The K98k Bayonet Collector's Network Featured Article

Do you own a copy of the "Grey Ghost"? Probably not, because they're usually only found in the collections of advanced World War II German bayonet collectors. With their unique light grey phosphate finish, they are one of the most sought after bayonets by collectors of that era.

Made by the E.u.F. Horster company, the Grey Ghosts are marked with the well-known "asw" makers letter code. Horster was the largest producer of German bayonets during the war, and their bayonets have some of the most interesting variations in manufacturing style and finish.

In 1985 Mike Welser (a collector and educator) wrote and published one of the first books devoted to the 98k bayonet, with special emphasis on markings and variations. He detailed many of the interesting things about "asw's", such as the change from dark bakelite grips to wooden grips to reddish colored composition grips. However, it wasn't until recently that other changes were verified and documented.

One of the things recently revealed was the fact that Horster changed to wooden grips again early in 1944, probably because of a shortage of the reddish plasticized grips, then back again to the reddish grips a few months later. The change was in asw's 1944 "e" to "o" blocks, which accounts for approximately 85,000 bayonets. The reddish grips continued from then to the end of production in 1944. Also brought to light were the extremely interesting asw bayonets with 1943 dated blades and 1944 dated scabbards. There are several theories for these, but no one knows with absolute certainty why this was done. One theory is they were made in 1944, but used "recycled" 1943 date stamps on the blade for a little more than a two month period due to some unknown problem with the original 1944 date stamps. This would account for the estimated 90,000 bayonets made with the double dates in the "n" to "v" blocks. So far all of the double dated bayonets appear to be consecutive - no matching 1944 blades and scabbards have been observed in those letter block ranges. A few of the contracted welded scabbards (marked "can" and made by Aug. Wallmeyer) have been seen on 1944 "asw" marked bayonets, as well as on a few bayonets made by Alex. Coppel GMBH ("fnj"). These bayonets are highly desirable to 98k bayonet collectors.

Late in 1944 Horster began to make bayonets with riveted grips instead of the earlier screws and spanner nuts. The bayonets have blued finishes and start in the "aa" letter block, continuing to the end of "asw" production when their code changed to "sgx". Interestingly, both W.K.C ("cvl") and Ernst Pack and Sohn ("cul") experimented using a different style rivet with wooden grip plates for a very brief time in 1944.

Sometime in the "ff" letter block "asw" began phosphating bayonets (serial number 3328gg is the last known "asw" marked bayonet to date). At some point in the "gg" letter block, "asw" changed codes to "sgx", probably for security reasons. While there are those who might disagree, many collectors feel that the grey phosphate "sgx" bayonets are the most desirable '44 dated bayonets - even though they're not the rarest in terms of production quantity. During 1944, Horster made approximately 340,000 bayonets. Of those, about 13,000 are "Grey Ghosts". That seems like a large number, but when compared to the attrition and survival rate of WWII artifacts, it shows why they're so rare - certainly making them highly sought after, and commanding prices that could not have been imagined just a few years ago.

As a bayonet collector, you may never see one of the coveted Grey Ghosts. But, the excitement "is in the chase", and that's what keeps collectors like us interested in history, and the pursuit of rare bayonets like the "Grey Ghosts"