Original Item: Only One Available. This is an excellent original German WWII Heer Army long dress bayonet by Ernst Pack & Söhne of Solingen, complete with its black enamel scabbard and black patent leather dress frog. Particularly desirable is the personalized blade inscription naming Gefreiter Brosius and his Reiterzug, I.R. 6 association. Combined with the attractive nickel plated finish, excellent blade, checkered black Bakelite grips, and Pack's distinctive “Jung Siegfried” trademark, this is a particularly appealing named example with excellent research potential.

The dress version of the S 84/98 type 98K bayonet was a simplified and more decorative form 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 is the desirable long blade configuration, with a nickel plated steel hilt retaining most of its original finish. There is some light wear to the plating, as shown, but the overall presentation remains excellent. The mortise button and bayonet release remain fully functional. The colored felt insert normally found in the rifle slot is no longer present.

The grip is fitted with attractive checkered black Bakelite scales, both of which remain in excellent condition. They are secured by nickel plated steel slotted and spanner type bolts. The hardware shows some plating loss and oxidation, but remains complete.

The nickel plated blade is also in excellent condition, retaining more than 95% of its original plating. There is some finish loss near the tip and on raised portions of the left side close to the point, while the remainder of the blade shows very little wear or oxidation. Importantly, the blade has not been sharpened and retains its original factory blunt edge. The leather blade buffer at the base of the blade is unfortunately no longer present.

The strongest collector feature is the personalized inscription on the right side of the blade, executed in stylized German script:

Gefreiter Broſius, Reiterzug J. R. 6

The inscription identifies the owner as Gefreiter Brosius and associates him with the Reiterzug, or mounted platoon, of Infanterie-Regiment 6. Period personnel records confirm the existence of a Reiterzug Infanterie-Regiment 6, and Infanterie-Regiment 6 was assigned to the 30th Infantry Division beginning in 1936.

In the original inscription, the letter forms are rendered in the period handwritten style commonly referred to as Sütterlin. The surname includes the characteristic diacritic "ŭ" used to distinguish a handwritten u from an n, an important detail that helps confirm the intended reading of the name.

The rear ricasso of the blade is etched with the "Jung Siegfried" trademark logo of Ernst Pack & Söhne, Ritterwerk, which is in excellent 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 accompanying scabbard is straight throughout and retains its black enamel finish in good condition. There are only a couple of scratches, together with the usual crazing and checking associated with age. It remains an excellent visual match for the bayonet.

Attached to the scabbard is a black patent leather dress frog with a felt backing. The stitching remains secure throughout. The patent finish shows some deterioration that gives portions of the surface a softened or “melted” appearance, and there is also some wear and loss to the felt backing. These condition issues are clearly visible but the frog remains complete and displays well with the set.

For the German WWII edged weapons collector, this is much more than a standard long dress bayonet. The personalized Gefreiter Brosius / Reiterzug / I.R. 6 inscription, documented connection of Infantry-Regiment 6 with the 30th Infantry Division, excellent nickel plated blade, distinctive Ernst Pack & Söhne “Jung Siegfried” trademark, original scabbard, and surviving dress frog give the grouping exceptional personality and research potential. It would be an excellent addition to an advanced Heer dress bayonet, Solingen maker, named militaria, or 30th Infantry Division collection.

Specifications:
Blade Length: 9 3/4"
Blade Style: Single Edge w/ Fuller
Overall length: 14 1/2“
Crossguard: 2 1/4”
Scabbard Length: 10 7/8"