Fake double etched "Luneschloss" KS98 bayonet

[Rich Moran]

Sad that the con artists have destroyed so many quality bayonets. The good ones are truly rare but with the con artists flooding the market over the last 25 years it will make it tough on collectors out of the loop of these things. I decided years ago to go no where near these because this area of blade collecting is really a mine field. Good you caught it before paying for it.

[Anderson]

Quite right Rich, but the worrying thing in this case is the bayonet was a fake as well as the etching. And the quality is actually quite good unless you know what to look for. This example would catch out many collectors and dealers who didn't have specialist knowledge of etched bayonets. As to risk for the collector, etched bayonets are probably equal to anything SS. As the saying goes, "buyer beware!". when you have that knowledge catching out the fraudsters is quite satisfying.

[Billy G]

I’m late to the party but the first thing that jumped out at me was the chunky stag grips which are often seen on some well done reproductions. The mortise key reverse is also a very good spot to check. Always look for a casting flaw on the crossguard. Hope you can void the transaction with this info.

[FiveArmies]

Thank you Billy. I reached out to Wayne Techet and he confirmed this is a repro. Also, Tom Wittman and Bill Shea also mentioned the exact same red flags that you cited. All great info to a newbie like me to this genre. So many mines in the minefield of Militaria collecting!

[AndyB]

There are reproductions made postwar by this maker identifiable, i believe the cast handle is not correct same as the finish is not nickel but chrome instead. Same as mentioned the horn grips looks like not old enough on cut areas.

[Frogprince]

Sad that the con artists have destroyed so many quality bayonets. The good ones are truly rare but with the con artists flooding the market over the last 25 years it will make it tough on collectors out of the loop of these things. I decided years ago to go no where near these because this area of blade collecting is really a mine field. Good you caught it before paying for it.

The more expensive supposedly rare types not a high priority for me when I first started collecting, I was introduced by a friend and fellow collector to the world of reworked fakes (also including some daggers) that sometimes were hard or very hard to identify. And while it's not seen as frequently, I've known those higer up in the collecting pyramid who have sometimes been fooled. Best Regards, Fred