Original German WWI Heer Army Belt and Buckle with Dress Bayonet and Frog Original Items

Original Item: Only One Available. This German made Leather belt rig is in good condition. The belt is made in WWI, and has regiments markings on it. It shows signs of heavy wear, and is in used condition. It also has the original brass bucket with it, with the “In Treue Fest” writing on it.

German belt buckles remained largely unchanged for over a hundred years spanning the 19th and 20th centuries. Although there were modest changes, the basic manufacture did not change until the Great War. War time would have seen three primary variations of buckles. The first was the standard 1895 model. This model is easily distinguished by its brass body and soldered nickel/silver roundel, which would bear the insignia and motto of the German state for whom it was made. Those states using a roundel were as follows:

Prussia – Gott Mit Uns (God is With Uns)
Bavaria – In Treue Fest (In True Faith)
Wurttemberg – Furcthlos und Treu (Fearless and Loyal)
Saxony – Providentiae Memor (Providence in Mind)
 
Other smaller states had their own unique buckles that did not use a roundel, such as Hessia. The 1895 buckles saw action primarily at the beginning of the war (although some certainly would have been used throughout). It was decided in 1915 to change the manufacture. The reason was twofold, to do away with the bright brass on the battlefield, and to ration precious resources. In 1915, steel buckles were introduced. During 1915, the bodies were made out of steel, but soldered roundels were still applied. In 1916, it was decided to simply stamp the entire buckle out of one piece of steel and do away with the roundels altogether.
 
Set comes with a WWII German Heer Amry Dress Bayonet. The bayonet is made by Gustav Spitzer. This was a well-known manufacturer of knives located in Solingen, the German “city of the blades”. The blade still looks shiny and is in good condition. It has some tarnishing and scratches on it, and has not been sharpened. The nickel plating on the crossguard and pommel is frosted.
 
The paint of the scabbard has worn off in some areas, and now there is rust on these areas. The leather shows signs of heavy wear and aging but is still in good condition.