Factory mismatched K98 bayonet

[ObKrieger]

Hey guys,

I found this and thought it was pretty interesting. It's probbaly not worth $300 but it's still pretty cool. Have any of you every seen one like this? It's only one number off!

Kriegsende Militaria

[Frogprince]

Have any of you every seen one like this? It's only one number off!

Yes, but with some cautions. Only having the two pictures posted and no other data there is some room for a misjudgment. That said, my sense of the bayonet posted that it's earlier, and may have been reworked(?). With original factory mismatched bayonets tending to be later, and very few in number. FP

[ObKrieger]

There were others, I just posted these two. Check out the link.

It is not worth nearly that much to me, I have just never seen something like it before. So if it was reworked, would it have been just a coincidence that the number was only one off?

[bigmacglenn]

I have a scabbard marked 4457 and blade marked 4478...

[Frogprince]

The known mismatches tend to be clumped together by maker and year/serial number range. There are also legitimate armory renumbered to match bayonets.

And some "force matched" bayonets that are most probably postwar. As well as some where the bayonet is in condition X, with a scabbard that is XXX. With my point being that there are other factors that I think should be considered besides just the numbers. Regards, FP

[Walkwolf]

I have a strange case where the numbers match, but are from two
different makers - The serial numbers are both '848', but the
makers are: 'S/425', and 'S/147K' on the scabbard.

The bayonet is dated '37' on the spine.........

[operaman]

I always thought that mis-matched K98 were the norm and matched were the more diserable ones to own.I have a Gebr.Heller #4404 dated 1937.nice!

[Frogprince]

Operaman, The number of mismatched bayonets in circulation seems to exceed that of the matched examples which could be due to a number of factors. Swapping of scabbards and bayonets to get one usable unit from two with one kind of a problem or another during wartime. Postwar use by other nations, including refurbishing/reworking. The collection process, with large numbers of bayonets tossed in heaps at war’s end etc. etc.

Steve, Mostly likely an S/245 (Jetter u.Scheerer, Tuttlingen and an S/174 (WKC, Solingen). I’m going to assume that it’s an armory renumbered rework. With one of my favorite examples being a Weimar era bayonet that came out of Norway, that was reworked (earlier in Germany). Using a “K” date (1934) scabbard, with the later black Bakelite grips, and some other parts - with all of it renumbered to match.

Regards to all, FP

PS: I looked at the link in this thread, but did not see pictures of the other two bayonets.

[AndyB]

Hello Obkrieger, could You provide more info about it? what is the maker, the frog looks like repro piece?
Teh photos of the S/245 with S/174 scabbard would be nice to see too.

[Walkwolf]

I'll post a photo as soon as I can.........