Original German Early WWII Private Purchase Bayonet Style Trench Fighting Knife and Scabbard by Alcoso Original Items

Original Item: Only One Available. This is an excellent example of an upmarket privately purchased fighting knife with scabbard, as used by the Germans in WWII. This design is very similar to the 98K short dress bayonets. It has a “birds head” steel pommel, with a decorative bayonet button. The grips are checkered black bakelite, held on by dressed steel rivets. It also has the typical short “reversed” cross guard seen on most WW1 and WWII German bayonets.

The condition of the blade is excellent and unissued, with full factory final grind marks on almost the entire surface. The blade was sharpened at the factory, though the edge is a bit dull at present, though this does not seem to be from use in the field. The finish on the hilt is almost fully intact, with just a bit of wear on the contact points.

The blade is marked on the ricasso with the second pattern Alcoso-werke trademark “scales” logo, with the firm’s initials ACS interspersed. This type of trademark was used on Police and other dress bayonets during the Weimar republic and up into the beginning of the NSDAP era, up until around 1940, per J. Anthony Carter’s work GERMAN KNIFE AND SWORD MAKERS.

Alexander Coppel & Co. KG, Stahlwarenfabrik, located in Solingen, the legendary German “City of Blades.” The company was a major manufacturer of edged weapons and tools from the end of the 19th century up until the WWII period. Unfortunately, as NSDAP-control increased, brothers Carl Gustav and Dr. Alexander Coppel, the Jewish owners of the firm, were forced out. In 1936 the firm had been “Aryanized”, and started using the name ALCOSO to hide the Jewish family name. By the end of 1936 the brothers were ejected from their Solingen offices, and by 1940 the brand trademark initials ACS were changed to AWS to reflect the change in ownership and name: Alexander Coppel Solingen to Alcoso-Werk Solingen. Carl Gustav Coppel committed suicide in Solingen in 1941, and Dr. Alexander Coppel was arrested in 1942 and sent to Theresienstadt Prison camp, where he died August 5th 1942.

The knife comes in an excellent condition black finished scabbard, essentially a scaled down bayonet scabbard, complete with a frog button. It shows very little wear of any kind, and the original rolling texture can still be seen on the exterior.

An excellent unissued example of a high end privately purchased German trench knife that would be at home in any quality German edged weapons collection.

Specifications:
Blade Length: 6 ½”
Blade Style: Single Edged Knife with Drop Point False Edge and Fuller
Overall length: 11“
Crossguard: 2”
Scabbard Length: 7 ½”