1938 German army issue K98 bayonet by Carl Eickhorn with possible Norwegian campaign connections.
£275
A good and interesting pre war 1938 dated German army issue K98 bayonet by Carl Eickhorn with possible Norwegian campaign connections, in 1939 dated scabbard by Gebr. Heller with Norwegian Defence Museum provenance. Hilt with release catch to the right side is fitted with ribbed Bakelite grip scales with Waffenamt German army inspection marks to the left side of the pommel. Single edge deep blued fullered blade stamped to the front left of the hilt CARL EICKHORN with serial number 9433q to the right and with manufacture date 38 for 1938 to the top of the blade. In its blued steel scabbard serial numbered 3709g to the rear above the frog stud and GEBR. HELLER 1939 to the front with German army Waffenamt struck to the ball at the end of the scabbard. The front of the scabbard electro etched MEDL. NR. 714 FORSVARSMUSEETS VENNER (MEMBER No. 714 FRIENDS OF THE DEFENCE MUSEUM) presumably for presentation by the friends of the Norwegian defence museum in Oslo. Regulation issue bayonet to fit the WW2 German K98 service rifle these were effective arms both when fitted to the rifle or when used as a fighting knife and saw wide service all over the world as well as on all fronts of the war by the German army from the first campaign in Poland to the fall of Berlin. Like all WW2 German equipment early war dated examples of the K98 bayonet are rare, most having being destroyed or lost during the long years of combat before the final defeat of the Reich in 1945. While only speculation, given its presentation by a Norwegian military museum this example may well have been left in Norway after the Germans successful campaign to invade the country in the opening phase of WW2. In very good condition with very nice blade retaining 95% original blue finish, very good Bakelite grips with no chips or cracks and working catch in a nice pre war scabbard, an interesting bayonet with German WW2 and later museum history.
