Original Item. Only One Available. This is a fine example of an Austro-Hungarian Model 1895 (M1895) Non-Commissioned Officer's bayonet, manufactured by Österreichische Waffenfabriks-Gesellschaft (OEWG) of Steyr, Austria, for use with the Mannlicher M1895 rifle. The bayonet retains its distinctive NCO-pattern hilt, yellow-and-black sword knot (Portepee), steel scabbard, and brown leather belt frog. This example was purchased directly from the personal collection of David F. Machnicki, author of the At Arm's Length series on trench clubs and knives as well as To The Hilt: The Austrian Bayonet.

The bayonet has a straight, single-edged steel blade with a broad fuller and spear point. The ricasso bears the OEWG manufacturer's marking on one side and the Austro-Hungarian Imperial double-headed eagle acceptance mark on the other. The steel hilt incorporates a muzzle ring, curved quillon, and wooden grip scales secured by two metal fasteners. The pommel retains its bayonet mounting slot, locking mechanism, and the distinctive movable ring used to attach the sword knot.

Of particular interest is the attached yellow woven Portepee, decorated with narrow black stripes and terminating in a tightly woven tassel. Its yellow-and-black coloration reflects the traditional Habsburg dynastic colors used in Austro-Hungarian military dress. The accompanying steel scabbard retains its brown leather belt frog, complete with its stitched suspension arrangement and metal hardware.

Condition is good overall, showing age and service wear throughout. The blade retains its full profile and well-defined fuller, with scattered scratches, discoloration, and surface oxidation. The steel fittings and scabbard have developed a gray-brown patina, while the wooden grip scales exhibit handling wear and finish loss. The leather frog shows more pronounced aging, including surface cracking, creasing, and wear around the attachment points. The yellow-and-black Portepee remains particularly attractive, retaining strong coloration and a complete woven tassel.

Blade Length: 9 ¾"
Overall length: 15”
Scabbard Length: 10 ¼”

Historical Context

The Mannlicher Model 1895 rifle was adopted by the Austro-Hungarian armed forces in 1895, during a period of extensive military modernization under Emperor Franz Joseph I. Developed from Ferdinand Ritter von Mannlicher's straight-pull bolt-action designs, the M1895 employed a five-round en-bloc clip-loading system and was originally chambered for the 8×50mmR cartridge. It became one of the principal infantry weapons of the Habsburg monarchy and remained in widespread service throughout the First World War.

The corresponding M1895 bayonet was designed as a compact infantry weapon, suitable for attachment to the rifle or carriage in its steel scabbard. Its single-edged blade was mounted with the cutting edge facing upward when fixed to the rifle, a characteristic arrangement of the Austrian Mannlicher system. The relatively short blade and straightforward construction reflected the changing requirements of European infantry equipment at the end of the nineteenth century.

A distinctive version of the M1895 bayonet was produced for non-commissioned officers, incorporating a curved quillon and a movable ring at the pommel for attaching a sword knot. This arrangement retained elements of the older Austro-Hungarian tradition of rank distinctions on edged weapons. The attached Portepee was an established military accessory whose origins lay in the wrist cords used to secure swords and other weapons. Over time, these knots became regulated articles of military dress, with their construction and colors indicating particular categories of personnel.

Within the Austro-Hungarian Army, non-commissioned officers performed essential duties in maintaining discipline, supervising weapons instruction, and directing soldiers during routine service and combat. Their distinctive bayonet fittings and sword knots reflected an established military hierarchy in which rank could be identified through details of uniforms and personal equipment.

The M1895 weapons system was manufactured principally within the Empire's established arms industry, including the Österreichische Waffenfabriks-Gesellschaft at Steyr and the Fegyver- és Gépgyár works in Budapest. Steyr had become one of Europe's major military firearms manufacturing centers during the nineteenth century, producing large quantities of Mannlicher rifles and associated equipment for the Imperial and Royal armed forces. The company played an important role in supplying the enormous quantities of small arms required by the Austro-Hungarian military before and during WWI.

Following Austria-Hungary's entry into the First World War in 1914, the Mannlicher M1895 rifle and bayonet accompanied Imperial and Royal troops across several major theaters of operations. Austro-Hungarian infantry fought against Russian forces in Galicia and the Carpathian Mountains, against Serbia in the Balkans, and, beginning in May 1915, against Italy along the Isonzo River and the Alpine frontier.

These campaigns placed considerable demands on the Empire's infantry equipment. Soldiers frequently operated in mountainous terrain, severe winter conditions, and fortified positions where close-quarter fighting remained an important consideration. Bayonet instruction consequently continued to form part of infantry training, even as artillery, machine guns, and other modern weapons increasingly dominated the battlefield.

The M1895 remained in extensive Austro-Hungarian service until the dissolution of the Habsburg monarchy in 1918. Following the war, substantial stocks of Mannlicher rifles and bayonets passed into the inventories of the successor states, including Austria and Hungary, where the system continued in military use during the interwar period. The M1895 family consequently remained part of Central European military equipment for decades after its original adoption.