Volunteer Fire Department forces were permitted to wear a special dress bayonet. It was similar to the K-98 Dress Bayonet, except there are two quillons in the crossguard design instead of only one. The left example sweeps upward, while the right example sweeps downward. There is no rifle mounting slot provision in the hilt. The bakelite checkered grip plates, blade, scabbard and carrying frog are identical to that of the K-98 Dress Bayonet. The bayonet was available in short, long or sawbacked blade.
The Fire Official's dirk was a very long weapon worn by volunteer and professional Fire Officers. The Dirk was worn beginning about 1850 and continued through the 3rd Reich period in the same basic configuration. It is one of the few examples which did not incorporate a swastika in the design. Most examples approached 20 inches in length, while some Imperial pieces were even longer. The hilts were usually composed of silvered nickel base metal. The pommel was normally a round shape, with crossguard center block often featuring crossed axes. The crossguard arms extended to quillon ends in the shape of spear points or clover leaves. The grip was wire-wrapped black celluloid or black leather over wood base. The scabbard shell was produced of black leather with three, line-decorated mounts. The upper two mounts were equipped with hanging rings. The long blade was double-etched depicting floral designs mixed with fire scenes and equipment.
While fireman used axes for the business end of their organization, many also had dress versions which were used for parade and presentation purposes. These dress axes can run the gamut from simple polished nickel heads with black or brown wood handles, to most elaborate etched, gold embellished beauties, some equipped with fluted ebony or even genuine ivory handles, presentation plates and beautiful lower escutcheon decorations. Senior examples were usually finish in gold.
FIRE #33384 Fireman’s Bayonet Troddel
This Fireman’s Bayonet Troddel has still good leather strapping. The leather strapping is decorated with triple aluminum stitching running the length. There is some mild wear to the stitching but it is still all there. The slide below is the thong type decorated with aluminum highlights and the stem is the flat type with metal base having a crochet-like covering. The lower ball is of yarn-like material with alternating pink and bullion material. The lower insert is a pink felt type fabric. A good troddel here for an excellent plus, plus bayonet.Excellent Plus. $125.00
- FIRE #33383 Fireman’s Bayonet Troddel
This Fireman’s Troddel has good leather strapping throughout and it appears to have been on a bayonet. It still is in good condition however with no undue wear. The leather strapping is decorated with triple gold wire stitching running the length. The slide is a black thong variety with gold wire trim. The stem is a flat variety being a metal base and covered with crochet-like material. The lower oval ball consists of alternating bullion and pink yarn-like material. The lower insert is a pink felt having a couple of moth nips but nothing bad. An extremely nice original troddel here which would go well with an excellent plus, plus to near mint bayonet.Excellent Plus, Plus. $150.00
- FIRE #32879 Fireman’s Short Bayonet - JDS
This Fireman' Short Bayonet shows quite a bit of usage on the outside, but it should clean up with a little bit of work. The pommel is relatively clean on the obverse and reverse but on the spine area, does have some rust. The crossguard is the style with quillons that go up and down, and these quillons also have some mild rust. The grip plates are in perfect condition, having good checkering to their black surfaces. They are retained by nickel rivets, having dressed heads on the obverse. The scabbard shell is straight throughout. The original paint shows quite a bit of age toward the lower end of both sides. This paint is about 70% but could clean up some also, with a little work. The short style blade is the stepped variety. It has a narrow fuller on both sides. This blade is still bright and is in near full mint condition. The reverse ricasso is marked with a trademark I have only seen a couple of times. Interesting enough, it is a front collar stud logo having the letters “J.D.” on the upper part, and along the base the letter “S”. Probably, the “S” stands for Solingen and the “JD” would be the initials of the blade company. The original blade washer is gone to time. If nothing else, it is interesting to see this odd maker on this Fireman’s Bayonet. A good one for someone on a budget, or for someone who wants to work cleaning up this edged weapon.Good Plus. $65.00
FIRE #31652 Fireman’s Dress Axe With Original Frog and Dress Hanger
