Cut down 98k bayonet

[Military Trader]

You don't see many cut down 98ks like you do other bayonets. This one was picked up in Germany

[Richie B]

Thanks for posting the photo.

I've got a few cut down S84-98s in my collection.

I've always been intrigued as to who did these conversions.

They're certainly not official issue and I suspect that a German soldier would not be allowed to modify his issue equipment in such a way.

Many of them have an overall patina which indicates the conversion was done some time ago - but I don't think that it is easy to tell exactly when they were converted.

You certainly see some for sale on auction sites which are so shiny that they look like very recent conversions.

Personally I think the most interesting ones are those which have photos of wives or girlfriends under clear plastic grips. Some of these definitely have a look of age and I would imagine them being produced by bored soldiers using battlefield pick-up bayonets.

There are also Bulgarian conversions which pop up every now and again - usually in Soviet type scabbards (Tokarev style but shorter) with leather or webbing belt loops rivetted on the reverse.

Richie

[Military Trader]

Yeah what's interesting is that I do believe this came in an estate buy from Germany. So I don't believe a US soldier did this but who knows?

[Richie B]

who knows?

That's what makes collecting interesting

Richie