Original German WWII Heer Long 98k Dress Bayonet by Lauterjung & Sohn Puma-Werk with Troddel, Scabbard & 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.

This very nice example is in excellent condition, and has a great nickel plated blade. It has has a nice steel hilt, with most of the Nickel Plating intact, and just a bit of speckling. The mortise button and blade release are fully functional, though the felt insert is missing. The grip plates are both lovely checkered black bakelite, and both are in great condition. They are retained by solid nickel alloy rivets which have dressed heads on the obverse.

The blade on this example is nickel-plated, as were all dress bayonets. It is in excellent condition, aside from runner wear, as the scabbard is quite tight on the blade. It has not been sharpened, and still retains its blunt factory edge. The original black leather blade buffer is in place, and is in very nice condition.

The reverse ricasso bears a stamped puma’s head in a diamond above PUMA over SOLINGEN, the trademark logo of Lauterjung & Sohn, Puma-Stahlwarenfabrik / Puma – Werk of Solingen, Germany, the legendary “City of Blades”. This company was originally founded on a small scale in 1796, Nathanael Lauterjung officially opened a cutlery and knife making workshop in Solingen during 1855. After his death, the name was changed and registered as “Puma-Werk”, to avoid confusion with the other Lauterjung-owned workshops in Solingen. For more information, please see J. Anthony Carter’s work GERMAN KNIFE AND SWORD MAKERS.

The scabbard is straight throughout, not showing any major dents, however it probably has lost about 50% of the original black enamel paint due to wear. What remains is checked and crazed, as enamel of this age should be. The scabbard is held in a very nice brown leather frog, maker marked and dated HEINRICH SOHN / NEU-ULM / 1937 on the back. There is what looks to be an NCO Troddel knot tied around the frog, which looks to originally have been yellow, white, and blue. This color system can possibly indicate what battalion and company the NCO was with. The frog has a leather strap and is in very good condition.

An great example of an German Long 98k dress bayonet by a well-known maker, complete with scabbard, frog, and troddel knot. This is the full setup, 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″