Thanks, folks, for all the interesting and informative replies. As always folks here are so helpful.
Jerry, I found it at a small gun show about five or six years ago. The vendor at the table claimed it was authentic. I wanted it but thought it was a repo since it was marked “Puma” and I had some Puma tennis shorts or shoes in the 70’s. Duh?! I reasoned that they couldn’t have made bayonets or daggers. Also, it had no slot for a lug and was very light weight, so I just thought it was made in Taiwan or something. G2, As you noted there are no unit or other markings on the frog or bayonet. Is my ignorance showing yet? Well, that worked for me at the time as I got it at much lower price than he was asking.
When I got home I immediately began doing some online research and could not find a Puma bayonet maker or any similar bayonet that had the same eagle eyes, beak or feather design. Now I thought I nothing more than overpriced repo. Ugh. My notion was reinforced when during the next four or five years that I attended the SOS in Louisville and could not find a single Nazi era bayonet that was made by Puma. Zero! I brought photos of my bayonet with me and I never found a Puma or an eagle head that looked identical. Even the police bayonets that I did see seemed to be a much high quality of manufacture. Perhaps they were prewar or early war made.
So I put the bayonet away in a box and forgot about it. That is until this week when I happened upon it and decided to see what the folks here thought.
Ed, I even consulted your Police Luger book, that I bought when I met you at the SOS, to see if you have any photos or info on police bayonets. Nope. Nice book though.
Spangy, thanks so much for that link that actually showed an identical one and the sold price. I no longer think I have a fake. You made my day, buddy!
I am now wondering if it is relatively rare late war production bayonet?
