Bayonets - a source for bargan basement bladeware

[not2sharp]

It has been a few decades since the good old days of the 1960s when a collector could walk into a shop and buy bayonets by the bucket load. But, there are still plenty of interesting examples out there that can be had for very reasonable prices.

If you like tantos style knives, you might want to try a British model 1907 bayonet. The japanese style blade was heavily influenced by England's experience in the far East.

or, one of the later WWII vintage India patterned bayonets, which are a bit shorter and have more aggressively sharpened points.

Daggers!? Well there are plenty of dagger shaped bayonets on the Market Like the Belgium model from 1949:

or, this English model of 1888

One of my favorites is the Spanish CETME bayonet of 1969. It has a nice size and can take a razor sharp edge. I have had one of these attached to my pack for years. It is a perfect knife to leave around camp, or lend to you friends.

If swords are more your thing, then there are plenty of those too. Although, many of the larger sword bayonets date from the 19th century, and can get expensive, examples like the German model of 1871 can still be found.

There are even some terrific Rambo-style hollow handled knives like this Swedish example from 1896. It has excellent machining and very fine old Swedish steel and it can be had for about the price of a CS Bushman.

Just about every style of blade has been used on a bayonet since they first came into common usuage some 300 years ago. You will find very elegant epee style blades, exotic yatagans, khukuries, and even shovels and massive sawback machetes. Most of these are very well made by today's standards. The carbon steel blades need to be mantained, and the steel is usually tempered a bit softer the we are use to, but, they can be useful knives.

Just make sure of what you have before you start playing with it. Your bayonet can be a desirable one and sharpening it can damage much of it's value.

n2s

 

[Jeff Clark]

As a teenager I used a P14 Enfield bayonet with a 17 inch blade as my hiking machete. I forget whether it cost $2.00 or $4.00 at the old Pasadena Gunshop on Green street. They had plenty back in the early 60's.

I also made myself a very interesting hunting/camp knife out of an old Italian (Carcano?) folding bayonet. I ground the bevel down to a thin saber edge, cut off most of the guard, removed the rifle mounting latch, and reshaped the butt. In its open/extended position it had something like an 8 inch blade making a handy light camp knife. When folded to its closed position it had about a 3.5 inches of the blade exposed making a practical hunting knife. The lock was solid as a vault door. I'm not sure, but I think my college girl friend ended up with it.

 

[Ilovetoolsteel]

I have the second one, there are two different versions of that bayonet. The other version has the handle finnished like the bayonet in the first pic. I have both.
They both have the Ishapore arsenal markings on them. From what I understand these were emergency or last ditch manufacture, Hence the squared off unfinnished handle on some.
My square handle one has a white paint stripe around the grip, did yours also?



I have the second and third bayonets also and the last one,

There are other dagger bayonets out there, the swiss m 57 that eveyone is selling is one of the best made. they must have cost a small fortune to make and they now are selling in the $10 range.

The german DeMag crank handle bayonet is another.

There was a Swiss Schmidt Rubin bayonet that is double edged.

also the Czech M52 folding bayonet for the Czech SKS type rifle.

I have an odd bayonet/dagger that is none too common. It is called an "invasion dagger" It is 8 inches of from the tip end of a Cruicform spike bayonet handle inserted into a turned metal handle. Comes wih a metal scabbard. These were given to some of the soldiers who parachuted in on D-Day behind the germans. There weren't enough of the F/S dagger to go around.

Drew

 

[not2sharp]

Jeff,

Here is a photo of the Italian model 1938 folding bayonet for the Mannlicher Carcano rifle.

n2s

 

[not2sharp]

Drew,

Here are a couple of the bayonets you mentioned. (From the top: Swedish model 1913, Swiss model 1918, Swiss model 1957)

n2s

 

[TDE]

I must say that this subject is much more interesting than I thought it might, the great pics and info is great, makes me want to learn more about them, thanks! Paul

 

[Jeff Clark]

That looks like the Carcano bayonet that I had. I guess the blade is more like 7" full out. Since I haven't seen mine for many years my 8" guess was not far off. It was one of the shortes bayonets that I have seen.

From about the same period of my life I bought a Carcano carbine at a gunshop for $20.00. After I cut off and filed away the mount for the built-in folding bayonet and replaced the sights it made a nice little mountain rifle.

 

[not2sharp]

Here we have a set of German WWI bayonets. There is an entire history lesson locked up in photo. This bayonet came under intense scrutiny during the war with the allies arguing that the use of a sawback represented cruel and unusual punishment (somehow they had forgotten that they had themselves issued sawback bayonets just a few years previously). The sawback was rarely used in combat as it was only issued to NCOs, and intended primarily for pioneer purposes; and very few patients with bayonet injuries survived long enough to make it into field hospitals. None-the less, the issue was a great propaganda victory for the allied cause, and it gradually led to a redesign of the bayonet.

(starting from the top left and going clockwise: German 98-05 with the blade shorthened to 10" - official modification for re-issue during WWII; Early German 98-05 NCO sawback with leather sheath; Later 98-05 NCO Sawback with steel sheath; NCO bayonet with sawback removed to comply with the new Geneva convention ruling on sawbacks; Standard 98-05 non sawback; German Ersaltz bayonet of 1916 (bayonet simplified to help reduce stress on degraded manufacturing base); (bottom) two standard bayonets, note the one on the left has been modified by Poland and reissued with smooth scales)

n2s