This Fireman’s Dress Axe is the first example I have seen that comes with the original dress belt and hanger assembly. The dress axe itself is a nickel plated type having plain surfaces throughout. It is a thin proportioned variety with cutting edge on one side and long pointed tip on the other. It has a fine natural color wood handle which is probably oak. The handle goes through the center portion of the axe head and comes upward about a half an inch and has two metal trim pieces, one on each side. At the lower portion of the axe on the sides of the handle are two matching nickel escutcheon plates. The axe is resting in a fine brown leather frog. The frog has two straps which retain it and a pocket which accommodates the handle. There is also a red cloth strap which retains the cutting edge cover which is also brown leather. The frog is attached to a webbed wide belt which measures about 3¼”. This webbed belt is of white color with three wide red stripes which run throughout. At the waistline there is a matching set of dual brown leather belts. These belts have nickel plated buckles and hasps with roller fittings. The belt shows some wear and some age throughout but it is still all there and really makes for a great display. If you have some other fire department items up on the wall, this would really enhance your effort. A rarely seen package here.Excellent Plus. $650.00
FIRE #31699 Firemans Long Bayonet
This Fireman's Long Bayonet has good nickel hilt plating. There is a little bit of minor age in the plating but it all still remains at 100%. The grip plates are the standard black checkered celluloid. They are held in place by two nickel plated rivets having dressed heads on the obverse. The scabbard is straight throughout. This scabbard has fairly good paint on the obverse, showing some spidering and a little bit of loss. The reverse has some wear around the center area of the paint. All in all, this paint rates at about 75% - 85%. There is no frog. The blade of this example is in pristine, bright condition, having wide fuller construction. This long style blade is in full mint. It is protected by an in-place brown leather buffer. A decent example here.Excellent Plus, Plus. $150.00
FIRE #30706 Firemans Long Bayonet
The nickel plating on the hilt of this Fireman's Bayonet appears to be all there at 100% and I am sure if it were cleaned up it would still be nice and bright. The grip plates are in perfect condition, being the black checkered celluloid. These plates are retained with nickel plated steel rivets. The obverse heads are dressed. The scabbard is straight throughout. This scabbard has fine original paint and on the reverse is nearly 100% with only a couple of scratches. The obverse has a little more usage and some minor spidering but it is not too bad. This paint overall grades at about 90%. The scabbard is equipped with a fine black leather frog. This frog is in near mint condition and with a little polishing, would be mint. The blade of this example is the long type with wide fuller construction. This blade appears slightly wider than we normally see on firemans bayonets. I noticed that the rivet heads are also larger than other types. This all points toward a producer that maybe did not make a lot of firemans bayonets and thus some of these “slightly different” aspects make it more interesting to those out there that collect fireman types. It is also interesting to note that the cross guard center area has been trimmed thinner than most and it was done, of course, before the plating. This choice, mint conditioned blade is protected by an in-place brown felt buffer – another different variety, as we usually see leather on these. A nice, interesting, good condition bayonet here still in an “as found” state.Excellent Plus. $195.00
FIRE #30988 Firemans Long Bayonet – L. & E. Bielefeld
L. & E. Bielefeld made bayonets are always interesting to fire department collectors because of the trademark used on the blade. We will get to that in a minute further down in the description. The hilt of this example shows a little bit of freckling in the nickel plated finish. It is all still there, however, with no lifting. I think if the plating were cleaned up some, the freckling would be much less noticeable. The grip plates are the black celluloid checker type. They are retained by nickel rivets having dressed heads on the obverse. The scabbard of this example show quite a bit of spidering on the obverse but the reverse is still fairly clean. Overall, this paint rates at about 90% and could come up some with a little bit of work with some wax and hand rubbing. The frog is a fine example, being a black leather. It shows a few scuffs here and there but easy to cover with a little bit of Meltonian black shoe cream. If you have never worked with this cream, you will find that it is really outstanding on leather frogs as well as leather covered scabbards and grips. It comes in a multitude of colors and you can google Meltonian and order this product. I highly recommend it. The reverse of this frog is also most interesting as it ties in with the maker of the blade. The reverse of the frog is marked “Lodenbrüggr & Ellermann/Bielefeld”. The blade of this example makes up for almost anything wrong with the outside. It is the long style, having not real wide fuller but fairly wide. The fuller is more narrow than most blades. The obverse is stamped with an open circle which contains the initials of the producer “L&E”. Placed between the two letters is a fireman’s helmet complete with comb on the top and noticeable swastika on the side. This is the only brand of fire department bayonet that has a swastika on it so obviously it is a highly collectible type. This beautiful mint condition blade has been protected by the in-place brown leather washer. This washer shows some age but it is still all there. A very hard to find bayonet and a good investment with the fireman’s helmet logo on the ricasso.Excellent. $350.00
