UBB.threads Forums Edged Weapons The BCN Bayonet Forum Eickhorn Combat Bayonets

Since I just received the latest of the dated Eickhorn combat bayonets that I have been looking for, I want to share with you the ones that I have found to date.

First up is a G coded one with S/N 3370c.

The second one is a K coded bayo with S/N 2454a.

The first two years of production where Eickhorn used the TM S/172.

The S/172 code was used for three more production years, 1936, 1937 and, strangely 1940. More on 1940 later.

The latest arrival chez JohnZ is this 1936 dated S/172, S/N 5034.

The 1937 dated S/172 has S/N 9331d.

The 1940 dated one has S/N 9103h.

These three years all showed the year of production on the spine of the blade.

In 1937, Eickhorn started making bayonets under the Carl Eickhorn maker mark, but continued to place the year on the spine.

Here are the following:

1937 Carl Eickhorn, S/N 7360j,
1938 Carl Eickhorn, S/N 6118r,
1939 Carl Eickkorn, S/N 3479c

John,

My congratulations for putting together a comprehensive selection of early Eickhorn bayonets! That is not an easy thing to do (and especially with the "S" coded 1940). And if they are not recorded into the BCN database already, I'm sure that Andy will appreciate your sharing them so that they can be included. Even as I want to thank you also for sharing them.

Best Regards, FP

1940 was a strange year for Carl Eichorn. In the year, they produced bayos with all three of the make marks that they used, S/172, Carl Eickhorn and the last mark used by them, cof.

At the risk of boring you, I will show all three of the marks used this year, including the S/172 mark already shown above.

S/172 1940, S/N 9103h,
Carl Eickhorn 1940, S/N 4374d,
cof 1940, S/N 213k

Starting in 1941, Carl Eickhorn's bayonets, under the code 'cof' no longer had the year on the spine, but put it with the cof code.

Here are:

cof 1941, S/N 2265c,
cof 1942, S/N 2401h,
cof 1943, S/N 8864s, and
cof 1944, S/N 0191l

No one has seen a cof 45, but who knows?

To continue with my Carl Eickhorn combat bayonets, I also have only one Naval marked bayonet (one I paid way too much money for, but then I am an Eickhorn slut).


It is marked Carl Eickhorn, 1938 dated, S/N 3894n and has the Ostsee marking o13046k.

Methinks, that I am missing a few other Eickhorn Navals, n'est-ce pas?

And, last, but certainly not least of my Carl Eickhorn marked combat bayonets or knives, I have the SG42, a machine gunner tool/knife.

I have shown this in another thread, but think that it would make this one complete as far as my collection goes.

I saw a 'cof' marked fighting knife at an SOS a couple of years back and still kick myself for passing it by.

All of these combat bayos and their S/Ns have been passed on to Andy except for the latest arrival, the S/172 1936.

John

John,

With this new group: The tool kit bayonet needs no other description other than to say that just average ones are exceedingly hard to find. But nice ones like yours take it a lot further up the ladder. And while Naval bayonets are not nearly as rare, they are also not easy to find. And that looks like a very nice Ostsee Naval by Eickhorn - which is even harder.

Yes, you have a serious case of bayonet collectors “sickness”. And the only way to alleviate it is to pass along to other deserving collectors the contagion.

But if you are just going to keep going down the path of becoming more infected, might I suggest a wood gripped cof 1944 as well? And if you want to, possibly look for another 1941 as I think it should probably have the black Bakelite type of grips.

PS: While I know that it’s sometimes called a “machine gunner tool/knife”. I think it is much more likely that it was made to go along with the new generation of (prototype) German assault rifles like the: Maschinerkarbiner 42(W), and the Maschinerkarbiner 42(H). Which used an intermediate cartridge (7.92x33 ‘kurz’), and had bayonet lugs, but were not actually "machine guns" in the generally accepted sense.

With my Best Regards, Fred

Fred:

Thank you for your comments.

My 'contagion' has spread to all kinds of things, mostly, but not completely, Eickhorn. Oh, well.

On the cof 41 and 44, are you saying that the 41 grip plates are not correct, or is the bakelite version much more common. Same with the 44 wooden?

John

Absolutely outstanding, John! This is the kind of stuff that gets my blood goin'....
Any of the Eickhorn blankos? I may be wrong, but aren't these believed to be Eickhorn late-war?
The two in my collection have no manufacturer's code; no WaA and no serial number. The only markings on both are under the grip on the tang of the blade. One is #62 & the other is #2675.

