Anyone know anything about swords/bayonets?

[PyRo]

My grandmother gave me these swords and bayonets that my grandfather had. My family has had them for 50 years, and they sat in storage for 20 before that. So they're probably early 1900s. My grandmother told me they were "civil war commemerative swords". They're definatly not old enough to have seen the civil war, it is possible but not likely they were given to a veteran.

The swords are both presentation swords.
One is a generic, no markings except U.S. apears several times in the engraving and the eagle, spread wings E Pluribus Unum. The handle doesn't want to come off and I'm not going to force it.


The other is inscribed "presented by the officers of the 302nd Signal Batallion to their commanding officer Major H.S. Gurnet. Down by the handle it is stamped "U.S.A. and their is writeing covered by the handle which doesn't want to come off on this one either. Is their any easy way to find out who this Major was as both swords were most likely his?
http://img300.imageshack.us/img300/9127/img1164aw2.jpg


The sabre bayonet reads " V'JUN(G?) SUHL.
I believe it is an 1298 Mauser Bayonet (http://arms2armor.com/Bayonets/g1898na.htm). The acceptance date on this baynet however is 62. It definatly wasn't 1862, and it definatly wasn't 1962.
http://img141.imageshack.us/img141/9748/img1165pf6.jpg


The other baynet has 3884 with a b under it on the blade (serial number?) and 44 dd on the other side. I want to say it looks like some sort of enfield bayonet. Their is writeing on the leather on the scabbord, all I can make out is 1930.
http://img300.imageshack.us/img300/1310/img1166lp3.jpg

Also how do you go about careing for these things?
The swords are in excellent shape so I'm going to say a light coat of oil and they should be fine right?
The enfield(?) bayonet is also in good shape, a coat of oil and it should be fine as well right?
The mauser(?) bayonet does have active rust which I want to clean up. How do I go about removing the active rust without removeing all the patina (sp?). I definatly don't want to remove all signs of ageing and polish it.
What about the leather goods which are pretty dried out?

[PyRo]

Constituted on 29 July 1921 in the Organized Reserves, the 302d Signal Battalion was organized and outfitted in January 1922 at New York, New York. After the United States entered World War II, the battalion was redesignated the 302d Signal Operation Battalion on 8 December 1942
I guess that information puts it in a 21 year window

[FiXeL]

http://img300.imageshack.us/img300/1310/img1166lp3.jpg

I believe this is a K98 Mauser bayonet. Are there any german insignias on it? If not, it was made somewhere else. The K98 has been made in other countries than germany.

[MoeMag]

http://img300.imageshack.us/img300/9127/img1164aw2.jpg

This looks like a cross between a light and a heavy calvary saber. Probably just a diffrent year model than I am looking at.

[PyRo]

I believe this is a K98 Mauser bayonet. Are there any german insignias on it? If not, it was made somewhere else. The K98 has been made in other countries than germany.
After looking at pictures of a some K98 bayonets I beleive you are correct. The bayonet and scabbord numbers do not match, the "44 dd" on the bayonet represents the year of manufacture and the "dd" probably has somthing to do with the place of manufacture.. The scabbord has a differant number and the frog is stamped 1930 but that zero could be a 6, 8, or 9. As far as german markings the only marking on it is too small to really make out even with a magnifying glass. It apears to be two horizonal lines with a tiny insignia in the middle. It could really be anything, eagle, crown, Russian captured German bayonet with the nazi eagle struck through, an inspectors mark, etc.


Could possibly be this nazi eagle
http://www.mauser.org/rifles/german_k98/Weimar-135-f-PR---03.gif

[PyRo]

This looks like a cross between a light and a heavy calvary saber. Probably just a diffrent year model than I am looking at.

I say they're presentation/parade swords because they're not sharp and have never been sharp. I'm just curious as to if I can find some history on the owner to accuratly date the swords. I know people get information on names carved into old weapons all the time, I'm just curious as to how they get their hands on the records to do it.

[Jeffy-CanCon]

I say they're presentation/parade swords because they're not sharp and have never been sharp. I'm just curious as to if I can find some history on the owner to accuratly date the swords. I know people get information on names carved into old weapons all the time, I'm just curious as to how they get their hands on the records to do it.


For the swords, try writing to the DOD, and ask if they can tell you when and where the 302nd Signals was commanded by Major HS Gurnet. You're not asking for sensitive info, so they should be willing to help you out.

FWIW, I agree with Fixel on the K98 bayonet. And I have seen similar markings to what you describe on Nazi-era gear.

[NotKai]

For the swords, try writing to the DOD, and...


DAY OF DEFEAT SUCKS!!!!

[Recon by Fire]

This looks like a cross between a light and a heavy calvary CAVALRY saber. Probably just a diffrent year model than I am looking at.


Leave the "calvary" at Church. :cheers: