I've added a pic this time, sorry for my ignorance. My grandpa brought this back from Germany during WWII. The blade is marked from bllod from a German soldier that committed suicide in front of grandpa. I believe Carl Eickhorn is on the blade. Thanks for all the help!

Brad.you were right.It is a police bayonet. On the back crossguard there should be some letters and numbers, they will tell you the town it was issued in.

Thanks, Rick, I assume they're fairly common? Can you give me a brief history if you have time?

Ok guys correct me if im wrong.These are a carry over from the Weimer period.You can tell this by the Stag handle, under the eagle emblem you will notice a hole that has been filled in.When the third reich took over they shortened the bayonets so they cut down the stag handles (and filled in the hole left over) and added new rivits (bigger than the weimer era one) they also took of the weimer emblem and added the eagle one.If it has a brown leather scabbard it was issued to a rural pice deptment and if a black leather scabbard a munipical police department.Most are stamped with letters and numbers on the back crossguard and back of the upper scabbard fitting with the town it was issued in.They also orginally had a clamshell which was taken off at the same time they cut it down and they cut down the blades (they were longer) and shortened the scabbards.

It has a brown leather scabbard. This means it was a police officer's instead of a soldier's? Just trying to get the facts straight. Grandpa had some questions about it at Thanksgiving and no one could find out what it was. He's 82, so I wanted to let him know ASAP. Thanks

Its a Rural police bayonet, which means it was issued to a smaller town instead of a big city.If you can get the letters and number off it and post them on here we can tell you the town it was from

I'll call him tomorrow and get the letters and numbers. Thank you, Rick. You've answered more in twenty minutes that a whole day of searching the internet.

A side note. Over time the black can wear off the scabbard and it will look brown that is why you need the marking off the crossguard and scabbard (they need to be matching) to be sure

If the scabbard has a frog attached (the thing that holds it to your belt) you will have to pull the frog back to see the markings.

Here's a far away pic, I'm pretty sure it's all brown, but, once again, I'm new to this.

Brad.Thats the back of the frog..but if the scabbard is as brown as the frog, im betting it is a rural police bayonet.

I'm assuming they're very common?

Yes and no,lol. They are out there but getting harder to find in nice shape. Value 4-6 hundred with the frog ballpark.Condition is the key.

The leather scabbard and bayonet look to me like they are in very good shape. I'm sure I don't know what collectors grade them on. It doesn't matter, it won't be sold. Grandpa just started talking about the war about four years ago. I became interested because I don't want the sacrifices made by our armed services to be forgotten by my children. Long story but very intersting now that he's talking aboutit. Will have numbers and letters tomorrow. Thanks very much again!!!!

Who's the Joseph Addai fan?