Original German WWII Long 98k Dress Bayonet by Fahnen Reuter with Early Luftwaffe Preßstoff & Leather Frog and Scabbard

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 interesting example is in very good condition, and has a lovely nickel plated blade. It has a nice alloy hilt, with much of the Nickel Plating intact, though there is overall wear and bubbling to the finish, as shown in the pictures. The mortise button and blade release are fully functional, though the felt insert is missing. The grip plates are both lovely checkered black bakelite, and both are in great condition. They are retained by solid nickel rivets which have dressed heads on the obverse.

The blade on this example is nickel-plated, as were all dress bayonets. It does have slight wear to the plating from runner wear and cleaning, but there is now any major plating loss or oxidation. It has not been sharpened, and still retains its blunt factory edge. The original leather blade buffer is in place, and is in very nice condition.

The ricasso is maker-marked with FAHNEN REUTER in an arc over MÜNSTER, the maker marking of Reuter Vereinsbedarf-Fabrik (Club Supplies Factory) located in Münster, Westphalia. Per J. Anthony Carter's fine work GERMAN SWORD AND KNIFE MAKERS, this maker of flags and uniform accessories, Fahnen-und Uniform-Effekten, is now known to have been an association of otherwise independent manufacturers. They are known to have made "walking-out" dress bayonets such as this example during the Third Reich.

The scabbard is straight throughout and still has over 85% of the original black enamel lacquer with some areas of loss on the front. It has a lovely pattern of checking and crazing, only possibly after decades, which has caused areas on the front to flake away allowing the steel to oxidize. There is also some paint loss and oxidation on the frog button.

The scabbard is held in a very interesting brown Luftwaffe style frog, which is definitely quite unusual. The main body of the frog is made from Preßstoff faux leather, while the front retainer for the scabbard is made from brown leather. This style was common later in the war, however this example is marked on the back with A. FISCHER / BERLIN / C.2 1938, so it is an early war frog. We are not sure why this material was used during the pre-war period, but it may be that leather was hard to come by due to the demands of wartime mobilization.

A lovely German Dress Bayonet by a rare maker, complete with a very interesting bayonet frog. Ready to research and display!

Specifications:
Blade Length: 9 3/4"
Blade Style: Single Edge w/ Fuller
Overall length: 14 5/8“
Crossguard: 2 1/4”
Scabbard Length: 10 1/2"

Presstoff (also Preßstoff or Pressstoff) is the German-language term for a type of ersatz or artificial leather used during the first half of the 20th century. Made of specially layered and treated paper pulp, Presstoff was durable and easily adapted to be used in place of leather, which under wartime conditions was rationed. First invented in the 19th century, it gained its widest use in Germany during the Second World War.

Presstoff use included but was not limited to binoculars cases and straps, horse tack, bayonet frogs, equipment belts, cap visors etc. In short, Presstoff could be used in almost every application normally filled by leather, excepting items like footwear that were repeatedly subjected to flex wear and/or moisture. Under these conditions Presstoff tended to delaminate and lose cohesion.