Original German WWII Heer Etched Long Stag Handle 98k Dress Bayonet by Emil Voos with Scabbard and Frog 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.

This great Heer (army) example is in excellent condition, and has a nickel plated blade, as all dress bayonets do. It has has a lovely alloy hilt, with the Nickel Plating mostly intact, showing a bit of light oxidation in areas but no major bubbling or finish loss. There is deformation to the bottom of the pommel, probably from being used as a makeshift hammer. The mortise button and blade release are fully functional, and the red felt insert is present, though it has suffered moth damage. The grip plates are both lovely genuine stag horn, and both are in great condition. They are retained by solid nickel alloy rivets, which are dressed on the reverse.

The blade on this example is nickel-plated, as were all dress bayonets, and it shows very little wear, except for some scratching from the runner on the tip area. It has not been sharpened, and still retains its blunt factory edge, with no real oxidation we can see, just small scratches and swirl marks from cleaning

The etched panel itself has some lovely designs, with a large spread winged Wehrmachtadler Eagle to the center, and acanthus leaf sprays at either end. In the center of the panel is a lovely German black letter type face inscription:

Zur Erinnerung an (Eagle) meine Dienstzeit

This translates to “As a reminder of my service”, which is a very common inscription for these dress bayonets.

The ricasso is faintly stamped with the Emil Voos trademark logo with a “Serpent around a stump”, to the left of the maker’s name and location:

EMIL VOOS
SOLINGEN

Emil Voos, Waffenfabrik, also known as a Spezialfabrik für Jagd- und Sportmesser (Special Factory for Hunting and Sporting Knives), was a Solingen-based knife maker founded in 1925. The “Serpent-and-Stump” logo next to the name and location was used on most military and police swords such as this the WWII period, per J. Anthony Carter’s work GERMAN KNIFE AND SWORD MAKERS. The original leather blade washer is still present and in great shape.The original leather blade buffer is present and in very good condition.

The scabbard is straight throughout and very good original black enamel paint. There is some lovely checking and crazing in the paint, as well as scabbard scratches and chips, which have exposed the steel base metal. There is a bit of oxidation, but nothing major, and it fits the blade securely. Attached to the scabbard is a nice black leather dress frog, which has an aluminum backing plate marked D.R.P.. Unfortunately the black gloss finish on the leather has “melted” over the decades, and it is now in delicate condition, partly worn through at the top of the belt loop.

An great example of an German Long 98k dress bayonet by a well-known maker with some lovely stag horn grip scales. Complete with scabbard and frog, this bayonet is 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″