FIRE #31700 Fireman’s Long Bayonet
This Fireman’s Bayonet has good bright nickel plating throughout the hilt. The pommel has some scratches on it but they are not too bad. The reverse pommel also has some minor usage signs. The grip plates are the black checkered celluloid and they are in perfect condition, being retained by nickel plated steel rivets having dressed heads on the obverse. The scabbard has a ding just beneath the frog. If you are just displaying this example, though, the frog pretty much covers the ding. The rest of the scabbard has choice original black paint. This paint still retains its original factory shine and the reverse is nearly 100% and the obverse has just a couple of minor chips. This scabbard paint is about 99%. There is a good black leather frog. This frog is in outstanding condition and appears original to this piece. The long blade is equipped with a wide fuller construction. This blade is most interesting in that it has a polished surface instead of the usual nickel plated surface. The blade graining still appears throughout the blade and other than a couple of smudge marks mostly on the reverse, this blade is easily in near mint condition. The blade has been protected by an in-place brown leather washer.Excellent. $125.00
FIRE #30624C Fireman's Long Bayonet
This Fireman’s Long Bayonet is about as nice as you will find them. The hilt fittings are in choice condition having full mint nickel-plated surfaces throughout. The crossguard is the usual up and down type. The grip plates are crisp and in perfect condition having fine checkering to the black celluloid. The rivets are the nickel-plated steel type having dressed heads on the obverse. The scabbard is nice and straight and has outstanding original paint. The only portion where the paint is missing is a little bit on the lower obverse ball. Otherwise this scabbard has near full mint paint. The long blade is a beauty having highest quality nickel-plated finish. This blade easily rates in full mint throughout. The fuller is the wide style. This unmarked blade is protected by the in place brown leather washer. A very nice fireman’s bayonet here.Mint. $250.00
FIRE #30345 Fireman's Long Bayonet
This Fireman’s Long Bayonet unfortunately has a problem in that it shows some age and also the blade has been sharpened. The hilt is a good heavy steel base and it has fairly good nickel plating but it does show some freckling in the surfaces and quite a bit of rust on the reverse of the upper left quillon arm. Most of this would clean up though with a little work. The grip plates are the checkered black celluloid variety and they are retained by solid nickel rivets having dressed heads. The scabbard is straight throughout and has excellent black paint. In fact, this scabbard is in a near mint state having just a little bit of the paint chipped off on the lower ball. There is also a nice looking dark brown frog attached to this scabbard. This frog is also in outstanding condition. I notice putting the bayonet into the frog though that there may be a problem with the runners as the bayonet blade does not seem to hold firm. The blade itself is the long style with wide fuller. It has good nickel-plated surfaces but somewhere along the line someone decided that this blade needed to be sharpened and they have done so in a fairly haphazard manner. Unfortunately it does kind of ruin the looks of this blade but it is priced accordingly. The washer is a tan felt buffer type. There is no maker on this blade.Good Plus. $85.00
FIRE #30409 Fireman's Long Bayonet
This Fireman’s Bayonet reflects good nickel plating to the hilt. This hilt plating appears to be 100% and would clean up to a bright shine with little trouble. The grip plates are the black checkered celluloid type, they are in perfect condition and they are retained by steel rivets having dressed heads on the obverse. The crossguards are the usual up and down variety. The scabbard is a straight example having very good original paint. The obverse has a few normal scratches in the surfaces but the reverse still remains in perfect condition. This scabbard easily grades in excellent plus, plus condition. Attached to the scabbard is a good black leather frog. This frog shows a little bit of modest age but all in all it is a fine looking item. The blade is the long variety having wide fuller construction. This blade is still nice and bright and other than in and out wear it would grade in the near mint category. The blade is unmarked and is buffered by a brown felt washer. A decent example here.Excellent Plus, Plus. $175.00
