Polish bayonet Wz. 71/98...

[len s]

I've had this bayonet for a while. I believe it was made in the early 20's using blades and crossguards from German 1871 Mauser bayonets coupled with a unique Polish made 98 Mauser friendly grip. Can anyone provide more background information about this odd variant?

Thanks,
Len

[september1939]

Wow soo good condtion. It is a first polish bayonet. In this condition it is soo expensiv...

[dastier]

Len did you check the old smithy's site? Anything there about it?

[len s]

Len did you check the old smithy's site? Anything there about it?

Yes I did. He has nothing on it.

[dastier]

Len, I found something out about this bayonet in a book on Polish bayonets. I'll have to translate it with Google first, then post what I learn.

[len s]

Len, I found something out about this bayonet in a book on Polish bayonets. I'll have to translate it with Google first, then post what I learn.

Thanks Mike!

[dastier]

Here's the description I have for this bayonet from my Polish book on German Bayonets in the Polish Army 1917-1939:

German bayonet M.1871/98, ersatz bayonet for the Mauser 1898 rifle - shortened.

I'll paraphrase what Google Translate gave me...

This mount is completely unknown to western bayonet collectors. There is a lack of any mention [of it] in the work of Paul Kissling, Anthony Carter, and others. In this context to identify the type [as] given above is purely conjectural and based on components of the the bayonet (mostly-handle).

Polished steel hilt [pommel, blade?] with wooden facings [grips] with steel screws that came be fitted at by two. [secured with two screws] The head [pommel] with a prominent beak is reminiscent of the bayonet heads manufactured in Altona. Wz.1871 bayonet crossguard, with the muzzle ring cut off. At the top of the pommel is the the catch button, below is the Polish designation wz.98. Fairly odd wrapping [grip] profile (concave bottom) is the result of crossguard offsets towards sztychowi [no translation given - quillon perhaps] until the beginning of the fuller. [To] its original residual shank after removing the wrapping [grips] moczyznie [no translation given] has been brass brazed above head. [I think this is a description of the method of attachment of the pommel to the tang] At the front of the crossguard are German control characters - Gothic B under the crown, on inner edge [ricasso] is the Polish inventory number. [in the example there is a Prussian Gothic B under the Crown symbol - it appears to be on the crossguard and not on the spine as in Prussian 98/05 bayonets I have seen - but the translation is not clear]

The blade of the bayonet wz.1871, shortened (truncated fuller right at the end of the furrow), initially oxidized, oxidation part was preserved in fuller. [I think this refers to a description of residual bluing in the fuller in the example bayonet and that the fuller more or less ended at the crossguard]

Scabbard identical to bayonet design as in the preceding, painted olive green. [a different scabbard is illustrated - no oil knob. Do you think you have the original scabbard?]

As previously mentioned, there is no bayonet references in the literature present. This can lead to conjectures [that] the bayonet was created [by] the company Zbigniew Kobylanski and Zygmunt Tołtyrzewski, although against this thesis can find such a witness has just the bayonet on the battlefield of the Battle Warsawskiej Terna, the company had to provide their bayonets made only in 1920-21. [a reference to evidence of these bayonets being used in the Battle of Warsaw prior to the manufacture of bayonets by Zbigniew Kobylanski and Zygmunt Tołtyrzewski - the following French reference suggests an unknown maker]

Bayonets are known to the author with the following numbers: 403, 1701 3975, and one copy without a number, this bayonet was excavated from the ground and corrosion may have obliterated the [serial] number.

I also found a reference to this bayonet in a .pdf file copy of a French Bayonet Journal:

Bayonets for Mauser rifles produced in Poland

Manufacturing bayonets unknown for rifles Mauser Mle 98 were probably produced in the early 1920s. They consist of parts different German bayonets. A blade shortened and a cruise socket deleted are from the mle 1871. The handle was made in Poland and resembles that of Mle 84/98 with a knob but more massive than the similar Mle 98. The others were cruising the Mle 98/05. It has wood chips and non-striated a guard flame. Found on the pommel marking Polish WZ.98. A number of 4 digits is struck on the cruise. There is a known issue with sleeve Polish and serial numbers control marks (B a square) on the cruise a Mle.84/98 (collection Adam Luba).

Again this is using Google Translate. But the gist of it is that the wz.71/98 seems to have been made in the early 1920s by an unknown maker using a shortened blade from a S 1871 bayonet and a S 84/98 pommel but 'more massive' with a S 98/05 crossguard.

Wood chips I'm sure is wood grips with a steel flash guard (Schutzbleche) to the back of the bayonet to protect the grips as on German S 98/05 bayonets. I'm suggesting 'cruise' refers to the crossguard. By 'known issue' I'm suggesting it means not a problem but a known example (ie issued as in the military sense) with a Polish scabbard and that the bayonet itself has a serial number and a 'B [in] a square' stamp on the crossguard. (as it appears on your bayonet too)

Congratulations on your find! More photos please... especially of the crossguard stamps, pommel and attachment slot, and grips - tops/sides/bottom.

[len s]

Thanks for the great information! I always surmised that it had been made during the Polish-Soviet War and production wasn't continued beyond that event. I first learned about this bayonet back in 1998 from Tomasz Pietrzak's old "Polish Bayonet Page" though not much information was given. It was listed as "Bayonet from unknown armoury for Mauser rifle". I've never encountered any other reference to it. The scabbard shown in the Pietrzak article looked like one of the German ersatz pressed sheet metal 98/05 types though a bit shorter. The one that came with mine is the standard 98/05 article with a WWI German frog. My bayonet was found at a gunshow where it was represented as being Japanese. I know of one other in an American collection and that owner informed me that there were only a handful known to exist. Thanks for taking the time to research this oddball variation.

Best regards,
Len

[dastier]

Your welcome Len, glad I could be of help. I bought these two Polish bayonet books on a recommendation from the 'old Smithy' site. Had to import them from Germany but they were on sale at the time. You know how it is with reference books - get them while you can before they go out of print.

Len I have more info including what one sold for in Poland. I'll PM you with the amount. I'm going to try to download some images from the French .pdf file - not sure if I can.

[dastier]

From an article written by Tomasz Pietrzak in the LE JOURNAL DE L’ASSOCIATION FRANCAISE DES COLLECTIONNEURS DE BAÏONNETTES, Volume #15, October 2000:




Collection Maciej Prószyński