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 great Heer (army) example is in very good condition, and has a nickel plated blade, as almost all dress bayonets do. It has a nice alloy hilt, with most of the Nickel Plating intact, though there is some light wear and flaking, as shown. The mortise button and blade release are fully functional, with an intact green felt insert. The grip plates are both lovely checkered black bakelite, and both are in great condition. They are retained by nickel-plated steel bolts and slot nuts, not the usual rivets we see on dress bayonets.

The blade on this example is nickel-plated, as were all dress bayonets, and is a "knife" style blade with partial fullers and a false edge on the top of the point, which is a known pattern for the short blades. There is a bit of light runner wear, and also some scuffing on the blade near the edge. from cleaning. It has not been sharpened, and still retains its blunt factory edge, with just a bit of wear. The original black leather blade buffer is in place, and is in very nice condition.

The rear ricasso of the blade is stamped with the "Jung Siegfried" trademark logo of Ernst Pack & Söhne, Ritterwerk, which is in very good condition. The mark shows their trademark "Young Siegfried wielding a hammer" Logo to the left, with the three line address to the right. The whole trademark reads:

E. PACK
& SÖHNE
SOLINGEN

Per J. Anthony Carter's book GERMAN KNIFE AND SWORD MAKERS, this firm used this trademark specifically on "walking out" dress bayonets for the police and army. The company mostly made daggers so there is not as much information regarding the bayonets. The company survived the war, until it was sold in the 1960s to another knife company from Solingen, and the maker mark continued to be used into the 1990s.

The scabbard is straight throughout and retains the original black enamel finish at over 80%. It shows extensive checking and crazing to the finish, only possible after a long period of time, with just a bit of finish loss from wear around lower ball and the rear. Attached to the scabbard is a nice black patent leather frog, which has "melted" over time, and now shows an impression of the grip texture, as well as checking and crazing.

An lovely example of an German Long 98k dress bayonet by a well-known maker, complete with scabbard and frog, which would fit well in any German edged weapon collection.

Specifications:
Blade Length: 7 3/4"
Blade Style: Single Edge w/ Fuller
Overall length: 12 1/2“
Crossguard: 2”
Scabbard Length: 10 7/8"