Kalashnikov Bayonets of the World

I bought this bayonet and scabbard several years ago from a Gulf War veteran who brought it back the way he found it as a souvenir. I included it today as I was doing research on Hungarian bayonets. I'm not sure how to classify it except as an Iraqi mix-master. The bayonet is a typical Hungarian AKM 6X3 Type I unmarked export bayonet. The scabbard however is an unmarked Iraqi Tabuk AKM Type II variation. The wrist strap appears to be Hungarian. The one piece hook hanger is typical and of unknown origin. Unusual and nice looking combination of bayonet and scabbard. Mike

For me it's an export hungarian AKM I in a Tabuk scabbard with a east german frog (i guess), i have one like this.

Nice bayonet!

Regards.

Actually I believe the hanger, or frog as you will, is Romanian not East German. Note the flat D-ring and the snap hook is flat backed, plus the dark brown smooth leather.
I always like it when there is a provenance.

I don't think the hanger is DDR, nothing about it matches. I believe it most closely matches with the ones found on reworked Russian / Bulgarian ones rather than the Romanian ones. The leather is very thick and stiff. Mike

i did a mistake sorry, the same frog that I own was on reworked russian bayonet... Sorry about that

i am going to take some pics of some frog i have like yours to compare.

Regards.



Edit :
but i am pretty sure to have seen it on a E. german bayonet once

Edit² :


This one is light brown but i have already seen more darker like yours.

Milspeer picture from his blog.

It could indeed be East German, very similar at first sight. But I still think it most closely resembles the Russian style hangers. Here are some close ups and comparison to an early East German AKM 6X3 Type I with a tan hanger from my collection. The points of difference are most obviously the snap hook and the finish on the metal parts. The hanger on the Iraqi scabbard has corrosion on the metal parts. On the DDR hanger the metal parts are a higher quality of metal and finish. The DDR rivets are slightly larger and more domed. The DDR hangers are usually a smooth natural tan whereas this one is darker brown textured color and is a much thicker leather. Mike

A few more pictures of the hanger differences. Mike

The first one is east german:





the second is unknown (hook missing):



And an other unknown frog (reworked)





Regards.

Great pictures! Yes, after seeing them it definitely could be DDR with a replaced hook. That is the problem with hangers. Too many variables to be able to identify them correctly. The hangers and components could be interchanged between the ComBloc countries from the beginning and easily switched out at anytime since. Thanks for the posts and pictures. Mike

A few years back I had decent Iraqi Tabuk 6x4 with mismatched scabbard. The bayonet was the typical orange color but the scabbard was the same dark red pattern as shown in the initial post. Let a Tabukless fellow collector have it when I upgraded to my first minty, matched example. Don't recall if it had a suspension or not...