A 'Henckels/Anker-Werke' 98/05

[trajan]

As luck would have it, a second nice find today - had to pop back into town and called back in at the antika bazaar again and there was this grip-less and catch-less 98/05 (with scabbard) just begging me to take him home as it is one of the rarest of the rare of the 98/05's (see, e.g., Carter, vol 1, p.64).

Undated, as most of these Anker-Werke examples apparently are, and with a fraktur mark only on the spine (no royal cipher), this one combines the standard two-line Anker-Werke/Bielefeld marking with a Henckel's twins mark above - Carter mentions that only one other example of this combined mark was known to him, a Prussian issue dated 1917 (Williams doesn't even illustrate it so it must be rare!). It does have some tang marks, the only one of note being a number '8' as this is repeated on the outer (downward) edge of the lower crossguard, and there is also a 'V' or 'W' (need to get some rust off there!) on the lower spine.

Now to find a beat-up 98/05 to salvage its grips and grip-screws...!!!

Trajan

[Michael Haselgrove]

Trajan,

Well, a bit of a coincidence in that today I got the example shown in the attachment. Mine has the Anker-Werke mark on the right hand side and the Henckels mark on the left. It is dated 1917. A 2 is stamped on the lower blade just in front of the cross-guard. It is interesting that Carter says a single example has been found with the Henckels twins on the right hand side whereas my example has that mark on the left.

Have a look at the thread "German Unit Bayonet Markings" you started for my other recent acquisition.

Good luck with the search for grips, etc. for your example!

Regards,

Michael.

[trajan]

Michael, that is a seriously nice and rare bayonet you have there - especially with a spine-date! I'll look more carefully at it over the next week or so - do you have Carter vol 1? If not then I can copy the information for you.

Julian

[Michael Haselgrove]

Hi Julian,

Thanks for your comments. I have Carter Vol.1 but thanks for the kind offer.

Michel.

[trajan]

Been off in Istanbul on a project, hence delay in replying...

So, as you have Carter vol. 1, then for the benefit of Mr.Kite and others, who may not have this, I'll elaborate on what Carter says on this combined Henckel/Anker Werke marking, starting with the point that dated examples of these (such as yours) are rare, but he notes these as being W/17 on 1917 nA. only, so matching yours...

But, he also notes that the Anker-Werke mark is (usually) on the left-hand side, but yours' is on the right. And notes that the twin's mark is also usually on the left, as with yours, and 'sometimes' above the Anker-Werke marking, which the case with mine.

Incidentally, though, your example seems to have a crowned C fraktur mark, which is what I have.

As for getting replacement grips and a press-stud for mine, well, I'll wait and see what turns up!

Julian

[trajan]

Just for the record I found these two

This one (with no spine mark) at: http://www.fieldserviceantiquearms.co.uk/scarce-germansaxony-ww1-s9805-butcher-bayonet-870-p.asp

The description is a bit optimistic... It claims that there is a "WA mark on the pommel ... crown over FA (Friedrich August III) Saxony"... I assume that by 'WA' they mean 'WaffenAmt", but that was a WWII bureau, while the crowned FA is an inspector's mark

[trajan]

And this second one (with a W/17 spine mark) is at: http://www.lawranceordnance.com/the_q_store/bayonets/1012g98002.php

Must be one of the many(?!) sisters of yours, with the same fraktur mark! BUT, it has been blued, and so presumably re-issued post WW1, although there is no sign of a 1920 mark

EDIT: A quick look (but needs a clean) suggests that I have the same fraktur mark on mine - which is re-assuring in its own way!