John,

!941 should be a black Bakelite. Not red which is a "Type 41" plastic, but was not made until 1943. As for "cof" it's not a big deal, but wood continued to be used for early 1944. But sometimes (if you really have the "sickness") it's nice to have examples from both early and later production if there is a noticeable difference.

Best Regards. Fred

Denny,

I have the same as yours with the light colored grips, no maker or serial number, no WaA, and the same type of finish as later military production. But on one of mine it also has a partially erased "cof" on the ricasso.

Best Regards, Fred

Thanks Fred,
I would love to know the full story of these; any info you or John can share with this poor uninformed collector would be greatly appreciated.

BTW, Merry Christmas everyone!

Denny,

It's actually a part of the larger story of the "mid-war" commercials. So I would probably ask for a "rain check", as you've reminded me that the Christmas tree is not up yet. And I at least try to not go off in too many directions at once.

Best Regards, Fred

Thanks Fred. Perhaps John would prefer that we move that discussion to a separate thread.

Got my tree up today.

Our tree and everything else went up last week.

I think that a separate thread on the discussion would be a great idea.

Thank you all for looking and for your comments.

John

While not everyone collects variations, sometimes you see examples that: "the kind of stuff that gets my blood goin'...." I wish that I could say this is mine, but it's not and as I recall it came from a member about 5 years ago(?). I've had some roughly finished Eickhorns, but this one is exceptional !! FP

Hello

In my collection I have a nice COF 41 without serial number.
There are 2 WaA on the pommel and one on the scabbard balltip.
Regards from Paris
Alain

Alain,

That's a very nice example. I like it!

Best Regards, FP

Thanks FP
Alain

Alain:

It is a beauty, thanks for showing.

John

Very nice collection, congratulation.Except the Eickhorn 1940 and 1936 i have it all in dbase. FP is correct, it should be looked for dark colored or brown colored grips on the 41cof. When You dissasemble You probably see a unmarked grips. best regards,Andy
Same as nice pieces from Denny, FP and Klinge, the last one was probably destined for export with the wood grips when they are correct there?

Ok... how about this one?

cof 41 9310q

John

you have to wonder why no cof 45 bayonets have been photographed..one could assume they made them for a short time in 45 but till a picture shows up it didnt happen! If it didnt happen guess cof was busy making machine gun parts instead of bayonets. on a MG42 dewat i used to own some of the parts were cof.

John C

Yes, the ever elusive cof 45... now wouldn't that be a find.

Are you going to the SOS?

John

The last 41cof looks great same as the AK web frog. best regards.Andy

"Ditto", for what Andy said. FP

i will be there for a short visit.

My latest Eickhorn arrival is a WW1 combat bayonet, I think called a butcher blade.

I had to have it since it carried a version of the Eickhorn TM that I hadn't seen before.

John

John, That is what some collectors call them, and it's a 1917 dated Seitengewhr 98/05 that looks like a nice later TR period rework. I think that I may have that TM on a sword, but won't know until I get a chance to take a look. Best Regards, Fred

As some of you know, I kinda like Eicks.

I know of three versions of the Eickhorn K98s that are also Naval marked, two of them are 1938 marked bayonets, Ostsee and Nordsee, and one Ostsee marked 1940 dated bayo.

I have already shown you my 1938 carl Eickhorn marked Ostsee.

Well, here is one that arrived today, an early Christmas present (if one can use the word Christmas in today's oh so politically correct multicultural world). It is a 1938 marked Carl Eickhorn bayonet, matching numbers 2652n, spine date 38, and matching Nordsee numbers, N 7914k.

Enjoy,

John, the Eick Mon.

Since the subject is Eickhorn S84/98 T3s, here are a couple of others. The first is a unusual 43|cof. Bayonet has a reddish-color blade. Neither blade nor matte-blue finished scabbard is numbered. The catch seems to be from another pattern bayonet or is the forged blank which was never machined down to be flush with the pommel. Grips are earlier black phenolic, with grip screws finished in gray phosphate. The spanner nuts and catch-stud nut never had flash cleaned off from manufacture. Also note single WaA on the pommel.

Here is a second Eickhorn S84/98 T3. I believe both components are unnumbered armorer replacements. Bayonet is coded cof|42 & scabbard cof|43. The bayonet does not appear to have ever had grips or the catch assembly installed, although there is a assembly/production# on the tang. Scabbard is similar to the one seen on the first bayonet.

Thanks, Fred.

This is the kind of pictures that I like to see on this thread.

John