FIRE #30344 Fireman's Long Bayonet - HK
This Fireman’s Long Bayonet shows some age throughout the hilt and scabbard. The hilt has some surface rust here and there around the pommel and also on both of the up and down quillon arms. A lot of this would come off though with a little bit of effort. The plating still looks to be quite strong beneath the rust. The grip plates are the black checkered celluloid type and they are in perfect condition and are retained by steel rivets having dressed obverse heads. The scabbard is straight throughout. This scabbard has original black paint but the paint is showing a lot of crazing on the obverse and some wear and rust on the reverse. This paint only grades at about good plus and is maybe 80%. There is an original frog that is attached. The frog also shows age and some cracking here and there but it still looks serviceable and maybe with a little bit of leather conditioner could come back pretty good. The blade is a long type having wide fuller construction. This blade has excellent nickel plating and is still nice and bright. There are a few mild scratches in the surfaces but they are not bad. All in all this blade would clean to be in near mint condition. The obverse ricasso is marked with a distributor’s initials which are “HK” being inside of a circle formed by dots. The original leather washer is in place having a couple of cracks in the leather. Overall though there are some possibilities here and this bayonet is priced for someone who would like to do a little bit of work on it and is priced accordingly.Excellent Minus. $95.00
FIRE #29873 Fireman's Long Bayonet - Solingen
This Fireman’s Long Bayonet has some age freckling in the nickel-plated surfaces. These surfaces are also slightly dull. The black checkered grip plates are OK on the obverse but on the reverse there is a crack at the top edge that runs down to the rivet area. The crack also runs from the rivet on down to the crossguard. It doesn’t look like it is going anyplace and this broken grip plate has been this way a long time. These plates are retained by steel rivets having dressed heads. The scabbard shell is straight throughout. This shell does have original paint but unfortunately quite a bit of rust has developed on both sides of it. I’m sure that it could be rubbed down some and wouldn’t look too bad. The original frog is also still in place. This black leather frog could use some leather nurturing and some polish as it does show age and some cracking. The remnants of the original fireman’s bayonet knot are attached at the loop portion of the frog but unfortunately the bottom portion of this bayonet troddel has long since broken off. The blade of this example might be its salvation. This blade is nice and bright throughout and does have quality nickel plating. This blade appears to still be in full mint condition albeit it is a little bit loose in the hilt probably caused by the cracked grip plate. This blade is marked on the reverse, “Solingen” and there is an original brown leather blade buffer protecting it. A good one here for someone who wants to work with fixing up this bayonet. It is priced accordingly.Good Plus. $95.00
FIRE #29862 Fireman's Long Bayonet
This Fireman’s Long Bayonet is a fine looking piece having excellent nickel-plated surfaces throughout the hilt. This nickel plating easily is in near full mint condition. The grip plates are the black checkered celluloid variety and they are in perfect condition. They are retained by nickel rivets having dressed heads on the obverse. The scabbard of this example is straight throughout and has outstanding original black paint. This paint still has its original factory sheen and is 100% grading in mint condition. There is a little bit of surface rust around the throat area but this would easily clean off. The long style blade has wide fuller construction. This blade has high quality nickel-plated surfaces and is still mirror bright and in mint condition. The blade has been protected by the in place brown leather washer. A very nice example here.Mint Minus. $225.00
FIRE #28837 Fireman's Long Bayonet
