K98 Eickhorn Date

[Walkwolf]

The Luft eagle may have originally been a lapel/stick pin.
It seems a little too big for a ribbon device, but that
was also a thought.........

[timothy]

I can,t tell anything about the frog just looking at it don't think it is KS98 repo I don't know I have a Horester 39 dated with wooden grips as Fred and Andy have said there were different makers and sometimes some of them got put on wartime when bakelite was damaged. Or with 17 different manufactures who knows. timothy

[zephyr4]

Thank for the update.

z4

[Frogprince]

The grip plate with the emblem looking like European walnut which is a period wood that was used, but the other one is possibly some other kind of wood like Beech? Or maybe it's the lighting? That said, I'm in agreement with Jim and in 1939 black Bakelite should be standard for the grips. With the frog I think a reproduction. Best Regards, Fred

[timothy]

Doesn't the subject of grips get quite complicated as Wheeler in his book states German WW2 s/84/98 can have both wooden and bakelite grips. Why in 50 years of seeing them have I seen both types? I think trying to pin down and haggle over certain years Wheeler states that Bakelite appeared in 38 on but that not all used it and used up stocks of wooden grips so to me that argument is mute. I have a 38 dated WKC have had the gripsoff and it is dated 38 on tang with wooden grips. I have ones dated 42 to 44 with wood. Some of this stuff has no rime or reasoning and to make corrections to someones statement over a certin year may be the norm but not always in reality. I don't know how many times someone has said oh this date or that date should be bakelite or this date is wood when it comes to German ww2 there are a ton of varriances just look at the field gear IMO. timothy

[Jim P]

The grips can be quite complicated, that is why the work done by Andy, Fred, Sleepwalker, the BCN, etc., etc. are so commendable. Their diligence in documenting all serial numbers and variances of every maker by year helps tell the who, what, when and where about the k98 bayonet. With this info, It is possible to know, with some certainy, what should be the norm of any given maker at any given time. With that being said, bayonets were reworked and/or repaired during that same time frame and no consideration was given to make sure that certain grips went back on certain bayonets. To the armorer doing the work grips were grips.

In a nut shell, some people are very concerned about original and untouched, to them this information is invaluable, just as it is with dagger collectors. To others, not so much, as long as everything is original and period done.

Jim

[timothy]

Cource good luck finding untouched ones in this day and age I find very few daggers and bayo I gave up on daggers 40 years ago and there were good ones to be had back then I'll stick with original period ones especially the salty s84/98 to each his own I guess. I have learned a lot on here from Fred,Andy and sleepwalker there is just too many variants to keep up with and that don't cover the dress KS98 for old school like myself that only relied on reference books until I got internet smart a few years ago I have a couple of friends mid 60's who have been at it longer than me I can't quite convience them to join forums and you wouldn't believe what they have if they ever chose to show it. timothy

[AndyB]

I believe Frogprince and Jim are right, the left grip is most likely beech wood, possible postwar replacement, in 1939 there are observed only brown plastic grips.b.r. Andy