Etching on Wehrmacht/SS combat bayonets (don’t be fooled! Photo+)

From time to time I come across various swag people who try to innocently ask on social networks and forums whether these are real engravings on combat bayonets and how much it costs? It is clear that we are dealing with a deceiver who is trying to reveal the mood of the audience and find a likely buyer for themselves, because a lot of diggers and collectors, or even just ordinary people, want to get home a small souvenir or item that would be related to various parts of the Wehrmacht, and even more so — SS, World War II. At the same time, different stories are written, sometimes to the point of absurdity and laughter: «I found it in my grandmother’s attic», «I dug a pancake (digging a dugout) and found such a bayonet», &# 171;I just need money and I’ll give it away for half price», you can continue the list yourself.

A few examples of such bayonets:

Let’s start with the simplest thing. German soldiers and other owners of a military bayonet were prohibited from engraving or damaging the item in any way, because the bayonet was a government-issued one and was subject to return after military service. Well, or after the end of hostilities, the Germans hoped to win the war. 🙂 Therefore, if German soldiers and officers engraved, they did the same on ceremonial bayonets and knives, which they purchased with their own hard-earned Reichsmarks and Pfennings. And they engraved on them not the division, but their regiment, because the soldier and officer had more of a blood connection with the regiment.

Prices for similar items of that time:

As you can see — in wartime, none of the Soldatens would have started such a kindergarten. However, similar «sellers» and the swag guys are trying to insist that this bayonet was made by order of a veteran after the war. This also does not stand up to criticism, due to the description above — they engraved a regiment, not a division, and even if something like this happened, it was not on the same scale as they are trying to tell us, and not for the kind of money they are trying to sell something like this for.

More photos:

Bayonet times: SS Police Division

Bayonet two: the «Death’s head»

They even added some kind of motto, the mass people are entertainers.

Judging by the rumors of comrades, similar bayonets are produced in Poland, by Polish mass entertainers who need something to eat.

In general, comrades and just readers, do not fall for such «scam», such crafts do not stand up to any criticism and they cost less than the cost of the bayonet itself, because it is so homemade engraving often spoils interesting and in good condition military bayonets, sometimes dug.

Collected from personal observations and topics on Raibert.

So, here on the blog we very often write about finds and try to help identify them — we collect everything under the tag «Identification of finds«, come in, study, there is a lot of useful and necessary stuff!