German Honor Guard bayonet

[Bochmann]

I have never seen a chromed bayonet like that listed in the UK, although I have seen some repro etched fake bayonets.

I believe that the process of applying chrome to anything here is not common but that it was routinely done in the US by vets to bayonets, helmet shells,
pistols and belt buckles.

It may have had something to do with the fact that a lot of US vets went into the car industry after the war and had easy access to the equipment required.

[Frogprince]

In the way back - not only were souvenirs available for next to nothing in the U.S. as compared to now. There were a lot of small scale businesses in the immediate post WW II era. Making, refurbishing, repairing and modifying things for customers while things were still not too technical. With the plating itself also not costing a lot because with the war over, relatively abundant supplies of raw materials were available. Lots of workers available (and no EPA to deal with).

While I’ve seen a fair number of German items that were plated. On the West Coast a lot of chrome plated Japanese pistols, bayonets, and the occasional rifle would seem to indicate a solidly U.S. practice by either the veterans (or later purchasers). All of them selling now at shows for a fraction of their value as untouched originals (just like the German Mauser rifles made into sporting arms). FP

[Swordfish]

I bought a nice, Chrome plated Luger from Fred Davis's (I think that was his name!) Gun Shop in Falls Church, Va. for $35.00 in 1959! And it was a sweet shooter! I wish I still had it! My point is there wasn't a premium back then for Chrome plated stuff. I think I paid $45.00 for a nice blued Luger from Fred, too.

The items you bought in '59- were they vet bring-backs that made thier way to the 2ndary firearms market? Or just imported Lugers available to consumers? Yea- it is too bad you no longer have those pieces. $35-$45, pretty good, even when factoring for inflation.

According to an online inflation calculator, that $35 pistol, adjusted for inflation, would have run ya' $254.73 in 2009 USD. The Inflation Calculator

Tom

[Blitzkrieg Bop]

I understand. What confused me though was the plating was marked. Maybe to make it more valuable?

[Swordfish]

I understand. What confused me though was the plating was marked. Maybe to make it more valuable?

Blitz- I do see what you are saying.

Here's a couple pics magnified for better viewing.

Indeed there is a significant disparity between the clarity of the stamping on the blades ricasso, both obverse and revers, vs. the clarity of the stamped apha-numeric characters on the near the scabbard throat. I imagine it's attributable to simply the degree of plating on the blade as opposed to the scabbard. It appears the scabbard received a thicker degree of plating, hence causing the scabbard stamps to appears "soft".

I imagine the ricasso stampings and the scabbard stampings are original to the blade and were there prior to the plating process.