all our history and we should always be wary of trying to " trash it ".

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- RememberTheApollo_@lemmy.world ⁨6⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago
  Seconded.
  
  We can collect historic pieces because they have a value, even if that value is describing some of the worst aspects of history in order to remember them so we don’t repeat it.
  
  A fake piece? I don’t understand the market for that. If it was a movie prop or for a legit reenactment group (as in not nazis), it could have some value, but as a generic fake someone wanted to own a Nazi thing and someone else wanted to make a Nazi thing for profit. I would have a hard time keeping that around. There’s no positives to it.
  
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Blizzard@lemmy.zip ⁨6⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago
Put sockets in it and insert some gems to give it properties like fire damage or life steal.

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tiefling@lemmy.blahaj.zone ⁨6⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago
Take a Dremel to it and turn it into something that isn’t problematic

Or paint it rainbow and confuse the fuck out of anyone that visits you

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dbx12@programming.dev ⁨6⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago
Maybe a theatre is interested in it as requisite for a play.

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stinerman@midwest.social ⁨6⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago
I would auction it off and then take the proceeds and give it to an organization that is dedicated to fighting fascism.

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- ThatWeirdGuy1001@lemmy.world ⁨6⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago
  The only problem is that would likely lead to an actual Nazi getting it.
  
  I’d rather fall on the blade than give it to a Nazi.
  
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  - stinerman@midwest.social ⁨6⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago
    I think it’s better to take the Nazi’s money and use it for good. YMMV. Whatever you do will be fine, I’m sure.
    
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  - BumpingFuglies@lemmy.zip ⁨6⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago
    Would that be so bad, though? The Nazi wastes money on a useless decorative blade and you get to take some money from a Nazi that might otherwise have gone to something worse.
    
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electric_nan@lemmy.ml ⁨6⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago
Stab a Nazi with it.

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some_guy@lemmy.sdf.org ⁨6⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago
Donate it to a museum with a sterling reputation or destroy it. Sounds like there’s no value to a museum, so that leaves one option. Take it to someone who can melt it down in front of you to make sure it’s not sold on a black market.

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- HonkTonkWoman@lemm.ee ⁨6⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago
  My mom & her brothers were arguing over family silverware. The older of my two uncles just took the silverware case & disappeared with it.
  
  That year for Christmas, every immediate family received a custom made ring made from the melted silverware.
  
  They’re not anything valuable. They look handmade & some of the pieces were outright ugly, but it worked.
  
  We all still have that silverware & it means a lot to all of us.
  
  To OP, completely understand you might not want jewelry made from a nazi knife, but maybe there’s an option to do something worthwhile while that melted metal, rather than just scrapping it?
  
  If nothing else, you could encase a copy of mein kampf in the metal & have a fancy ass doorstop you can kick around.
  
  “Is that a brick of silver holding your door open?”
  
  “Nope. It’s a deactivated copy of that hitler book.”
  
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dwemthy@lemdro.id ⁨6⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago
I have a similar item that I don’t want to display but also don’t want to get rid of - I inherited it from my grandfather who got it by killing a Nazi.

How do I keep the memory of an item that represents killing Nazis to me without it looking sympathetic? Defacing the symbols might be the right way

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- themeatbridge@lemmy.world ⁨6⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago
  It may be worth calling a few reputable museums to ask if they are interested in it. You could retain ownership while they display it, and that way you share the story of your grandfather without giving away the thing he left you.
  
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- nothacking@discuss.tchncs.de ⁨6⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago
  Get a display case and put a note with the story on it. That way it’s clear its being kept from historical/sentimental value and not because you like Nazis.
  
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- krashmo@lemmy.world ⁨6⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago
  I don’t think you need to deface it. You could even display it if you’re so inclined. Just make it clear to people who see it that you aren’t a Nazi sympathizer in the same way you’ve done here and you’ll be fine.
  
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- The_Picard_Maneuver@lemmy.world ⁨6⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago
  Frame it with an engraving telling the story. That’s an awesome piece of history to have, but you would definitely need to display it in some way that immediately communicates “this is historical”.
  
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- iiGxC@slrpnk.net ⁨6⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago
  Get a label maker and add a label saying “aquired by killing a nazi” (there’s probably something cooler/nicer than a label, like engraving it, and there’s probably a better way to word it too)
  
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  - kamenlady@lemmy.world ⁨6⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago
    Loot
    
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- Lifecoach5000@lemmy.world ⁨6⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago
  That’s an interesting question and wonder what most would say. There’s a story behind yours that’s rooted in world history and obviously affected your family. IMO, you’re allowed to keep it without looking sympathetic.
  
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- person420@lemmynsfw.com ⁨6⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago
  Same boat. My partner’s grandfather had a bunch of WW2 memorabilia that their parents passed down to us. Among it are the papers of some Nazis he took off their bodies as well as other odds and ends.
  
  It just sits in a box in our closet. It’s interesting history, but definitely not something I have any interest in displaying.
  
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pineapplelover@lemm.ee ⁨6⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago
There was a similae IASIP episode

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Mango@lemmy.world ⁨6⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago
Forgetabilia

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Yawweee877h444@lemmy.world ⁨6⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago
I’d honestly destroy it in some way, due to what it represents. Fuck saving or selling it.

We need to remember this history and all its details obviously, but we have a gargantuan amount of written and recorded history already enough, so I’d happily destroy any of that trash I found. With a smile.

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- Alice@hilariouschaos.com ⁨6⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago
  Stupid ass comment
  
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therealjcdenton@lemmy.zip ⁨6⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago
Donate it to a museum

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- HonkTonkWoman@lemm.ee ⁨6⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago
  But it’s ok to have a little fun when you do.
  
  Image
  
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mister_monster@monero.town ⁨6⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago
Who cares if people think you’re a Nazi sympathizer. You know who you are. Anyone who thinks you are without knowing you is a dumbass.

It’s a historical collectors item, nothing more. Keep it. It’s probably really cool.

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- Atomic@sh.itjust.works ⁨6⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago
  He just said it’s not historical in any way.
  
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  - mister_monster@monero.town ⁨6⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago
    OK well then why does he have it?
    
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Blizzard@lemmy.zip ⁨6⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago
I’m really curious how you got it.

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- ThatWeirdGuy1001@lemmy.world ⁨6⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago
  I honestly can’t remember as a lot of blades pass through my hands but I think it was a gift 🤷‍♂️
  
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  - Blizzard@lemmy.zip ⁨6⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago
    
    a lot of blades pass through my hands
    
    The plot thickens!
    
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TomAwsm@lemmy.world ⁨6⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago
Watch It’s Always Sunny In Philadelphia S01E06

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boatsnhos931@lemmy.world ⁨6⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago
You should destroy history because when you do it it’s like it never happened(and will never happen again) /s

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thermal_shock@lemmy.world ⁨6⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago
lots of collectors that aren’t Nazis, maybe sell it

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- rekabis@lemmy.ca ⁨6⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago
  The real trick is in finding the genuine collector, and not just another Nazi in a collector’s Trenchcoat.
  
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rufus@discuss.tchncs.de ⁨6⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago
Donate it to an Escape room or some artsy installation that’s set in that time.

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