M98 butcher sawback

[Anon]

Hello,

I bought this supposed m98 sawback bayonet which is marked: R.Stock & Co. Berlin Marienfelde and 1917.
The bayonet looks fine and unmessed with to me but I don’t have enough knowledge to determine if the sawback itself is period or was added by someone after the war. I read that the scabbert should not have a perfect square where the saw slips in as the saw supposedly grinds against the scabbert and wears out the perfect square. Would that be a clue that the scabbert is not original to the Bayonet or that the saw was added later as the patina on the bayonet and the scabbert seem to match?
I’m also interested in hearing opinion only why the tip is still shiny and not darker through rust like the blade near the handle.

I would be happy if I could get some opinions regarding my questions.

Anon

[AndyM35]

I love the look and overall patina on this example Anon. I’m not a fan of overly polished ones and like them as they were found. Looks good from here - let’s see what the bayonet guys have to say.

Andy

[Mordecai]

(Accidental double post)

[Mordecai]

The tip could be less rusty due to it being the part that rubs against the spring in the scabbard the most.
I dont own a sawback yet but I like this example, doesn't look like its been weimar or post war touched and scabbard could be original too, but I'll let the other gents comment on that though.
In the meantime I'd get some gun oil and give it a light wipe to keep any rust from spreading, just don't use WD-40 as it tends to create a film once it dries.
I agree with Andy on the way the patina looks on this example. Nice find!

[AndyB]

S98/05 bayonet with unknown blade rohling deliverer of Solingen area and finished by R.Stock in Berlin. should be oiled on metall parts and wipe off the varnished cosmoline? Personally believe the scabbard was for plain blade not for sawback. S98/05nA is the correct designation.

[Anon]

Do you know what kind of scabberts sawblades did have? I thought they had the exact same as non sawback ones. I can only find normal looking scabberts when I search for sawbacks on Google.

[AndyB]

Yes they looked identical as for normal plain blades, but in mouth area was the place for sawback spine more opened.
On Your mouth piece is clear there was the sawback stucked into left mouth side area.
The sawbacked version of mouthpieces have little opened area for sawback, should be too inspector proofed from same maker/inspector as bayonet, when they made scabbards offcoarse.
Here a sample from leather scabbard of older modell made prior 1915.

[Anon]

Thank you for the response Andy. Do you talk about these worn out places of the mouth of the scabbert? Because the wider parts that i marked with the circles should be from the sawback when it was put in the scabbert and that removed some of the metal. My scabbert doesnt have that. Would you say the scabbert is probably not original to the bayonet? I thought maybe it just wasnt used that much that the sawback never wore out the scabbert mouth. Because the scabbert seems to have the same patina.
Tomorrow i will receive the bayonet and will have a look for proof staps on the scabbert.

[AndyB]

Your piece doesnt have a recess there, so most real its for normal plain blade wout sawbacks.You should compare the mouth piece proofs with bayonet ones.

[Mordecai]

This post made me take a closer look at my old 98/05 scabbards. Again I dont own a sawblade bayonet yet but I found this scabbard on my Weimar Reissue 98/05, which 'may' have been for a sawback originally. Hopefully it can be used for reference, If not sorry for the intrusion.

Possible Sawback scabbard?



Another 98/05 Scabbard for comparison.