Original German WWII Heer Army Etched Short 98k Dress Bayonet by Robert Klaas with Scabbard & Frog

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 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.

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 is a very good example, made by Robert Klaas, a very well-regarded and desirable maker. The bayonet is in very good condition, and comes complete with the original scabbard and black leather frog. The bayonet has a has a very nice custom etched nickel plated blade. It also has has a nice alloy hilt, which still has over 90% of the original nickel plating, and a fully functional mortise button and lug channel, complete with a red felt insert. There is some bubbling and age to the plating, but it still presents very nicely. The grip plates are both lovely checkered black bakelite, and both are in very good condition. They are retained by zinc alloy rivets, which have dressed heads on the obverse, and look to have been peened a bit to make them less loose. This did somewhat damage the lower rivet.

The blade on this example is nickel-plated, as were all dress bayonets. There is some light plating wear, mostly related to the runner inside the scabbard. There is a bit of light oxidation, but nothing major, and the edge is still correctly blunt, with no dents or other issues.

The etched panel itself has some lovely designs, surrounded by "Wotan's Knot" motifs, with a large open-wing Wehrmachtadler Eagle in the center, which is surrounded on the bottom by a lovely German black letter type face inscription:

Zur Erinnerung an meine Dienstzeit

This translates to "As a reminder of my service", which is a very common inscription for these dress bayonets.

The reverse ricasso is maker marked with a "round" style trademark logo that reads ROBERT KLAAS / SOLINGEN, surrounding the trademark Klaas "Kissing Storks" trademark emblem. This is a well-known maker from Solingen, the famous "City of Blades" in Western Germany, which produced many fine edged weapons. The company was originally founded by Friedrich Robert Klaas, who married the daughter of knife maker Peter Daniel Pauls. After his father-in-law passed away, all was left to Klaas and his wife, so he merged his scissor business with the knife business, and registered with Solingen authorities in 1869. The company passed to his sons, and then his son-in-law. It survived WWI, WWII, and still exists today, per J. Anthony Carter's fine work GERMAN SWORD AND KNIFE MAKERS. The leather blade buffer is still present and in great shape.

The scabbard is straight throughout, and really is in very good shape considering the age. The original black enamel finish is relatively well retained, with some lovely crazing and checking to the finish, confirming the age. There are scratches and areas where the finish has flaked away, allowing the scabbard to oxidize, giving it a lovely aged look. The scabbard is held in a very nice black leather belt frog, which originally had a lovely black patent leather finish, though this has "melted" over time, as they often do.

A very nice example of an etched German Short 98k dress bayonet by a desirable Solingen maker, complete with scabbard and frog. Ready to display!

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