UBB.threads Forums Edged Weapons The BCN Bayonet Forum Questions about an older K98 bayonet

My grandfather served in Europe during WWII and he brought back this K98 bayonet. He recently gave it to me and I've been trying to find out as much as possible about it. However, this has been difficult because there are very few markings on it. All I've been able to find is an obvious maker's mark on the base of the blade (F. Koeller & Co. Ohligs Solingen) and a small number 3 with a crown above it on the top spine of the blade and on the handle by the release button. I've learned that it is either a 1st or 2nd pattern bayonet which means pre-1934. I also know that the scabbard is not correct, but is for an Steyr M95 bayonet instead. So can anyone help me ID this bayonet further? When was it made? How much is it worth? etc.

Pictures:






Thank you very much,
Brandon

Brandon i love the green paint on this WW1 bayonet.

So it is from WWI then? That's really cool!! How rare is it compared to the WWII K98 bayonets?

And I don't really know much about the green paint. It does look kinda cool and I don't think my grandpa put it on, but I could be wrong.

It's a WWI Sg84/98 type II, Koeller is a better manufacturer, at least in my experience it is harder to locate nice (they especially have issues with a poor struck mfg markings which yours doesn't suffer from, plus a unique acceptance arrangement/placement); unlike the type III which are expected to come unsharpened the type II almost always come sharpened, actually all Imperial blades usually have an edge to the blade so this is not an issue with your bayonet.
Bruce Karem speculates that although Koeller type II production don't come dated they very possibly are datable to 1917-1918 as that is the dates their Sg98/05 production occurred, though that is only a guess. Koeller collaborated with Ankerwerk on some earlier 98/05�s so maybe earlier?
As yours isn't blued or shows signs of Weimar/nazi era rework (the release isn't slotted & not marked or blued as is typical on Weimar reworks...) its value is probably about $50-75 bardless as although far scarcer than type III's there isn't quite the following to Imperial bayonets as to the nazi era bayonets.

A decent WWI bayonet, mine example is mintier but wish it had such a sharp mfg marking as yours does�

bards were painted during the war, especially it seems on ersatz modells however I think it more likely your Grandpa did it too... kind of refreshing a guy not thinking Adolph Hitler painted his bard, - those "anything�s possible" guys really can be annoying as all get out to me.

quote:

And I don't really know much about the green paint. It does look kinda cool and I don't think my grandpa put it on, but I could be wrong.

The bard could be a Polish or Austrian one, the early ones for the Polish WB22 were green painted Austrian 1895 scabbards like this, and the Austrians used greeen painted ones on their ersatz bayonets that also fit the same scabbard. THe spine marking is an inpsectors mark and the 3 is a letter not a number. There woudl normaly be a two digit number under this ranging from 15 to 18.

Hello, it looks like emergency WW1 austrian scabbard, is there any markings on frog stud. best regards,Andy

Yes, actually the crowned acceptance marking is a Crowned/"Z"
Normally as smithy suggests there is usually a Royal cypher with the date of acceptance along the back spine near the crosspiece/hilt, usually a Prussian cypher (Crowned/W/date of acceptance) but occasionally Imperial bayonets will sport Bavarian or Saxon cyphers...

If you find you have a hankering for Imperial bayonets, Anthony Carter did a fine series on most variations, and Bruce Karem did an extraordinary job on your variation (the type II up through the Weimar versions that led to the type III) undoubtedly the best author on the subject and I hope he decides to do his part II that covers WWII, kind of doubt it anytime soon though.

Thanks a ton for all the info, guys! Like I said before, it's so cool that it's from WWI, even if it is worth a little less. There's definitely no number on the spine. I can't really tell if there's anything marked on the frog stud but there is something that might be the outline of a Weimar Eagle but it actually looks more like a shallow gouge. Thanks again!