Original Item: Only One Available. In 1935 the German military introduced the K98k bolt action rifle or Karabiner 98 Kurz, as a replacement for the older GEW98 or Gewehr 98. A new, shorter bayonet was designed to go along with the shortened rifle. The K98 bayonet was officially named Seitengewehr 84/98 III or SG 84/98 III. The bayonet was designed as a close combat sidearm that could be placed on the tip of a K98.

The total length of the K98 bayonet was 15.2 inches, far shorter than the 20 inch long GEW98 bayonet. The blade was also straighter in shape and the hand guard was omitted. The K98 bayonet was carried in a leather frog, or Seitengewehrtragetasche, on the left side on the equipment belt in combination with the shovel and its carrier. The maker marks on k98 bayonets where stamped onto the top of the blade. On the reverse the batch number and suffix were stamped.

Model bayonet: Seitengewehr 84/98 III
Bayonet Markings: 2885 / i, GEBR.HELLER, and 39
Scabbard Markings: 2853, S/172, and 36
Material: Blued steel
Grip material: Dark Brown Bakelite

Condition is very good with about 50% original bluing on blade, bakelite grips intact and a working locking button. The blade has the factory "sharpening", which did not really make the blade sharp: that was up to the soldier. There is some runner wear to the finish, and the lower half definitely shows finish loss from water exposure and cleaning. We can see the marks where the wavy runner contacted the surface, which left some light peppering. There is also a bit of damage to the tip of the blade, and the edge has some roughness and scuffing. The pommel retains the finish fairly well, however there is definitely water staining and oxidation on the reverse, probably from contact with a leather frog over a long period of time. The scabbard finish is still in good condition, showing wear and peppering but no major denting. There is some oxidation present, and it looks to have seen very long service.

The front of the blade bears serial number 2885 / i., and this is an early/pre WWII bayonet, so it pre-dates the three letter code system used later. The blade reverse ricasso is maker marked with GEBR.HELLER, indicating manufacture by the well-known maker Gebrüder Heller of Solingen, the legendary "City of Blades" in Eastern Germany. The spine of the blade is marked 39, indicating 1939 manufacture. There are also some small Waffenamt Eagle / 37 markings on the pommel, which are correct for the 1939-1940 period production of Heller.

The scabbard is non matching, marked with serial number 2853, and the back is dated 36 with S/172 above, a Zahlencode (number code) that was used from 1925-1940 to obscure manufacturers. "S/172" is the code used by Carl Eickhorn of Solingen, arguably the most legendary marker from the City. The black leather frog is a high quality replica from the late 20th century, old enough to see some rust on the rivets and bloom on the leather. It has replicated markings on the back.

An original early war German WWII Matching 98k Bayonet and scabbard, both by desirable Solingen makers and in very good service used condition. Ready to display or fit to your 98K rifle!

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