Original Item. Only One Available. This is a very good original Imperial German Model 1898 neuer Art bayonet manufactured by P.D. Lüneschloss of Solingen for use with the Gewehr 98 rifle. The bayonet retains its distinctive long quill-back blade, two-piece wooden grip, full hilt assembly, and leather scabbard with metal fittings. The bayonet and scabbard bear different serial numbers and did not originate as a matching numbered set.

The Seitengewehr 98 was adopted alongside the Gewehr 98 service rifle at the end of the 19th century. Its exceptionally long blade gave the infantryman considerable reach when mounted on the rifle, reflecting military doctrine developed when cavalry remained an important battlefield consideration.

The Model 1898 was later modified into the neuer Art, or new type, configuration. Introduced during the early 20th century, this version replaced the original one-piece wraparound wooden grip with two separate wooden grip scales secured to the tang. This example has the characteristic long pipe-back blade, also commonly described by collectors as a quill-back blade.

The blade ricasso is maker marked:

P. D.
LÜNESCHLOSS
SOLINGEN

The well-known P.D. Lüneschloss, Fabrik blanker Waffen (Factory of Bare Weapons) company was founded in 1810 by Peter Daniel Lüneschloss. It originally began as a cutlery manufacturer but started the production of edged weapons in 1848. During the American Civil War of 1861-65, Lüneschloss supplied edged weapons to both Federal and Confederate forces, though definitely supplied more to the former. The company began producing bayonets in 1860, and had various contracts for them around the world, per J. Anthony Carter's work GERMAN KNIFE AND SWORD MAKERS.

This bayonet is an example of the second model of this bayonet, the n.A. (neu Art) model introduced in 1902, and the grip is made of two halves from wood. After the turn of the century the Germans simplified and strengthened their bayonet grips. The original "alter Art" (old type) bayonet had a grip made of one single piece of wood, which was wrapped around the tang.

The bayonet shows some small areas of light corrosion on the blade, but it has not been sharpened . The two piece grip is still in good condition, with some scuffing, and the carved ribs are now very faded. The hilt does have wear and some light corrosion, so this is definitely a bayonet that saw a lot of service. The bayonet comes complete with its original hard leather scabbard, which unfortunately has heavy wear with a large bend near the drag. Most were issued with metal fitted leather scabbards.

The crossguard is stamped with serial number 27532, while the scabbard button is stamped with serial number 25133, so it is not a matching set.

Long Model 1898 bayonets remained in German inventories when WWI began in 1914, although shorter bayonet patterns had already entered service. The considerable length of the M1898 made it effective when fixed to the Gewehr 98 but less convenient in trenches, vehicles, and other confined conditions.

The P.D. Lüneschloss maker mark, unshortened quill-back blade, two-piece n/A grip, unsharpened edge, and complete leather scabbard preserve the principal features of this Imperial German bayonet. The light blade corrosion, worn grip ribs, hilt oxidation, mismatched serial numbers, and heavily bent scabbard are important condition considerations, but the set remains a representative example of the long bayonet carried with the Gewehr 98 during the early years of WWI.

Specifications:
Blade Length: 20 1/2"
Overall length: 25 3/4”
Crossguard: 2 3/8”
Scabbard Length: 21 3/8”