Damn good question Pete,
Although I do not have a Wehrmacht biefel (SP?) to cite, based on many photographs in my collection, I am inclined to believe they followed the model that the US adopted and made pistol cleaning rods part of a squad issue. I may be wrong on this, but I have several photographs of Heertruppen cleaning pistols and the general feeling from the picture is that this was a group maintenance activity. OTOH, after the end of the issuance of the K-Date type holster, cleaning rods may have been issued "in hand" with the holster and considered as expendable/disposable, although this does not seem consistent with the German approach.
My two cents,
Tom A.
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