Nazi Bayonet real or repo?

[Eugen]

I know very little about Nazi era bayonets and would appreciate the forum's help in indentifying this bayonet. From my best guess it appears to be a Nazi era police dress bayonet. Is it? The more important question is it genuine or a repo? Any help will be appreciated.

[lugerholsterrepair]

Dang junk that shows up here! You better send it to me...I need an example of a fake police dagger...But then this may not be fake. Looks awful real to me. I suppose you got it free in some gun trade?

[gunnertwo]

I can't recall ever seeing any fake police bayonets. Yours is the short version and I didn't see any police unit markings. Judging by the condition I would say it's closer to war time production, not pre war. Pre war were normally longer and had ID markings for the city or district. Puma is a known maker.

G2

[spangy]

I would have to say repo IMO ... the PUMA logo is off.

[lugerholsterrepair]

I can't recall ever seeing any fake police bayonets.I have seen plenty..look and you will find. This one isn't fake though. The fakes are really cheap looking. Plastic stag grips and too shiny chrome..Light too. There isn't to much made from that era that wasn't very high quality. Anything made after 1945 is junk and it shows.


Late war they made these with wooden grips that LOOKED like stag!



Greg, your Puma mark isn't on a late war Police bayo...


Take a close look at the rivets holding on the handle. Classic German. Look closely at the Police medallion..detail.

The medallion is set into the stag flat & rock solid. beautiful craftsmanship.

Of course one would like to hold it in hand but logo's change over time. Not always a good indicator but quality of build is. Then there is the late war metal finish. Almost gone on the topside. It was a fairly cheap silver wash that didn't age well on zink. Hard to fake that kind of patina!

[lugerholsterrepair]

Greg, I admit there are small inconsistencies in the Police blade logo. Those don't make the dagger fake. Or the logo. It's just different.

[spangy]

Well after an exhaustive search I have found an almost exact bayonet to Eugene's ... thank god.
Down to the logo even ... and by that i mean a puma within an uncompleted square.

https://stewartsmilitaryantiques.com...92.archive.htm

I think your bayonet is real Don.

[Edward Tinker]

I thought it looked good, but have only owned a couple police bayonets and stupidly sold them.

Ed

[spangy]

Boy do i hear that ED ... I had about 1/2 doz. to a dozen Hitler Youth knives and assorted gear.

When I was a kid my favorite store was The Army Navy store. They had tons of stuff I loved.

[Eugen]

Thanks, folks, for all the interesting and informative replies. As always folks here are so helpful.

Jerry, I found it at a small gun show about five or six years ago. The vendor at the table claimed it was authentic. I wanted it but thought it was a repo since it was marked “Puma” and I had some Puma tennis shorts or shoes in the 70’s. Duh?! I reasoned that they couldn’t have made bayonets or daggers. Also, it had no slot for a lug and was very light weight, so I just thought it was made in Taiwan or something. G2, As you noted there are no unit or other markings on the frog or bayonet. Is my ignorance showing yet? Well, that worked for me at the time as I got it at much lower price than he was asking.

When I got home I immediately began doing some online research and could not find a Puma bayonet maker or any similar bayonet that had the same eagle eyes, beak or feather design. Now I thought I nothing more than overpriced repo. Ugh. My notion was reinforced when during the next four or five years that I attended the SOS in Louisville and could not find a single Nazi era bayonet that was made by Puma. Zero! I brought photos of my bayonet with me and I never found a Puma or an eagle head that looked identical. Even the police bayonets that I did see seemed to be a much high quality of manufacture. Perhaps they were prewar or early war made.

So I put the bayonet away in a box and forgot about it. That is until this week when I happened upon it and decided to see what the folks here thought.

Ed, I even consulted your Police Luger book, that I bought when I met you at the SOS, to see if you have any photos or info on police bayonets. Nope. Nice book though.

Spangy, thanks so much for that link that actually showed an identical one and the sold price. I no longer think I have a fake. You made my day, buddy!

I am now wondering if it is relatively rare late war production bayonet?

[lugerholsterrepair]

Eugene..What a struggle! Dragging Greg by what little hair he has left towards authenticity! If I just spoke a little better Canadian it might have been easier eh?

I am too busy pushing a needle to really study these as interesting as they are. I have a half dozen of them but there are an amazing variety of the type. All very much the same only different! They are one of the most beautiful of the German bayonet/daggers IMO.

The dagger type with no bayonet slot..Not intended as a bayonet of course. I see them with and without slots as more or less a badge of office. Like most German daggers..they had no real use.

There is an excellent dagger site..I have not been to it in years. I lost my log in credentials and could never get back on easily. Pretty much a puterphobe so if it becomes difficult I quit. I got enough hassles without proving I am not a robot. Congrats..It's a dagger I would snag too "if the price was right"!

[spangy]

Jerry is just jealous because I still got hair.
BTW Jer, the parts are in customs, I should have em in my hot lil hand by Wed.

Originally Posted by Eugen

Spangy, thanks so much for that link that actually showed an identical one and the sold price. I no longer think I have a fake. You made my day, buddy!

I am now wondering if it is relatively rare late war production bayonet?

Your welcome Don I had fun and learned lots from chasing it down.

[lugerholsterrepair]

Jeeze Greg! You should post a trigger warning with that mug!