German Trench Knife - WW1 or WW2 ?

[Reibert]

The "Hammesfahr" looks good to me so far.
The GERMANY mark means, this knife was exportet to the USA after the Great War.
You also can find this stamp on "captured" weapons and other items.

It´s a pitty, the Demag lacks all of it´s coating, the colour is wiped away completely ...
There´re many fakes on the market, all of them with stampings upon the blade and all of them lacks the coating !

For sure, the scabbard is an original and "wartime made".
But it looks any strange to see a totally decolourised bayonet together with a scabbard in still very good condition ...
Maybe bayonet and scabbard were mismatched during the years.

If the Demag is an original, "wartime made" item, (IMO it´s an "Good one"), it´s a rare "transitional" Modell, (1st variant to 2nd variant).

Rgds.,

R.

P.S.:
Is there an acceptance mark visible upon the spine of the Demag ?

[RON]

Hey Reibert,
Thanks for the feedback. So you're basically saying that the 'Hammesfahr' is OK but you're not so sure about the 'DEMAG'?
Regarding the lost coating, was it feldgrau on the handle? I personally thought it looked too rough/rugged with plenty of defects even for a late war variant. Just look at how cheaply made the guard is... But I thought it looked evenly used/worn all over, doesn't it?

[Reibert]

The Demag "crank handle" was introduced in 1916 and came in several variants.

Try the search function and you´ll find a lot of threads, regarding this bayonet, f.e.:

https://www.warrelics.eu/forum/imper...y-demag-64886/

https://www.warrelics.eu/forum/imper...ngewehr-10259/

https://www.warrelics.eu/forum/imper...al-fake-26587/

https://www.warrelics.eu/forum/imper...-handle-16470/

[RON]

All right, thanks!
(nice one you got there by the way! I'm only looking for one original myself of the earlier/better types and that's it... I won't try and collect all variants)

[Reibert]

... I'm only looking for one original myself of the earlier/better types and that's it...

This pattern bayonet was manufactured for only almost three yrs.
The "quality" of all variants were the same.
There´re only differences in the performance of the maker´s mark and the press catch, that was changed during the war.

BTW, Demag also manufactured trench knives in WWI