This Fireman’s Bayonet is in very fine condition, having been purchased directly from the son of the Veteran who brought it home. The nickel plating throughout the hilt is in 100% condition and is still nice and bright. This bayonet still has a certain “newness” about it. The grip plates are the black checkered variety and they are in perfect condition. These grip plates are retained by steel rivets being slightly larger than we normally see, but nonetheless original. They are dressed on the obverse. The cross guard is the usual up-and-down quillon style. An extremely fine hilt here! The scabbard is nice and straight. This scabbard has very fine original black paint. There are a couple of spots where the paint has chipped but overall, this paint is still 99% and in near full mint condition. It is interesting to note that the throat of this scabbard is actually built in as opposed to being in a separate piece. The lug is also the smaller size that we frequently see on NPEAs or Hörster pieces. This lug is stamped “7” underneath. The blade is a traditional long example, having wide fuller construction. It has perfect nickel plated finish and it is in pristine, mint condition. It is also interesting to note that this blade does not have a ricasso. Normally, fire bayonet blades would have a ricasso. This must have been another later done effort and I do not ever remember seeing this anomaly on a fire bayonet. Additionally, instead of a leather washer, this blade buffer is an off-white felt type. A very fine bayonet here in near full mint condition having some unusual aspects about it. If there are fire department bayonet collectors out there, I would think that this one would be something they would have to have for their collection.Mint Minus. $225.00
FIRE #28250 Fireman's Long Bayonet - Horst Wolff, Liepzig
This Fireman’s Long Bayonet is in nice condition throughout. The hilt has all of the original nickel-plating intact. All though it is not cleaned up, it looks as though it will shine to a fine finish, as there is no age or freckling in the surfaces. The crossguard has the traditional Fireman’s quillon arms. The grip plates are the checkered, Bakelite type and they are in good condition. They are retained by two nickel-plated rivets, having dressed heads on the obverse with a little bit of rust on the heads. The long style blade has the wide fuller construction. This blade has quality nickel-plated surfaces and is still bright and mint. There is just the slightest trace of some old sharpening along the edge, but it is hardly anything and really takes a lot to even notice it. The brown leather washer is in place, protecting this nice blade. The scabbard is straight throughout and has original black paint. There is some age spiders, more on the obverse than reverse. This blade rates at about 95%. A good Fireman’s bayonet here and in nice collectible condition.Near Mint. $195.00
FIRE #26770 Fireman's Long Bayonet
This Fireman's
Bayonet has excellent plating across its hilt sections. This nickel
plating covers at 100%, and only shows the most nominal of age.
The grip plates are the black checkered variety, and they are
in perfect condition. These plates are retained by nickel plated
steel rivets, having dressed heads on the obverse. The scabbard
is nice and straight, and has outstanding original black paint.
This paint shows only the most nominal of age, and is missing
only at the bottom ball. The rest of it is all there. There is
a good black leather frog, which is of 2-rivet construction. This
frog is also in near mint condition. The long style blade is the
type with wide fuller construction. This blade has outstanding
nickel plated surfaces, and remains in near full mint condition.
The blade is protected by the in-place brown leather washer. A
good collectable example here.Near Mint. $225.00
FIRE #27710 Distributor Marked Fireman's Long Bayonet - Horst Wolff
The hilt fittings
of this bayonet are as nice as you will see. The nickel plating
is easily at 100% and still has its original factory luster. The
grip plates are the black Bakelite type, having fine checkering.
These grip plates are retained by nickel rivets, having dressed
heads on the obverse. The cross guard is the style which goes
down to the right on the one side and up to the left on the other.
The scabbard is completely straight and is as nice as you will
see. The scabbard paint is easily 100% and is in full mint condition.
Beautiful paint here. The long style blade has a wide fuller construction.
It has a quality nickel plated surface and is easily in mint condition
throughout. The reverse ricasso area is stamped with a fire accountability
number “69”. Beneath this is the distributor “Horst
Wolff g.m.b.h./Liepzig c1”. The original, newlike black leather
blade buffer is in place. If you are looking for a nice fireman’s
bayonet, I do not think that you could upgrade this example. A
real beauty here.Mint. $250.00
FIRE #26744C Long Fireman's Bayonet - C. Gustav Spitzer
This Long Fireman
Bayonet is without a scabbard, but man, is it a nice looking item!
The hilt fittings have 100% of the nickel plating, and the plating
is still as bright as the day it was done. The grip plates are
the black checkered bakelite, and they are also in choice crisp
condition. These plates are retained by nickel plated rivets,
having dressed heads on the obverse. These rivets still retain
all of their plating. The long style blade is quality nickel plated,
and also is factory-new, in mint condition. The blade is the style
with wide fuller construction. The reverse has the stamping of
the producer, being a circle. Around the circle is the producer’s
name and location, “C. Gustav Spitzer, Solingen”. In
the center is the prancing lion logo, with his flickering tongue.
