Reddish coloured K98 bayonet

[A.v.d.P]

Hi,

I have this mismatched bayonet with a reddish colour to it, it has WaA883
Is this colour normal ww2 or post war applied?













Greetings, A.v.d.P

[ph3s]

war time bluing 'cos of some chemical reaction(air, humility, special conditions, don't really know what exactly) sometimes
goes makes bayo go this kind reddish. Have seen many like this guy. One even was positioned by the dealer as 'scare red bluing'

Who are the bayos makers?

[A.v.d.P]

Ok thanks for the reply, the maker's are CVL and ASW.
So this was just a coincident during the manufacturing?

Greetings, A.v.d.P

[Frogprince]

Probably caused by too much heat in the bluing solution, there are some factory originals with a reddish tinge like some of the asw’s. But with the example here it looks to me that most likely it’s postwar, with maybe a little "wiggle room" for a late rework. FP
PS: A 1941 cvl should have the black bakelite grips, not wood.

[FestungSpanien]

This feature is also seen on small parts of weapons blueing...I like the looks of it!

[ph3s]

So this was just a coincident during the manufacturing?

I don't think so, that wound be counted as bad manufacturing. I think it's the time, last one I saw was herder's production. As you van see any bayo could gone that reddish , not a particular manufacture ones

[A.v.d.P]

Hmmm interesting to see it on other bayonets, i once had a k98 mauser with some parts who had also the same reddish colour.

When i have the scrabbard in my hands it feels a bit rough, not as smooth as you expected with normal scrabbard's, so i think that the scrabbard is a reissue post-war.

''Frogprince'' so you think there is some little chance that this bayonet is a later rework and the grips were replaced? that sounds a bit odd becouse the blade is in a perfect condition, no reason to rework them later in the war.

Greeting, A.v.d.P

[Frogprince]

A number of early 98K bayonets are refinished with no renumbered parts and no evidence of anything else. Sometimes rust blued. Sometimes using the later black oxide (hot dip) process. There are also those made up from all kinds of parts and renumbered to match. With a group in between with perhaps the occasional part here and there replaced. And there are some where it’s hard to tell if they were even reworked, with 1941 as the nominal cutoff date for period 98K armory reworks. That said: Neither the ‘cvl’, nor the Herder has its original factory finish. FP

[A.v.d.P]

Thanks for the info Frogprince and all the others

[drdata]

Interesting. I have a 41 asw k98 that has a definite pink hue. Same waffenampt as shown in OP.

The blade has no damage or scratches.


Am I to believe this is a re-worked example? If so, in or after the war?

Regards

[AndyB]

Hello, i believe Frogprince is right, the range of serial number, have no other plumblue pieces, anyway there should be dark plastic grips, the quality of blueing, is possible the rework was done in war period. The other pictured piece, have too redish blue, same as the wood grips are probably on a 39 dated piece wrong too.

[A.v.d.P]

Yesterday i removed the grips to look at the markings and there was a very nice early WaA on the grips.
So they are definitely not post war.