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, being 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.

Enlisted or NCO personnel were permitted to purchase K-98 dress bayonets with fancy etched blades. These etchings run the gamut from simple designs featuring the standard remembrance, Zur Erinnerung an meine Dienstzeit (In Memory of My Service Time), to very fancy, custom etched depictions, citing the individual's regiment, unit, and sometimes even his name. Many blade factories offered unique etch patterns. The etch work was often state of the art.

This lovely example is in very good condition, and has a very nice custom etched nickel plated blade, though it looks like the tip was damaged at some point, so it was sharpened slightly to make it smooth. It comes complete with the original black enamel finished steel scabbard. The bayonet has a nice alloy hilt, which still retains the plating at over 90%, showing some wear and denting, but no flaking or major loss of the plating. The pommel does has a fully functional locking stud and mortise slot, and the red felt insert is still present. The grip plates are both lovely checkered black bakelite, and both are in great condition. They are retained by nickel plated steel flat bolts and split nuts, which show plating loss and oxidation.

Measuring 13.5" with the scabbard on, this dress bayonet features a 7 5/8" nickel-plated steel blade, which has the previously mentioned sharpening to the tip, but otherwise is still bright and crisp with little sign of wear. It is a "knife" style blade with partial fullers and a false edge on the top of the point. The right side of the blade has a lovely etched panel with the text ZUR ERINNERUNG / AN MEINE DIENSTZEIT (In Remembrance of My Service), with a simple border, and oak leaf and acorn sprigs to the left. On the right side there is a WWI type biplane with markings and a swas on the tailfin, indicating this bayonet was intended for a member of the Luftwaffe Air Force.

The ricasso of the blade is marked with the "Siegfried" trademark logo of Ernst Pack & Söhne, which is in excellent condition. The mark shows their trademark "Young Siegfried wielding a hammer". The whole trademark reads:

Siegfried
WAFFEN
E. PACK
& SÖHNE
SOLINGEN

Per J. Anthony Carter's book GERMAN KNIFE AND SWORD MAKERS, this firm used this trademark on Army Officer swords as well as daggers and bayonets before the war and during the early years. They mostly made daggers so there is not as much information regarding the swords. 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 steel scabbard is straight throughout, and is in very good condition considering the age. The original black enamel finish is retained at about 85%, showing some wear through on the edges as well as overall crazing and checking due to age. There is a bit of light denting, and the frog stud also is no longer securely attached, being able to rotate around.

An very nice example of an etched German Short 98k dress bayonet by a well-known maker in its original scabbard, complete with frog and ready to display!

Specifications:
Blade Length: 7 5/8"
Blade Style: Single Edge w/ Fuller
Overall length: 12 3/8“
Crossguard: 2 1/4”
Scabbard Length: 8 3/4"