Dress bayonet with etched Eagle on pommel

[waffendude]

Picked this up with several other pieces today
Not up on the bayonet world and was wondering what branch
this bayonet was for regarding the Etched Eagle

Thank you
Mike

[waffendude]

.

[Francisque]

Here's mine.
Eickhorn too.

Engraved pommel bayonet are very rare.

JC

[Francisque]

Interesting is that the eagle's head isn't in the same side!

[waffendude]

Thanks for posting yours, I see that mine is facing a different direction
Could be early or late? Like some Heer buckles
Mine is obviously missing the button also.

[JohnZ]

Sorry, waffendude, but I do not like your pommel etch. Look at the feathering on the eagle, not to mention the head orientation.

Mine is like Francisque's.

John

[waffendude]

Hi John
Thanks for posting yours also

I'll be the first to admit I don't know anything about these.
I know the term "vet bringback" is probably also used loosely at times
That being said, here's the story with this piece
I picked it up with some other items including the original shipping bag/package
It has the "bringback" items on the list, minus a cap I believe. And there are a few pieces here that arent on
the list. I dont know how in depth they were filling these papers out.

I was told that the vet died 2 weeks after shipping this stuff back, so I know he didnt collect anytime after the fact. I cant see the family adding anything else to the "group"
But I know anything is posiible
Nobody was interested in the stuff and they just wanted to get rid of it,
I was told it had been in the basement for 70 years.

It doesnt bother me that the eagle faces another direction as I've seen Heer
belt buckles face both directions, but again I'm not an expert on these. Didnt even know they existed with eagles etched on the pommels til now

The bayonet and frog have been together for a long time, I'll take a few more pics showing the indentions.

As always I'm open to anyones comment either way on the matter

Mike

[waffendude]

Here's a few more pics, as you can see the bayonet has been mated with
this frog for a long time, you can make out the "eagle" pommel head indented
to the frog,

The corrosion on the back side of the pommel that did damage to the frog
Wear from the top rivet to the frog and corrosion and indentation from the guard to the frog.

In my previous pics of the closeip of the eagle, there is some corrosion that
came from the button that has run down thru the eagle.

So the eagle wasn't applied over the "rust" similar to what forgers do with decals added later to helmets over rust trying to decieve.


It looks to me that all of this took many many years to do.

Just some observations

[waffendude]

pics

Aren't showing up for some reason

[waffendude]

Looks like the photos are showing up now

[harleyguyone]

Mine matches Francisque's and John's exactly. The chest feathers are a big difference from yours as well as the head. Mine's also a short Eickhorn.

Lance

[waffendude]

I did some searching and found the vets gravesite

Unless someone in his family added to this group....

What was the reasoning/purpose for the eagle applied to the pommel of the bayonet?
I've also seen eagles facing left and right on etched blades

Mike

[Mac 66]

Mike,


I think your bayo with the eagle on the pommel could be another variant, you got to ask yourself why would someone go to the trouble of taking the bayo apart ?, especially taking the griplates of without breaking them ! Removing the blade from the hilt, then having to strip all the old nickle plating of the hilt/pommel to engrave the eagle into the pommel, re-plate the hilt/pommel again, fit the blade back into the hilt, then fit the griplates back on with what looks like to me factory fitted rivets !


Seems like a lot of hard skilled work to me to try & fool collectors imo.


We are all still learning about this stuff so i definitely would not right this bayo off until proven otherwise with some hard evidence ?


Because its not "Textbook" people dont like it


Regards Mac 66.

[lakesidetrader]

Exactly Mac well said. Why would someone go to the trouble of etching on a crappy bayo when they could get a better return on a real nice one? The only reason people do this sort of this is $. Besides you would think someone who would go to such trouble would get the head right!
It also strengthens your case when you get it from the Vets family and pay no premium for the etch.

Regardless, collectors demand textbook despite facts sometimes, so will be a hard sell at any premium.

[waffendude]

Thanks Mac and Paul for your comments
I didn't pay a premium for it and didn't even know it had
the etching on it til I saw it in person.
I didn't know what textbook was with these until a few were posted in my thread.
I still havent seen any others while searching for them. The pictures I
recieved had the bayonet in them but not showing the etching.
Just a far away shot, he mentioned it as an old knife.
I was mainly interested in the cutoff eagle as I mainly collect
cloth.
The family kept the old heavy paper sack that he sent the stuff
back probably because this was the last communication they had with
their son before he died. It all had sentimental value more than anything
until the years went by, Passed on and then time to get rid of it.
I think I like the paper sack the best, I have several wood send home boxes
and enjoy them as much as the relics.
Mike