Original German WWI Private Purchase Bayonet Style Trench Fighting Knife by Weyersberg Kirschbaum & Cie 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 WWI. This design is very similar to the later 98K short dress bayonets. It has a “birds head” steel pommel, with a fully functional bayonet catch. 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 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 double trademark “Knights’s Helmet” (Ritter-helm) alongside a “Kings’s Head” (königskopf) logo of legendary German maker Weyersberg Kirschbaum & Cie of Solingen, over the firms initials of W.K & C.. This trademark is used on privately purchased blades in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, and is absolutely correct for this bayonet. For more information please see J. Anthony Carter’s work GERMAN KNIFE AND SWORD MAKERS.

The other side of the blade is stamped LIMBÄCHER / AUGSBURG in two arcs, which we believe is a retailer mark. We have seen other examples of private purchase bayonets and knives with this stamping.

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: 7 3/4″
Blade Style: Single Edged Knife with Drop Point False Edge and Fuller
Overall length: 12 1/2“
Crossguard: 2 1/8”
Scabbard Length: 9 1/8″