Original Excellent French Made German WWII 98k 1943 dated Bayonet by Châtellerault with Scabbard – Matching Serial 6376 q Original Items

Original Item: Only One Available. In 1935 the German military introduced the K98k bolt action rifle or Karabiner 98 Kurz, as a replacement for the older GEW98 or Gewehr 98. A new, shorter bayonet was designed to go along with the shortened rifle. The K98 bayonet was officially named Seitengewehr 84/98 or SG 84/98. The bayonet was designed as a close combat sidearm that could be placed on the tip of a K98.

The total length of the K98 bayonet was 15.2 inches, far shorter than the 20 inch long GEW98 bayonet. The blade was also straighter in shape and the hand guard was omitted. The K98 bayonet was carried in a leather frog, or Seitengewehrtragetasche, on the left side on the equipment belt in combination with the shovel and its carrier. The maker marks on k98 bayonets where stamped onto the top of the blade. On the reverse the batch number and suffix were stamped. Early production examples had ribbed bakelite grips, however as the war progressed, the specification was changed to wooden grips, such as on this example.

Model bayonet: Seitengewehr 84/98

Markings: 6376 / q, jwh, and 43

Material: Blued steel

Grip material: Finished Wood

This is a matching set, with both the scabbard and blade bear matching serial numbers 6376 / q, with the blade ricasso bearing three letter code jwh, and a 43 date stamped on the spine, in the early war style. The rear of the scabbard is also stamped jwh / 43, as is correct. That makes this set unlike just about every other 98K bayonet we have had, as these were made on in Germany, but FRANCE!

“jwh” is the three letter code for Manufacture National [Staatlich Waffenfabrik] Châtellerault, known prior to the German capture of France as Manufacture d’Armes de Châtellerault. This factory had been first created in 1819 just after the Napoleonic Wars, and was responsible for a major portion of French government arms production for much of the 19th and early 20th centuries. The pommel is stamped with Waffenamt Eagle / WaA251, only seen on items from France and Spain that were taken into German service. We have never had one of these before, and it’s definitely a prime example!

Condition of this set is excellent, close to unissued, with lovely bluing on the blade, the wooden grips intact, and a working locking button. The blade has the factory “sharpening”, which did not really make the blade sharp: that was up to the soldier. It does show very light wear from the scabbard runners on the front 3 inches of the blade, which is quite common. The finished wooden grips show minor wear from service, with no major cracks, chips, or dents. The handle shows some wear to the finish, with a few small dents. The scabbard is in great shape, dent free, and has some wear to the finish, and also looks to have had a frog installed for a long time at some point.

An original German WWII Matching 98k Bayonet and scabbard, made in Occupied France during 1943. Ready to display or fit to your 98K rifle!

Specifications:
Blade Length: 10″
Blade Style: Single Edge w/ Fuller
Overall length: 15 1/4“
Crossguard: 1 1/2”
Scabbard Length: 10 1/2″