Ew user with an interesting WW2 German Knofe found in Yosemite

[Frogprince]

As Sleepwalker stated, it seems that P. Weyersberg always serial numbered its service (S. 84/98) bayonets. Which is sometimes how you can tell if one has been altered and/or reworked at some point, with the Typ 41 reddish plastic grips beginning series production in 1943 (black grips were starting circa 1938/very end of 1937). Which as a mid-late(r) wartime bayonet where for the moment I would place the thread starter bayonet as one of the non German Army military service type bayonets that were made in that period by a handful of makers. So I fully expect to see a serial number and nothing on the scabbard, with AndyB’s request as the keeper of record I’m assuming wanting to add it to the database he maintains (I don’t consider the thread starter to be a rework with the reddish grips appropriate to that time period).

German Police marked S. 84/98 bayonets predate by a considerable period Germany's expansion outside of its borders, with some other examples also predating any armed conflict outside its borders. And as was I think pointed out, in the Weimar era they were looked upon as a military type of organization, but not under the control of the Army. That said, approximately 60,000 already trained men were taken from the Police in 1935 to expand the Army providing many men of Officer and NCO quality. With as we say: “The 800 pound Gorilla in the room” the Versailles Treaty, and the methods they were using to try and get around it. Best Regards, Fred

PS: To me the bayonet's finish looks to be blued like most of the German rifles and pistols of that period.

[wpheaton]

I really enjoy these detailed threads on K98s.

William

[Sleepwalker]

Hi thanks for the comments
The blade is not really sharpened a lot at all , the blade still has 98% parkerization.
Tomorrow I'm photographing the whole blade so you all can get a better look at it. Will also look for numbers etc. It is marked and stamped
Thanks
SW

Hello,

P. Weyersberg never parkerized his bayontes. It must be black finishing.

Regards

[Frogprince]

Sleepwalker is correct that P. Weyersberg did not use the parkerizing process on its bayonets (Parkerizing in the TR period a proprietary process of the Parker Rust-Proof Company using phosphate to help protect iron/steel from corrosion). That said, German gun maker Mauser Werke late in the war did use a comparable version of a matte gray phosphate finish, as did Solingen's S. 84/98 service bayonet maker Hörster. Weyersberg for its earlier bayonets used rust bluing which has a matte appearance, later on switching to the ‘hot dip’ bluing method that is now often referred to as a ‘black oxide’ type of finish. With TR period German factory documentation using the word “Brünierung”, which literally translates to “Browning” - which was used predominately in the UK and Europe in that period to refer to both the brown color and blue-black colored ferric oxide finishes on steel. Which judging from period documentation is applicable to both the rust blued and hot chemical (dip) types. Best Regards, Fred