German S98 Sawback Bayonet

[NorthStaffsPOW]

Hi all. I was pleased to add this to my collection during a recent trip to the town of Seelow in Germany. I have not actually seen one of these in the flesh in Britain despite having seen quite a few sawback S98/05s and 84/98s. Condition could be better and any markings have been lost to pitting, but I am still happy to have added this scarce bayonet to my collection. Thanks for looking.

 

 

[trajan]

Well done! Yes, condition not excellent, in fact poor, but when you don't have something you need for a collection, then it will do as a filler. The only problem being that you will be lucky to get your money back if you decide to sell it at some point. I would be happy to have it as it is a type I sorely lack in my collection - they were never sent to Turkey, it seems...  The date looks to be somewhere in the 1910's. 

[NorthStaffsPOW]

Hi Trajan, thanks for your comments. Yes, I had figured the date to be around the 1910s too. Regarding the condition, I am an impatient collector  When I see a bayonet I would like in the collection, especially something scarce or rare, as long as the price reflects condition I would rather have it than not. When I find a nicer one I will trade up

[Steve1871]

I have 2 of those sawbacks , nice, impressive Bayonet's with their length , but both June have no scabbards either , I never try to see if regular Quillback scabbards will fit , still, like TRAJAN said. Well done

[Steve1871]

On the 98/05. Only about 6% made were Pioneer/Sawback

 

the S98 Sawback should be as scarce, it seem's that far less S98 sawbacks have survived the war and a whole century of time. They are always great for your collection

[trajan]

On 10/06/2019 at 17:51, Steve1871 said:

On the 98/05. Only about 6% made were Pioneer/Sawback

 

the S98 Sawback should be as scarce, it seem's that far less S98 sawbacks have survived the war and a whole century of time. They are always great for your collection

 

Well, yes and no! Official contracts stripulated 6% or so sawback production, but actual production figures for Fitchel and Sachs indicate 8% and army accounts for 1918 or so indicate as many as 18% were around! Have not checked my records for the survival of S.98 mS. and will try to do so in the next few days. BUT, to judge from suriving examples of 98/05's with unit-markings all sawbacks were seen as 'collectable'  souvenirs and so many more than 6% of total made in existence and certainly not as rare as you might think! Same with HQ Pattern 1907's I think... Dealers over-emphasise their rarity. What are rare for the collector are sawback-removed examples of any type... In particular sawback removed S.84/98's and kS 98's...