Original Item: Only One Available. This is a good example of the M-1898/05 Bayonet (Seitengewehr), which was the most common German Bayonet of the First World War. It was intended for use on the standard issue service rifle of Imperial Germany: the Mauser-designed Gewehr 98 (GEW 98). It features a heavy 14.5-inch steel blade with distinct bulge toward the point, giving extra weight and power to the business end, known as a “butcher blade”. This version is known as n/A (neuer Art = newer model). This second pattern lacks the first pattern’s vestigial muzzle ring (or ‘ears’) and has a flashguard on the back of the grip.
This example has a very nice set of original grooved wood grips, though the hilt has some surface rusting due to age. Bayonet lock is fully functional. The blade ricasso is maker marked:
WAFFENFABRIK
MAUSER A.G.
OBERNDORF a.N.
The blade is also dated on the blade’s spine 17 under a proof mark of a Crown over W, for Kaiser Wilhelm II, and the year the bayonet was accepted. The blade is in good condition, though it does have some staining, and has been sharpened several times.
The steel scabbard is in very good condition, with only small dents on the sides, and no large dents or major rust. The original blued finish has worn in most placed to brown, typical of a 100 year old scabbard. The frog button is still intact and unbent, and bears a proof mark. There are additional proof marks on the top of the throat, and on the end ball of the scabbard.
A fine example of what is becoming a difficult bayonet to find in such fine condition, never messed with, just the way we like to find them, ready to display.
Dimensions:
Blade length: 14 1/2”
Blade Style: Single Edged “Butcher” with Fuller
Overall length: 19 3/4”
Crossguard: 2 3/4”
Scabbard length: 15 1/4″