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, being 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.

Enlisted or NCO personnel were permitted to purchase K-98 dress bayonets with fancy etched blades. These etchings run the gamut from simple designs featuring the standard remembrance, Zur Erinnerung an meine Dienstzeit (In Memory of My Service Time), to very fancy, custom etched depictions, citing the individual's regiment, unit, and sometimes even his name. Many blade factories offered unique etch patterns. The etch work was often state of the art.

This is a very good example of a "basic" type, which is not maker marked and has a standard nickel plated blade without any etching. The bayonet is in very good condition, and comes complete with the original scabbard, black leather frog, and even a very nice NCO Troddle! It also has a nice alloy hilt, which still has over 90% of the original nickel plating, and a fully functional mortise button and lug channel, though the insert is missing. There is also some bubbling of the plating on the right hand side. The grip plates are excellent condition checkered black bakelite, held in place by plated steel rivets with dressed heads on the obverse, which show some oxidation.

The blade on this example is nickel-plated, as were all dress bayonets, and there is only some light oxidation and a bit of bubbling, as well as wear from the runners in the scabbard. It has not been sharpened, and still retains its blunt factory edge. The original leather blade buffer is in place, and is in excellent condition.

The scabbard is straight throughout and has black enamel paint, which is in very good shape without much loss. There is a lovely pattern of crazing and checking, showing that it was not refinished at any type. The scabbard is held in a very nice black leather belt frog, which shows age related deterioration to the finish, with cracking in areas. Tied around the grip is a very nice German Heer Army NCO troddel, which is silver with a white and silver 'knot' on the end.

A lovely example of an German long 98k dress bayonet, complete with scabbard, frog, and NCO troddel. Ready to display!

Specifications:-
Blade Length: 7 3/4"
Blade Style: Single Edge w/ Fuller
Overall length: 12 5/8“
Crossguard: 2 1/4”
Scabbard Length: 8 3/4