Buyers of military bayonets should be cautious when sellers do not clearly state country of origin.  Just because a bayonet has M5A1 stamped on the hilt does not mean that it is a US issued bayonet or one used by the US Armed Forces.  Some sellers use initials to indicate the manufacturer without spelling out what the initials mean.  This can result a new collector of bayonets purchasing a foreign made and issued bayonet when the itent was to purchase a US made and issued bayonet. 

Danish bayonets have a crown stamp on the butt of the bayonet and initials HMAK or HTK with M/62 indicated (there may be other variations, but the crown stamp is always there).  The scabbard design will also help to identify whether a M5A1 bayonet  is of Danish orgin.  Two areas of focus:  first is a crown stamp with HTK or HMAK on the scabbard throat.  Often the seller's pictures are too obscure to see this.  The real standout is the frog (part of the scabbard that attaches to the military cartridge belt).  The US issued scabbard has a single cartridge belt clip that is horizontal to the top of the scabbard and a stamp on the throat that contains model such as M8A1; whereas, a Danish version has belt clips that are vertical, one on each side with the crown stamp on the throat.  Each country that reproduced M5A1 bayonets for use on their M1 garand rifles had production standards that may, or may not, have matched US MILSPECs.  This is usually reflected in the metal composition of the blades and /or the material and design of the scabbard.    

The buyer should also beware of listing descriptions that fail to state condition of the blade or ability of the bayonet to fit on a M1 Garand rifle.  For those listings that state that the bayonet is coated with cosmoline, the buyer should contact the seller to determine the condition of the blade in regards to nicks and chips on the blade or handle.  Cosmoline is a preservative that was used to cover the metal components of rifles and bayonets that will go into long-term storage.  It does not mean that a bayonet is new, unused, or does not have flaws such as surface rust, nicks, chips, etc.  It is usually so thick that the blade cannot be visually inspected for rust or nicks.  Only the seller can validate the condition of the bayonet before the sale. 

If the bayonet is intended to be mounted on a M1 garand rifle, contact the seller to determine if the seller has successfully mounted and fully seated the bayonet on one or more M1 garand rifles.  A few sellers include this information in their listings, many do not.  Some Danish bayonets, though intended to be used on M1 garand rifles, do not seat.  These were likely rejects that were put in cosmoline sealed case lots for surplus resale.  This situation can also apply to US made bayonets, though this is probably a rare case.  It is best to ask the seller to personnally validate that the bayonet actually fully seats on at least one M1 garand rifle.  Suggest this be done via ebay message for your records.

Most sellers are very clear in their listing descriptions so that the buyer can easily determine country of origin and condition.  Unfortunately, a few sellers provide minimal information that is of little help to a new buyer of M5A1 bayonets.  In the event that the buyer is unable to clearly determine country of origin per the words used in the listing or the pictures presented, send an ebay email to the seller to clarify the listing or purchase from a seller's listing that provides sufficient clarity to eliminate doubt.