Original German WWII Heer Single Etched Long 98k Dress Bayonet by Ernst Pack & Söhne with Scabbard Original Items

Original Item: Only One Available. The K-98 dress bayonet was a dress version of the combat style, and was worn by enlisted and NCO personnel for dress and parade occasions. The bayonets were finished with a high-quality nickel plating, with stag or bakelite grip plates and black painted scabbard. The choice of blade length was left to the purchaser, either the nickel-plated short (20cm) or long (25cm) version. There was usually a red or green colored felt insert in the rifle slot and the bayonet was suspended from a black or brown leather frog. Some had a functional bayonet latch, while it was ornamental on some. Often they would also have a sword knot, or troddle, and the color would indicate the branch or rank.

Enlisted or NCO personnel were permitted to purchase K-98 dress bayonets with fancy etched blades. These etchings run the gamut from simple designs featuring the standard remembrance, Zur Erinnerung an meine Dienstzeit (In Memory of My Service Time), to very fancy, custom etched depictions, citing the individual’s regiment, unit, and sometimes even his name. Many blade factories offered unique etch patterns. The etch work was often state of the art.

This lovely Heer (army) example is in very good condition, and has a nickel plated blade, as all dress bayonets do. It has has a nice alloy hilt, with most of the Nickel Plating intact, though there is some light overall wear and bubbling oxidation, as shown. The mortise button and blade release are fully functional, and the red felt insert is present. The grip plates are lovely checkered black bakelite, and are in excellent condition. They are retained by plated steel slot-less screws with split nuts on the reverse, which now show light oxidation.

The blade on this example is nickel-plated, as were all dress bayonets, the plating is very well retained, showing just a few areas of plating loss and oxidation. There is some wear through on the tip area from wear due to the scabbard runner. It has correctly not been sharpened, and still retains its blunt factory edge. The leather blade buffer is in place, and is in very nice condition, though it could be a post war replacement.

The etched panel itself has some lovely art decodesigns, with the iconic German Oak Leaf and acorn motifs at the ends, which are also executed in the art deco style. In the center of the panel is a lovely German black letter type face inscription:

Zur Erinnerung
an meine Dienstzeit

This translates to “In Memory of my time in service”, which is a very common inscription for these dress bayonets.

The rear ricasso of the blade is etched with the “Jung Siegfried” trademark logo of Ernst Pack & Söhne, Ritterwerk, which is in excellent condition. The mark shows their trademark “Young Siegfried wielding a hammer” Logo to the left, with the three line address to the right. The whole trademark reads:

E. PACK
& SÖHNE
SOLINGEN

Per J. Anthony Carter’s book GERMAN KNIFE AND SWORD MAKERS, this firm used this trademark specifically on “walking out” dress bayonets for the police and army. The company mostly made daggers so there is not as much information regarding the bayonets. The company survived the war, until it was sold in the 1960s to another knife company from Solingen, and the maker mark continued to be used into the 1990s. The original leather blade buffer is present and in very good condition.

The scabbard is straight throughout, without any major dents or other issues. The original black enamel finish has flaked off in areas, allowing the steel to oxidize, an what remains shows some crazing and checking from age. There looks to have been a frog on the scabbard for a long period of time, but it is now missing.

An very nice example of an German etched Long 98k dress bayonet by a well-known maker, complete with scabbard and ready to display!

Specifications:
Blade Length: 9 3/4″
Blade Style: Single Edge w/ Fuller
Overall length: 14 5/8“
Crossguard: 2 1/4”
Scabbard Length: 10 1/2″