Original Item: Only One Available. This is an excellent matching Unit-Marked Berlin Metropolitan Police Long Dress "Walking Out" Bayonet by the legendary Weyersberg Kirschbaum & Co. of Solingen. A beautiful piece that comes with a scabbard with matching Berlin District police markings, which is fitted with a 1938 dated leather frog.

It features a beautiful Stag Handle, with an inlaid aluminum Civic Police emblem. The pommel is a solid nickel plated alloy decorated "Birds Head" without a bayonet slot, and there is a unit marking on the reverse guard of the bayonet:

S. B. 124

This indicates issue to the Metropolitan Schutzpolizei (Protection Police) of the Berlin, Officer 124. The same unit marking is stamped onto the back of the scabbard.

Additionally, the leather of the scabbard has the following information cut into the leather:

JULIUS DECKELMAN 33881630

We have checked the NARA records, and found the records of Julius O. Deckelman, born in Maryland during 1923, who enlisted April 5, 1944 at Fort Meade in Maryland. Some preliminary research shows that he was in the 97th Infantry Division during WWII, which did see service in the ETO for the final invasion of Germany, so it makes sense that he would have been able to acquire a Police bayonet from the Berlin area.

The bayonet has a lovely approximately 33 cm (12.75 inches) long nickel plated steel blade, which was forged "cut-down" style, with the fuller running to the tip. Blade is nice and bright, of excellent quality, and still has over 90+% of the original nickel plating, with a slight area of wear to the tip.

The blade ricasso is maker marked WEYERSBERG KIRSCHBAUM & Co. SOLINGEN with the firms trademark "Knights-Head" (Ritter-helm) logo on the opposite side of the ricasso. This company is a famous manufacturer of military swords and cutlery in Solingen, Germany - a city famous since the middle ages for its metal-working and craftsmanship in sword making. Per J. Anthony Carter's fine work GERMAN SWORD AND KNIFE MAKERS, the traditional manufacturing of swords at WKC dates back to the year 1774 when the Weyersberg first registered the ''Kings head'' as their trademark. Later in 1883 the company merged with the Kirschbaums and the company Weyersberg Kirschbaum & Cie was formed, which continued into the Weimar Period. It then rebranded as W.K.C. Waffenfabrik GmbH, and produced many edged weapons during the NSDAP Period. The company is still in operation today.

The leather buffer washer on this example is no longer present. The bayonet grip scales are made of stag-horn with an aluminum police insignia firmly inset on one side. These are held with solid aluminum rivets between the upswept cross guard decorated with oak leaves, and the stylized eagle’s head pommel. Both cross guard and eagle’s head are well detailed and in very good condition, with almost all of the original nickel plating present.

The scabbard is made of fine black leather, fitted with nickel plated brass, and is in very good condition. The leather does show age and finish loss, but it still looks great. It is held in the correct black leather frog with aluminum rivets, which is in good condition, though the finish is a bit worn due to age. The back of the frog is maker marked JOSEPH MOLL / GOCH / 1938, a known maker of leather goods during the third reich.

This is a wonderful unit marked early war metropolitan police bayonet by WKC with some great research potential! Completely with scabbard and frog, this bayonet is ready to research and display!

Specifications:
Blade Length: 13"
Blade Style: Single Edged with Fuller
Overall length: 17 1/2”
Crossguard: 2 1/4”
Scabbard Length: 14 1/2”