First K98 Bayonet buy!

**Voodoo77** · 05-30-2019, 07:43 PM

Hello everyone,

I recently visited a local military collectors shop and purchased this bayonet with a frog and a scabbard. I would love to get some of your help to completely identify this possible German relic. I am a new collector and have nothing but questions haha.

So far I have found some information regarding these items but need validation on whether or not it is correct.

- Makers Mark: S/172 (Carl Eikhorn)

- Year made: 1940

- Serial #: 1143

- Group letter?: I (9)

- Waffenampt: WaA253

(Does WaA253 have anything specifically to do with Jos. Corts? I read somewhere that he might of been the one to physically stamp the standards marking?)

- Scabbard: Possible Chilean M95/12

- Frog: Possible EO Götze & Sohn Gersdorff frog painted black?

Frog is bendy and seems to be a softer leather. Possible Grey coloured thread found on frog with magnifying glass.

That is all that I have found out so far but still have some questions regarding why the Chilean scabbard on this setup, and what the hammer looking marks are on the blade.

Please any comment would be awesome! Let me know if you would like to see more photos, what you think of this find, and how common these items are.

Cheers!

**Espenlaub Militaria** · 05-30-2019 07:43 PM

We also buy and trade your items and full collections!

**Anderson** · 05-31-2019, 02:36 AM

Well congratulations on your first S84/98 bayonet. It is as you noted made by Carl Eickhorn in 1940. It was a German military contract bayonet. You also are correct that the scabbard is actually from the Chilean M1895 bayonet, so has be added to your bayonet probably by a recent owner. The WaA253 military acceptance mark was used for all the Solingen manufacturers between 1938 to 1940. So that would include Jos Corts. Bayonet may have been acid cleaned.
Now you have dismantled the bayonet, I would respectfully suggest you don't do it again with other bayonets you buy. The potential damage to screw heads, even brittle bakelite grips, isn't worth it, and obvious disassembled bayonets are down valued by collectors who want minimum post war interference.
The frog is interesting, I'm not sure how you identify a maker as I see no marks, but style suggests an early frog, Weimar era possibly.

**Voodoo77** · 05-31-2019, 03:21 AM

Thanks for the comment. The bayonet was not acid cleaned just wiped down and oiled myself. Allthough I’m not re selling, I will take note on taking apart and cleaning items devalues it. Bayonet was taken apart a few times from previous owners resulting in some small damage on screws and scratches on pommel. As for the frog I can’t see any markings unfortunately.

**AndyB** · 06-03-2019, 08:07 AM

Bayonet is only well used, question is the blade sharpened or not, that decrease the value. scabbard is not proper as already mentioned. br.Andy

**Voodoo77** · 06-03-2019, 04:44 PM

Never sharpened, how can I tell if it was used but not sharpened? Also, do you think it would be hard to track down a scabbard from the same maker?

**AndyB** · 06-03-2019, 06:06 PM

Its harder to obtain as S/172 ,1940 is intermediate marking by switching from full name to letter code, so only few letters are typical with this marking, the blade should be blunt, possible someone cleaned it wrongly so it looks like sharpening spures. b.r.Andy

**BlackCat1982** · 06-03-2019, 06:45 PM

A nice bayonet to start your collection. Maybe you can sell the Chilean scabbard and put the funds towards a correct German one, should you come across one.

**zwerge** · 06-03-2019, 09:19 PM

The S/172 1940 marking was only used in h,i and j series. So out of about 15 million bayonets produced there are only about 25,000 of them.I have a matching set and a spare scabbard in the j series,but I have never considered selling it.....Pete.

**Voodoo77** · 06-04-2019, 02:03 AM

Thank you everyone for the information! I am definitely going to start looking for a new scabbard close to this bayonet.

There is this parade k98 bayonet with a stag horn, and a eagle on the grip complete for sale at a local shop near me. Im looking at possibly buying it, and would like to take pictures of and get some info on it from you guys.

**Anderson** · 06-04-2019, 02:05 AM

Trying to find a 1940 S/172 marked scabbard will be like looking for a needle in a haystack. However there are many mismatched bayonets out there and (usually priced below matching sets) if you keep your eyes open you may be able to buy one with a non matching bayonet one day. Or, offer a good price to Pete and he might consider selling his spare scabbard?