Original Item: Only One Available. The K-98 dress bayonet was a dress version of the combat style, and was worn by enlisted and NCO personnel for dress and parade occasions. The bayonets were finished with a high-quality nickel plating, with stag or bakelite grip plates and black painted scabbard. The choice of blade length was left to the purchaser, either the nickel-plated short (20cm) or long (25cm) version. There was usually a red or green colored felt insert in the rifle slot and the bayonet was suspended from a black or brown leather frog. Some had a functional bayonet latch, while it was ornamental on some. Often they would also have a sword knot, or troddle, and the color would indicate the branch or rank.

This very interesting Heer (Army) example is in very good service used condition, and is the "long" version with a very rare to find sawback style blade, which is in bright steel, not nickel plated. It shows heavy use and at present measures 10 1/4", longer than it should be, so it may be possible that this is a different type of bayonet. We have only seen a few examples of sawback type dress bayonets previously. It comes complete with its original black enameled scabbard and black leather dress frog. The hilt is steel and not nickel-plated, instead showing a blued finish that is relatively well retained. The grip plates are lovely stag antler, showing some great age, and are secured by military style hardware: spanner split nuts and flathead bolts. The hilt features a working bayonet catch, though the felt insert is missing.

The carbon steel blade shows long use , and has definitely been sharpened on the main edge as well as the false edge, probably several times. This bayonet looks to have been used in the field, and saw extensive service. There are areas of past water staining and rust, now cleaned away, and the sawback itself also had the edges sharpened due to being dull. Definitely a blade with extensive history and an impossible to duplicate look.

The reverse ricasso is stamped with the trademark Alcoso "scales" with the firm's initials, ACS interspersed. Alcoso is a trade name of Alexander Coppel & Co. KG, Stahlwarenfabrik, located in Solingen, the legendary German "City of Blades." Per J. Anthony Carter's fine work GERMAN SWORD AND KNIFE MAKERS, the company was a major manufacturer of edged weapons and tools from the end of the 19th century up until the WWII period. Unfortunately, as NSDAP-control increased, brothers Carl Gustav and Dr. Alexander Coppel, the Jewish owners of the firm, were forced out. In 1936 the firm had been "Aryanized", and started using the name ALCOSO to hide the Jewish family name. By the end of 1936 the brothers were ejected from their Solingen offices, and by 1940 the brand trademark initials ACS were changed to AWS to reflect the change in ownership and name: Alexander Coppel Solingen to Alcoso-Werk Solingen. Carl Gustav Coppel committed suicide in Solingen in 1941, and Dr. Alexander Coppel was arrested in 1942 and sent to Theresienstadt Prison camp, where he died August 5th 1942. The factory itself was destroyed by Allied bombers in November 1944.

The scabbard is quite nice and still has about 60% of the original black enamel paint, showing great age, and the entire surface shows age related checking and crazing, which has resulted in a good amount of the finish flaking away, allowing the steel to oxidize. The reverse definitely shows this more than the front. The body is held by the included black leather dress frog, which is in very good lightly used condition. The patent finish has "melted" over time, showing drips and cracking, and there is some wear around the edges on both sides.

A very interesting service used example of a rare "sawback" 98K dress bayonet, complete with scabbard and frog. Ready to research and display!

Specifications:
Blade Length:10 3/8"
Blade Style: Single Edge w/ Fuller
Overall length: 15 1/4“
Crossguard: 2 1/8”
Scabbard Length: 11"