K98 bayonet bym
I have an interesting bayonet, the scabbard manufacturer is cof42 with the serial number of 32796. The blade is a bym41 with the serial number of 32796 over 164. Has anybody seen this before or possibly have any information on why this is like this? I collect bayonets(numbers matching) and have never seen anything like this.
Here are some pictures of the bayonet.
A rarely seen maker. bym, also known as Machinenhaus Ferlach, and in 1940 used the "omc" trademark was an Austrian k98 producer. They used an odd method of serializing the bayonet production, with numbers stamped in two lines. The lower number changing every 200 bayonets. Just why they did this is not entirely clear but they kept their system until 1944, when they adopted the usual 4 number serials used by other makers.
In this particular example, there is a few oddities. It appears to have been re-blued so may be a post war re-work bayonet. That would explain the wood grips. As in 1941 bym's we would expect black bakelite. The scabbard is not bym marked, which is also odd. Three possibilities, the original bym scabbard was damaged or lost and the Eickhorn made one dated 1942 was the replacement. Someone, perhaps at the armoury added the bayonet serial number to make it a set. The second possibility, though less likely, is bym was supplied with a batch of Eickhorn scabbards (dated 1942) to fill a supply gap. Third possibility the marriage of the bayonet and Eickhorn scabbard occurred at time of re-work either late war or post war.
Never the less, a collectable bayonet, bym was one of the smaller producers, with only about 130,000 bayonets made during the war. A rare drop in the bucket when you consider 15 million k98 bayonets were made 1934-45. Thanks for showing us.
Nice one piece, mostly renumbered with spare 42cof scabbard, when the origin scabbard was lost or damaged, bym is Maschinenhaus Ferlach, Ostmark, the grips were replaced by wood, as normally they use only dark brown plastic in that period. br.Andy
bym - Genossenschafts Maschinenhaus, Ferlach/Kärnten - Österreich (Austria) ..
*Ferlach used a unique numbering system for their bayonets from 1939 until midway through 1944. It had a two part number (i.e. 83158 416) with the first number being a bayonet serial number. The second number was the batch or series number and was stamped below the actual serial number and changed every 200 numbers. For the example number provided, if you multiply 416 x 200, it indicated that this bayonet was piece number 83,158 out of a batch or series of 83,200 bayonets. In late 1943 (suffix blocks A-C) they changed to the standard 4-digit number w/letter suffix system like all the other makers.
Hey guys, one more bym to contribute
Hello,
yes a strange part ...
The scabbard was certainly added later and the number was adjusted.
It is not completely identical in numbers ... the "164" is missing.
What amazes me is that the stamp image is identical ...
The condition of the scabbard does not necessarily match the bayonet either
Hi Pedro ..normally I would ask for each edged weapon type to be included in their own thread for discussion and review..but due to the nature of this rare Bym producer and the numbering seen on the 1st post example ..I will allow your posted example to remain for further review and comparison.
Thanks for posting
Regards Larry
It is not the size of a Collection in History that matters......Its the size of your Passion for it!!- Larry C
One never knows what tree roots push to the surface of what laid buried before the tree was planted - Larry C
“The farther back you can look, the farther forward you are likely to see.” - Winston Churchill
A strange one for sure. From memory the early 1942 "cof" bayonets still had a high polish finish like those from 1941. The scabbard finish here looking more like a later sand blasted type of finish (prior to bluing). Likewise the bayonets from Austria seem to have evaded some of the things seen with late/later Solingen made bayonets (varies by maker) until perhaps the very end of production. Some more study and a look at available contemporary bayonets seems to be needed. Best Regards, Fred
Hey Larry, Sorry for my mistake.
My bayonet Bym has an unconventional scabbard. Apparently from an Austrian mannlicher. I was in doubt. My bayonet is from 1944, with only the number 4 marked on the back of the blade, a bad finish typical of the end of the war. Didn't the factory take advantage of old scabbards from the rifle mannlicher for use in new k98 bayonets?
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