This is an example of one of the most widely used German bayonets from WW2: the K98 bayonet, designed for use with the Karabiner 98K rifle.

The blade is unsharpened and remains in very good condition with 90% of its original bluing still remaining. While there are minor signs of wear and some staining on the blade, it is overall still in very good condition and better than most examples. The rear of the blade is marked “41 C V L,” indicating that it was manufactured in 1941 by WKC (Weyersberg, Kirschbaum & Cie), a prominent German company known for producing a large number of weapons during WW2. The “C V L” marking is the manufacturers code assigned to WKC by the German government during the war.

The dark coloured bakelite grip plates are in excellent condition, showing no signs of damage and secured by two screw bolts. The hilt features two waffenamt stamps and a fully functioning rifle retaining button. The flashguard retains 90% of its bluing and is free from indentations.

The front of the scabbard is free from any dents and retains around 30% of its original bluing. It also features a four-digit serial number “1553.” The rear side of the scabbard retains about 30% of its bluing as well and is maker marked “F.W. Holler,” dated “1938.” Below this date, there is another serial number that reads “O.4166K”. However, there are two dents present in the lower section of the scabbard, “see photos”.

This example certainly shows age, but would still rate in decent condition.