UBB.threads Forums Edged Weapons The BCN Bayonet Forum HELP! No one can identify this bayonet!

recently came across a knife, and it took me a couple weeks just to find anything close to it on the net. I think it is one of these SG42 toolkit bayonets, however I have yet to find one with markings and setup exactly like this one.

The general look is exactly like an SG42 toolkit bayonet that you see in pictures when googled... but a couple things are different.

First, the tool in the handle, im not sure it has the ltk or whatever the three letters are on the can opener part (but I havent attempted to clean it). However, on the black release handle for the tool, it does have a small number '14' on it. There is also a number 14 marking on one of the tools in the toolkit part. Instead of having the ltk marking, it has the kissing cranes marking, which I understand is the commercial marking for robert klaas.

Second, the rivets in the handle seem to be closer together than most pictures I have seen, so the top rivet closest to the blade is a little further down the handle and not as close to the blade as seen in the pictures I have seen elsewhere on the net.

Third are the blade markings. All of these that I have seen have the 'cof WaA519' wing stamp all on the same side of the blade. mine has cof stamped on one side, and then just '519' stamped on the other side with the little symbol. There is no 'WaA' preceding the numbers 519 as seen in most examples. Also the base of the blade seems to be a darker 'black' like color.

Fourth, the little latch that clips into the black handle for the tool is more centered into the black handle, whereas a lot of pictures I have seen is seems to be off-centered to the right.

Wondering if anyone can shed any light on this... normally I would just assume this was a repo or fake, but I feel as this should be genuine b/c I got it from my gpas basement, who was a WWII veteran, and he wasnt a collector of anything and he didnt buy much in terms of that type of stuff. He didn't go to stores that would sell stuff like this and he didn't even know what the internet was. In fact, this knife was just hanging out with the rest of his tools, right next to the sockets and screwdrivers.

I am just trying to pinpoint exactly what it is and where it came from and all of that. I have tried other forums with no luck yet and have also submitted it for professional appraisal and am awaiting the results of that.

I will add pictures in hopes that it will help.

Hopefully you guys know something that nobody else has been able to tell me thus far. Thanks in advance!

Pictures...

The stamp E/518 is wrong for Eickhorn, so overall piece is suspicious for me.The knife /bayonet should be of first pattern.

yeah... the stamp is different. is that what it is? E519? I just figured it was this stamp but without the WaA part:



So was there fakes during the war? I would still be very surprised to learn that it was not authentic because my gpa wasnt one to buy anything or collect anything, but he did bring home a few things from WWII, including some gold plated china and a japanese rifle. I also have his trench knife that I still need to research.

No fakes are probably last 20 years ago occured, this is not real as E/518 were never assigned to Eickhorn, same as more details on scabbard design and on markings are wrong. i am not expert on this type of items, but maybe other will answer. Anyway the stamps 518 were never used on Eickhorn.

if fakes were in the last 20 years, then there has to be more story to this thing. My gpa was 95 years old (passed away this summer) and didnt buy hardly anything, especially a collectible bayonet. (its kind of amusing just thinking about) He was a private man you kept to himself at home, if this thing was at a store with a $10 price tag, I can guarantee you he wouldn't have bought it. And like I said, he had no idea that the internet even existed.

so that stamp that is on it is E/518? Where does the E/ come from, the little symbol?

does anyone have any contacts of someone that would be a professional in this? I would be willing to try and contact them for help.

THANKS

I personally dont like the blade is to new for 70 years same as the spring spures on blade looks like new, same as rivets on handle are newer made as 70 years, the tool part is little different to most obvious type, similar was found on fullmetall handel type of S42, the E/518 means Eagle/518 proof, same as position of cof stamp is wrong, the scabbard was little different to this, it looks like one of the repro pieces, with small differences that the expert know that the piece is not origin. You could proof the Wehrmacht Awards forum, there are experts about S42.

thanks so much for the info... this is the stuff i wanted to find out about and you have the same concerns I did. I'm out to get the story on it, not concerned with value because I'm keeping it whether its worth $100 or $5000. Just want to get the facts so that I can pass it along properly.

is there any chance someone could help me out by posting on Wehrmacht Awards forum? I have been registered for a week but am still pending approval... so I can't post anything. No big deal if no one can, but if you would it would be much appreciated.

here is all the pictures I have: Photobucket - Bayonet

I have added it on WAF with the link to photos.
http://www.wehrmacht-awards.com/forums/showthread.php?t=618263

much appreciated

Very unusual bayonet. I have owned one, and seen several original examples of the SG42. Also noted the reproductions. Though the latter are relatively well made, if one ever had their hands on a real bayonet, you would know the difference. However, your example is very unusual in several respects. It has age, shows some handling, has a heretofore unknown variant scabbard, and unusual tool kit with the Klaas commercial logo. The ricasso step & bluing look good. However, the Eagle|518 cannot be explained. It is the wrong WaA# and the Eickhorn code letters "cof", are questionable. However, there is at least one known prototype SG42 with a brass tooklit, and may be others. IMHO this example could be a 30+ year old, elaborate fake. Just possibly it could be a real prototype as well, which at some time had the WaA acceptance and maybe Eickhorn's alpha code added in an attempt to legitimize it. Adding a illegitimate WaA on a collectible has been done for decades in order to increase both potential value & desire among collectors. Unfortunately it does not seem you will be able to provide a iron-clad provenance as to where or when your Grandfather acquired this bayonet. Still, a much closer examination & comparison of your bayonet with both a known real & reproduction example is definitely warranted.

The E/518 has never seen in this form, its possible someone who added it had wrong Eickhorn bayonet and missreaded the 519 proof, anyway the toolkit is different version and i dont know about Klaas commercial logo on this part.

lots of good information. wish my gpa was still here with us so I could simply ask him where he got this and if there was any story behind it.

who knows, this could be a true SG42 prototype. but since there is no documentation or proof, it looks as though this will forever be labeled a elaborate period fake.

I'm still gonna treat it like its a true one of a kind, a holy-grail of sorts.

i suppose i just need to find a show or expo that is in the midwest states area (illinois) and see if anyone attending will have a authentic SG42 to compare size/weight/feel

I like the kissing cranes and the grips on it! Very interesting piece.

thanks! the more I get the bayonet out there for people to see, the more I am hearing that it might be an authentic version. regardless, I am glad to hear all the opinions and it is giving me a lot of education on it that I will be able to pass along.