[PrayingMantis]

This is my most recent Gewehr 98, an old VFW rifle that is marked to the 19th Reserve Pioneer battalion. It's a nice Gew overall, has never been reworked, not even during the war, and has a good looking patina to it. Now I need a Reserve Pioneer marked bayonet.

 

[PrayingMantis]

Agreed, Mike. War Bond and VFW rifles are full of genuine history, and aside from being deactivated and sometimes rough, can be quite nice and original since there was no reason to sporter them up. I was very pleased to find that this one was all matching under the smoke and tar, except for the bolt, which appears to be from a sterngewehr.

RIR120, your trench knife collection sounds pretty interesting. I sometimes see knives called trench knives but am always suspicious and hesitant to buy any because I don't know anything about them.