Letter from Fred Marut to Richard.
Sent: Monday, November 22, 2010 10:54 AM
To: richkuch43@aol.com
Subject: Re: HORSTER SS MARKED BAYONET
Dear Richard:
Good to hear from you. I was finally able to see a photo of the EuF Horster commercial bayonet you got from Ralph Allen and posted on the internet. I used to have a log-on for the GDC.Com site (which is no longer valid). My attempts to re-register have never been responded to by the administrator with a confirmation and/or temp password either. A friend whom is registered shared the photo of the marking with me.
First, you ought to talk to the guy whom got bayonet from the kid that turned up with it @ the Great Western Show, and purchased it for $20.00. He is Don Miller. His phone# is xxx xxx xxxx. As I recall, he got the bayonet on a Saturday after I had left the show. When he later described the piece to me, IMHO it had all the aspects of what I might expect to see on a limited contract of commercial S84/98s ordered by the SS. Same holds true (and you & I have discussed this in the past) about the WKC commercials having the totenkopf w/ "lazy S" surcharge on the crossguard. He told me it had a totenkopf-SS-2 marking under the curve of the pommel and no serial numbers. I believe it was also devoid of WaAs.
I was given the first opportunity to purchase the bayonet. Don initially was not interested in selling it. However, he needed the money he hoped to get for it more, so it was offered to me for $800.00. Rare as it might be, I considered it an extreme amount for any S84/98 at the time (late 1980s or early 1990s), so had to pass. Before I was able to visit him and actually see the bayonet, it was sold to Ralph Allen, where it stayed until acquired by you.
I have known Don for 35 years & have no doubt it was purchased as he described to me. He was most gleeful when recounting the story to me (as would any of us be after making such an unexpected buy at a show).
I think it took Don about a week until he decided to part with the piece. I waited seven years until he let go the nicest WuK I have encountered, before he opted to part with it. In any event, having now seen the marking, knowing the story of how it was acquired, etc. I feel confident this example is legitimate. I cannot forsee some kid walking into the show with such a piece & selling it for $20.00, fake or real. I also doubt my long time friend would have offered it to me either, had the bayonet been otherwise. I think that covers everything I know on the Horster piece...
Best Regards,
Fred