The original brown leather new-like washer is in place. If you
have a mint scabbard to go with this piece, it will make for a
tremendous Fire Department addition. This bayonet is in mint condition
throughout.Mint. $225.00
FIRE #27287 Fireman's Long Parade Bayonet
This Fireman’s
Bayonet is quite an interesting example, as it has a couple of
odd variations. We will get to them in a minute. First of all,
the hilt of this example is still bright and pristine throughout.
The nickel plating is easily 100%, and retains its fine original
sheen. The grip plates are the black bakelite type, and they are
crisp and perfect. These plates are retained by nickel rivets,
having dressed heads on the obverse. A fine hilt here. The scabbard
of this example is straight throughout. It has near perfect original
black paint, having a couple of age spots in the surfaces, but
nothing bad. It is interesting to note, though, that about the
last 4 inches of the scabbard have been painted white. The white
paint is old and is absolutely period. As we know, frequently
leather accoutrements were worn in a white finish during parade.
I suspect that this was the purpose of this white paint job, as
it definitely was not an accidental thing, or something that some
vet did. It was purposeful, and to my way of thinking, would be
appropriate for parades. In addition to the white paint, it is
also interesting to note that the lug on the scabbard is completely
void of any lined decoration. We see this treatment on NPEA lugs
of Eickhorn vintage, but this is the first time I recall seeing
this feature on a bayonet scabbard. In addition to the plain lug,
it is also unusual to see that the accompanying frog is a brown
color instead of black. Usually, fireman’s frogs will be
of black leather not, brown leather. It is possible that someone
added this frog at a later date, but this of course, would be
hard to tell. Either way, the frog really looks nice with this
black scabbard with white chape, and choice nickel plated hilt
of the bayonet. A fine interesting bayonet here, and if there
are collectors of “fireman bayonet types” out there,
I am sure they would be interested in this unusual piece.Near Mint. $350.00
FIRE #26874 Fireman's Long Bayonet - Peter Dan Krebs
It is rare
to see a Krebs marked Fireman’s Bayonet, and this one should,
therefore, have some more than normal interest. The hilt fittings
of this example have excellent nickel plated surfaces. There is
a little bit of wear to the reverse pommel area attributed to
swing, but the rest of the plating is still all there and is in
bright condition. This plating just shows the most modest of age.
The grip plates are the standard black checkered Bakelite type.
They are retained by nickel rivets having dressed heads on the
obverse. The scabbard is straight throughout and has good original
black paint. This paint shows a little bit of usage in the surfaces
of both sides, but it is still bright and rates at about 95%.
There is a fine original black leather frog. This frog is still
nice and sound, having a few scuffs but nonetheless in good condition
and having the quality single rivet in the reverse. The blade
of this example is the long type having wide fuller construction.
It is still in mirror bright condition throughout and is mint.
The reverse of the blade is deeply etched with the shield shaped
logo having a lobster inside. Around the logo is the name and
location of the firm written in block letters “PET.DAN-KREBS.SOLINGEN”.
The original brown leather washer is in place. A most interesting
bayonet here.Near Mint. $295.00
FIRE #27374 Fireman's Short Bayonet - Tiger with Munich distibutor
The hilt fittings
of this fire bayonet are about as nice as you will see. The nickel
plating is nearly 100%, showing little to no age and having nice,
bright finish. The grip plates are the black Bakelite finely checkered
type. These plates are in perfect condition, being retained by
steel rivets having dressed heads on the obverse. The scabbard
of this example is nice and straight and has good original black
paint. The black paint has a few wearing signs in the surfaces
but, overall, this paint rates at about 95% and still has good
brightness to its finish. The blade of this example is the short
variety but it is slightly unusual in that it has a wide fuller
construction and does not have the stepped end motif. This blade
has perfect, high quality nickel plating and is in mint condition.
The blade is stamped on the obverse with a well-marked tiger.
This cat is stamped horizontally across the blade and makes his
way toward the blade spine. On the reverse is the name of the
distributor that sold this bayonet “Georg Rieder München”.
The original, newlike brown leather washer is in place. There
is no frog on this example, but it is really a choice bayonet.Near Mint. $295.00
FIRE #27373 Fireman's Long Bayonet - L. & E.
