Original Austrian WWI Mannlicher M1895 NCO Bayonet by ŒWG Steyr with Hook Quillon, “Loyal Until Death” Etched Blade & Troddle Knot - Featured in To The Hilt The Austrian Bayonet by David F. Machnicki
In stock
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Original Item: Only One Available. Purchased directly from David F. Machnicki, the author of To The Hilt The Austrian Bayonet, where this bayonet is pictured on page 87.
This is a very nice Austrian-made NCO bayonet with a tremendous knot, scabbard, and frog. The blade has a fantastic etching, “Treu bis in den Tod!” or “Loyal Until Death!”. The entry reads:
“This Austrian M.1895 NCO bayonet shows a uniform gray patina over the surface of its bright blade, crossguard and pommel. Its bird’s head pommel contains a functional round release button operated from the reverse, a pommel loop and a T-mortise. There are smooth dark brown wooden grips attached to the tang using two domed steel rivets and washers. The crossguard has a hooked quillon and is mounted to the tang using dome-headed rivets. The manufacturer’s mark of OWEG (Osterreichische Waffenfabriks-Gesellschaft, Steyr) is stamped into the obverse ricasso. An attractive gray patina covers the surface of the metal scabbard. Its flat frog stud is devoid of any markings. The knot attached to the swivel loop was manufactured using metallic thread and bears the “K” cypher for Austrian Kaiser Karl I. A brown leather frog belt is attached. Etched into the reverse blade is the inscription: True bis in den Tod! (Loyal until Death).”
These normally have no quillon, and just a muzzle ring on the crossguard, but this is a rare version for NCOs, which has a hooked quillon and small swivel on the bottom. This was for attaching a Troddle knot to the bayonet, so that the NCO could easily be identified by the colorful knot on his bayonet. This was even more apparent when the bayonet was fixed onto the rifle. For more information please see Watts & White’s fine work The Bayonet Book, page 20, item 42.
The bayonet and scabbard are both stamped with Œ over WG, the marking for Österreichische Waffenfabriksgesellschaft (Austrian Arms-Manufacturing Company), abbreviated as ŒWG. Steyr Mannlicher firearm production was a part of this company.
Condition of the bayonet is very good overall. The scabbard, originally blued, was painted during its service life, most likely due to finish loss. The leather frog is in good shape but has some heavy damage to the reverse. The knot is absolutely phenomenal.
A rare bayonet with an outstanding etching from the Austro-Hungarian empire, ready to display or use!
Specifications:
Blade Length: 10"
Blade Style: Single Edge w/ Fuller
Overall length: 14 1/4“
Crossguard: 3 3/8”
Scabbard Length: 10 1/2"
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