Original German WWII 1939 dated 98k Bayonet by Richard A Herder USGI Modified to Fighting Knife Original Items

Original Item: Only One Available. Now these are the types of items we love to see! The enemies weapons, captured, and then personalized to fight against them! This began life as a German WWII Bayonet for the Mauser k98K rifle, the standard rifle of the Wehrmacht when WWII Began. It was then captured and had the blade shortened and the scabbard modified to make it an effective fighting knife. The crossguard was left intact, but the pommel and bayonet latching mechanism, no longer necessary, were removed just below the bakelite grips. The blade was also turned into a “spear point” profile, instead of the standard knife shape. The original scabbard, shortened to the appropriate length, is now held in what looks to be a British Bayonet frog of some sort

The ricasso of the blade is marked by maker RICH A. HERDER, or Richard Abraham Herder. This is a well known edged weapon producer from Solingen, the “City of Blades” in the mountains of Western Germany. The spine of the blade is marked 39, for 1939. This company was founded in 1884 by one of the many branches of the Herder family of Solingen. They began making standard steelware such as knives, hammer, tweezers, and other tools. They began to specialize in drop forging, and supplied blade blanks to many companies during the WWI period. According to J. Anthony Carter’s book, GERMAN KNIFE AND SWORD MAKERS, the Herder family can be traced back to 1623, when Arndt, Jürgen and Wilhelm Herder were making knives in Geylenbergh. 

Offered in very nice condition, this great USGI bring back fighting knife is ready to display!

Specifications:
Blade Length: 5 1/4″
Blade Style: Double Edged Spear Point
Overall length: 8 3/4/4“
Crossguard: 1 1/2”
Scabbard Length: 6 1/4″