The hilt fittings
of this example have all of their nickel plating. This plating
is still quite bright and, if cleaned up some, would even look
better. The grip plates are the black checkered Bakelite, they
are in perfect condition and are retained by steel rivets having
dressed obverse heads. The scabbard of this example is straight
on the reverse and has a slight dent at the lower edge as well
as a “bb” dent in the obverse area. All of this sounds
worse than it is, however. The scabbard paint is original and
is nearly 100%, still having a good sheen in the surfaces. The
original factory leather frog is in place. The frog is black in
color and has a few scuffs on it and would easily come up with
a little bit of leather polish to near mint condition. The blade
is the long style with wide fuller. It has outstanding nickel-plated
mirror surfaces, and it is in mint condition. The blade is stamped
on the obverse ricasso in a circle, and within the circle are
the large capital letters, "L" plus "E" over
a line. Positined between the letters is a stylized fireman's
helmet, with a comb on the top, and a swastika on the center of
the side. Obviously, this trademark is very popular with collectors,
as it is the only fireman's bayonet that has a swastika on it,
built into the logo. This makes it a very desirable piece This
L & E Compay also distributed helmets, and other fire equipment.Excellent Plus, Plus. $495.00
FIRE #23921 Fireman's Long Dress Bayonet
This Fireman's Bayonet
looks almost as though it just came out of the factory showroom.
The hilt fittings are as crisp as the day they were cast and the
nickel plating is totally mirror bright and in perfect condition.
It is quite rare to see a bayonet in this state. The grip plates
are the black checkered variety and they are in perfect condition.
They are retained by two solid nickel rivets which have dressed
heads on the obverse. The long style blade is the type with wide
fuller construction. It reflects outstanding mirror bright quality
nickel-plated finish. It could not be nicer and is in full mint
condition. The blade has been protected all these years by a new
like tan leather washer which is still in place. The scabbard
is as nice as the rest of the piece. It reflects original black
paint which shows almost no age. There are a couple of tiny spiders
in the surfaces, but these are the only signs that this is an
old paint job. Beautiful scabbard here in full mint condition.
Unfortunately, there is no frog. You could not find a nicer Fireman's
Bayonet, however.Mint. $225.00
FIRE #25993 Fire Department Long Bayonet - Carl Wüsthoff
The hilt of
this Fire Department example reflects outstanding nickel plated
finish. This nickel plating is 100% throughout and retains its
factory brightness. The grip plates are the black Bakelite type,
having fine checkering. They are retained by nickel plated rivets
having dressed heads on the obverse. The blade is as nice as they
come. It is a long style with wide fuller construction. The nickel
plated finish is easily in full mint condition. The reverse ricasso
is stamped in two small arches facing each other. The top arch
is “Carl Wüsthoff”, and the bottom arch is “Solingen”.
The black leather blade washer is in place. The scabbard is nice
and straight and has good original paint. This paint has some
spidering in the finish, but, overall, it is still about 98%.
There is no frog. A nice overall example.Near Mint. $225.00
FIRE #27281C Fireman's Dress Axe
This nickel
plated Fireman’s Dress Axe is slightly unusual from others
I have seen. The axe head itself has a nice sharpened end on the
left and before it tapers to a point at the rear, there is a step-up
area in the shape. This gives the head an unusual look. There
is a hardwood handle which is painted black, and the paint is
still in fairly good condition. The escutcheon plates at the edges
are retained by screws. It is interesting to note that there are
no handing rings on the escutcheon plates but, below the right
plate, there is a ring and eyelet assembly which is attached to
the handle itself. Grabbing this ring, the balance of the axe
is perfect for a single hanging strap. The lower portion of the
handle has a nickel chape area but at the bottom of it, instead
of the usual round ball device there is a flame shaped fitting
which is highly unusual. It is also possible to read the name
of the original owner of this example, as it is lightly scratched
into the surface of the upper axe handle “Emil Benten”.
This is a great addition for someone collecting fire axes, as,
frankly, I have never seen any of the unusual features on this
piece. Overall, there is minor aging but this axe would clean
up nicely.Excellent Plus. $1,195.00