M1895 Infantry Dutch Bayonet

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	Weapon: M1895 Infantry Dutch Bayonet Type: Knife Bayonet Country of Origin: Netherlands Year Adopted: 1895 Overall Length (mm): 500.0 Overall Length (in): 19.69 Weight (kg): 0.60 Weight (pounds): 1.32

The Dutch M1895 Infantry bayonet was designed for the 6.5x53R Geweer M.95 Mannlicher rifle and is distinguished by its robust T-back (T-spine) "sword" blade and a crossguard with a muzzle ring, using an attachment system closely akin to Britain's Pattern 1888. Typical infantry blades measure about 14 in (≈356 mm), with overall length around 18.75 in including the scabbard's integral belt hanger. Early production featured a hooked lower quillon-deleted from 1900 onward-while fit and finish details (inspector marks, "Hembrug" trade mark) vary by maker and period.

Manufacture began with foreign contractors-Steyr (OEWG), W.K.C., and Alexander Coppel-before shifting in 1904 to the Dutch state arsenal Artillerie Inrichtingen at Hembrug, which continued production until the German occupation in 1940. Output paralleled the rifle program (about 470,000 M.95 rifles issued), resulting in very large numbers of bayonets across infantry and carbine variants; many infantry examples bear "HEMBRUG" on the ricasso. Surviving specimens often show period inspection crowns and unit markings reflecting multiple production runs and contracts.

In service, the M1895 equipped Dutch forces at home and in the colonies (KNIL). After the 1940 invasion, Germany repurposed captured M1895 bayonets-many were shortened and reprofiled as Seitengewehr 104(h) for rear-echelon and auxiliary use, with scabbards cut to match. Collectors prize the model for its distinctive T-back blade, variant history (hooked vs. straight crossguard), and clear maker/arsenal marks linking it to the broader M.95 program.