This is the standard German combat bayonet of WW2. It is dated 1943 at the base of the blade and marked 'asw' for E & F Horster & Co. The other side has a number, which may be related to the number of the rifle.
The unusual feature of this bayonet is that there is no corresponding weapon number at the top of the scabbard, and there never has been. It might even be that the scabbard is that for a Portuguese export bayonet, which didn't have either this detail or the maker's initials on the back of the scabbard. However, by 1943, German manufacturing was starting to cut corners on quality and so this could account for the scabbard lacking any marks whatsoever, not even on the ball of the scabbard, where you would usually expect to find a Waffenamt stamp. There are two of these on the pommel in the normal place, and on the top of the pommel there are some foreign markings.
The condition is excellent, with most of the original blue finish on the blade and good traces on the rest of the piece, especially on the pommel and the top of the scabbard. This is not a refinished piece, to the best of my knowledge. There are some oil stains to the wood grips, otherwise it's a nice example of a mid-war bayonet.
If you want to comment on this item—re quality, age, etc—please email me.
[Edged Weapons : Bayonets : Third Reich : Wehrmacht]
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