With its distinctive cleaver-like silhouette and uncompromising heft, the M1898/05 bayonet stands as one of the most instantly recognisable weapons of the First World War. This particular example, produced around 1915 by the respected Solingen bladesmiths E. & F. Hörster, represents the early-war configuration of Germany’s standard issue bayonet for the Gewehr 98 rifle.

Dubbed the “Butcher bayonet” by Allied troops — a nickname born not of formality but of fear — the M1898/05 features a broad, fullered blade with a deep spine, capable of withstanding the punishing demands of trench warfare. It was a tool as much as a weapon, used not only in the chaos of close combat, but for the daily rigours of life in the mud and wire of the Western Front.

The Hörster mark is clearly stamped at the base of the blade — a hallmark of quality from one of Germany’s most prolific edged weapon manufacturers. The wooden grip scales remain firmly affixed, and the steel hilt and guard retain the robust, utilitarian charm of mid-war issue. Unlike later simplified variants, this circa 1915 piece may still feature the hooked quillon — a design later abandoned for ease of mass production.

To hold this bayonet is to hold a piece of a war where the clash of empires often narrowed to the space between men. It embodies the evolution of industrial warfare, when traditional combat met mechanised brutality — and soldiers carried steel not just as ornament, but as a lifeline.

A vivid relic of one of history’s darkest chapters, this bayonet is a centrepiece for any serious WWI militaria collection.