At this time, there are a few prevailing theories about "deaths head" Lugers - we'll refer to them as DH Lugers. These theories are espoused on various forums and dealer sales ads. I suspect none could be considered recent manifestations, rather decades old stories.
Remember - Luger collecting is an old soul. Some of the theories around are simply passed down like a fruit cake from Christmas long ago. If you ever get a chance to read some Luger books from the 70's, you will find some hilariously wrong information. While it would be easy to make fun of them, we really can't because 98k books from then are just as full of crap. There are more modern books, but the old books seem to keep holding on. These older books use best guess dead reckoning and some very weird though processes which we consider foreign today. It seems most are gun show stories told amongst collectors which made their way into books of the period. I mean actual stories, like in order to explain them you have to sit around drinking beer making shite up that seems to fit. Lets debunk the top ones, I will start with one of my favorites:
A - DH Lugers are from Weimar era flamethrower units. This is based on the idea that the "Lazy S" is reminiscent of the motion of using a flamethrower as you sweep it across the enemies positions. OK. I'm not sure we need to actually debunk this one. While the use of skulls in the Weimar era is correct, the idea of the Lazy S being flamethrower motions is....well....I don't know how you take that serious.
B - The DH is from WW1 Sturmbattalions. This explanation is probably the oldest and has the most legs. There are plenty of instances where the skulls were used. But, that pesky lazy S. No examples of that being used.
C - These are SS from the 20's. Ok, I do believe they are SS, but from the 30's. Why?
As we have chronicled in the rifle field, the SS used the "lazy S" skull as a depot stamp, beginning in 1936. We can debunk A and B above pretty easy - when you see a lazy S skull stamped on a 98k barrel that is dated 1936-38, it places it in the later period. "Not so fast, its just a continuation of use.". Ok- if you are going to use that logic, you have to present proof that the skull was used earlier on any single item. Nothing exist with that skull that can be tied to the WW1 period. "Not so fast sport - WW1 dated Lugers have it". Got me, you find it on WW1 Lugers. Except, those WW1 Lugers are reworked later, so that isn't proof.
Examples of the Lazy S skull tied to the SS depot system are numerous. We know that lazy S skull is an SS depot stamp from 98k barrels stamped with it, along with the wrist of early 98k Gew reworks. This thread chronicles their use based on observations. Link to "SS Skull Research" thread from the 98k section - this establishes the time period of use for each type of skull, the lazy S is included ( 1936 - 1939 ) : https://www.k98kforum.com/showthread.php?35803-Lets-talk-SS-Deaths-Heads
Updated timeline image included here.
Remember - Luger collecting is an old soul. Some of the theories around are simply passed down like a fruit cake from Christmas long ago. If you ever get a chance to read some Luger books from the 70's, you will find some hilariously wrong information. While it would be easy to make fun of them, we really can't because 98k books from then are just as full of crap. There are more modern books, but the old books seem to keep holding on. These older books use best guess dead reckoning and some very weird though processes which we consider foreign today. It seems most are gun show stories told amongst collectors which made their way into books of the period. I mean actual stories, like in order to explain them you have to sit around drinking beer making shite up that seems to fit. Lets debunk the top ones, I will start with one of my favorites:
A - DH Lugers are from Weimar era flamethrower units. This is based on the idea that the "Lazy S" is reminiscent of the motion of using a flamethrower as you sweep it across the enemies positions. OK. I'm not sure we need to actually debunk this one. While the use of skulls in the Weimar era is correct, the idea of the Lazy S being flamethrower motions is....well....I don't know how you take that serious.
B - The DH is from WW1 Sturmbattalions. This explanation is probably the oldest and has the most legs. There are plenty of instances where the skulls were used. But, that pesky lazy S. No examples of that being used.
C - These are SS from the 20's. Ok, I do believe they are SS, but from the 30's. Why?
As we have chronicled in the rifle field, the SS used the "lazy S" skull as a depot stamp, beginning in 1936. We can debunk A and B above pretty easy - when you see a lazy S skull stamped on a 98k barrel that is dated 1936-38, it places it in the later period. "Not so fast, its just a continuation of use.". Ok- if you are going to use that logic, you have to present proof that the skull was used earlier on any single item. Nothing exist with that skull that can be tied to the WW1 period. "Not so fast sport - WW1 dated Lugers have it". Got me, you find it on WW1 Lugers. Except, those WW1 Lugers are reworked later, so that isn't proof.
Examples of the Lazy S skull tied to the SS depot system are numerous. We know that lazy S skull is an SS depot stamp from 98k barrels stamped with it, along with the wrist of early 98k Gew reworks. This thread chronicles their use based on observations. Link to "SS Skull Research" thread from the 98k section - this establishes the time period of use for each type of skull, the lazy S is included ( 1936 - 1939 ) : https://www.k98kforum.com/showthread.php?35803-Lets-talk-SS-Deaths-Heads
Updated timeline image included here.