AFGHANISTAN(?) Writing has been confirmed as Arabic, but no specific text so could be Egyptian, Iraqi or any other of the UK influenced Arab states

UK 1903 Volunteer with what I have take to be Afghan tang marks

Hilt, blade is unmarked except for writing on tang and Wilkinson London makers mark

Unknown script on tang

Both visible tangs are marked with different text

Wilkinson London marked

added 1/3/04

GERMANY

84/98 frog Rare Kreigsmarine stamp

Czech VZ24 frog modified by the addition of the cavalry strap for use by the Germans

HUNGARY

1935 Infantry, has a distinctive cross shaped blade

round hilt has flat sides

IRELAND

Rumanian made Irish Mannlicher, from the 10,000 made for the UVF, this UVF is not the same as the paramilitary UVF of the later Irish probblems

Humpbacked grips of the 1893/1904 Rumanian. The 1893 has the Rumanian eagle on the pommel the 1904 hasn't this is the only variation between the two models

OEWG makers mark on the ricasso shows Austrian Steyr manufacture of bayonets supplied to Rumanian for onward sale

3 digit serial on the cross guard is typical of those on the UVF blades and is usually the only marking. The UVF red hand was applied locally and most are unmarked

ISRAEL

M49 model with knuckle bow between cross guard and pommel. This one is interesting in that it has wooden grips, most of this pattern M49 seem to have composite grips. Aging of bow and other metals are similar so modification is probably period.

ITALY

Vettereli shortened and bushed for an unknown rifle

Vettereli shortened and with replaced grips, in ivory, bone or a pale composite material. The original spring has been cut and re fitted to fill groove.

M38 folding bayonet with interesting red finish to the blade

1891 TS, with unusual transverse lock arrangement on pommel. Bayonet is mounted on barrel and then rotated to lock on stud

A rather poor example of an uncommon blade, it shows a lot of damage to the wooden grips

Locking mechanism uses press button on pommel end to release lock

Made by Brescia

Bersaglieri volunteer unit  bayonet, only 6000 of these blades were made

Looks like the French 1842 with Yataghan blade and steel cross guard

1854 date

TS bayonet

JAPAN

Training T30, has riveted cross guard, blunt blade

Interesting point shape

Blunt blade without false edge

added 3-2-04

Hoten made Arisaka, has oval washers for screws, 50th series blade

Hoten makers mark on ricasso

Training bayonet, the grips on this model have screws from alternate sides, Identified by Juken 30 as issued to the Tokyo University, the two grip marks and the alternate grip screws giving the identification

only a single screw from each side

added 30/11/03

MEXICO

1912 bayonet

circle z on ricasso shows blade is Czechoslovak export

PAKISTAN

Crudely made G3 bayonet, with rough castings and poorly fitting grips. No markings, but UK SLR pattern blade would probably indicate the Pakistan link

Interesting scabbard manufacture has middle rather than side seams

SOUTH AFRICA

Australian made 1907 pattern bayonet

SAP for South African Police issue

South African made Frog from 1942

SWEDEN

One of 224 FN FAL trials bayonets tested by Sweden in the 60's. This blade came with provenance showing it is one of the bayonets imported into the UK by Anthony Carter and sold in 1977, these blades are unmarked except for the frog wear

TURKEY

Ersatz, this version has the twist in the blade behind the cross guard, and what at first glance an 1895 crossguard, however this is roughly made and much heavier than the 1895 ones. The muzzle ring is not even cantered in the cross guard. These are often identified as Austrian, many thanks to Otto for correcting this mis ID

The scabbard is an Austrian Ersatz.

M1916 ersatz in ersatz Austrian scabbard, scabbard and hilt are painted with the same colour. This M1916 has German inspection marks on the ricasso and the pommel.

Early production VZ24

1923 date on Czech issue mark

Pommel shows multiple re issues

1887

star under cross guard

Sultans mark on pommel shows this was Turkish issue (many of these blades were held by the Germans due to the change to the 1890 pattern)

Weyersberg Kirschbaum and Cie Solingen makers mark, date is 1889 so is among the last made (date corrected by Otto from my original 1890 trranscription)

Blade spine marks

Locket

Bayonet is a US 1905 cut down to 10"  and bought in a Turkish style scabbard. Turkish use is tentative based on scabbard and length

Black handle and blade ground to below fuller depth

UK

Unknown "scabbard" a 1907 fits in the web, and I was told it was a scabbard made for tropical use, but the single row of stitches makes me suspicious, although I have been sent pictures of a short 1907 in a similar but shorter web scabbard, again any ideas are welcome

added 10/5/04

Unknown sawback bayonet. It is a volunteer item or possibly an Indian arsenal blade. item came from Scotland, hilt is very similar to the Lancaster Volunteer with steel cross guard and pommel, but is different in detail. MRD is 18mm. All steel has been highly polished and blued. Only marking is an Enfield inspection stamp on the grip, although this may just be a spare grip. Any ideas on the origin of this bayonet would be gratefully received.

added 10/5/04

1888 Volunteer made by Greener, this one has both Greener made blade and Greener pattern scabbard, with throat screw

added 10/5/04

Shortened Lancaster bayonet

Normal Lancaster hilt has leather grips replaced by wood, oxidation of rivets show this to have been carried out some time ago

New grips have transverse slot for unknown reason

This is not the same as the version shown in Skennerton as the point shape is different and there is no plug in the muzzle ring

reshaped point

added 5/4/04

Interesting conversion of a WWII Home guard frog with top strap modified to take a buckle

Close up of modifications

1907 in unknown frog, possibly Mediterranean or Eastern Europe? Frog came via Bulgaria

Leather finish is similar to South African leather but style is not in Carters reference

1938 rework date on the bayonet ricasso

added 28/3/04

1888 with RR ricasso mark, very distinctive grinding marks on the blade

Blade is unusual in having a completely blunt blade and no signs of sharpening

added 1/3/04

Lancaster Volunteer, the obvious distinction on the version is the steel cross guard rather than the normal brass one, interestign as Volunteers often went the other way around replacing a Steel cross guard with a brass one.

added 1/3/04

Quillioned 1907 Naval marked but some marking seem to indicate Australian use

Pommel mark, 3? 3 is also district for New South Wales mark seen on throat piece see below

AC maker is early scabbard producer, scabbard has N mark so is probably the original scabbard, probably with chape replaced with external chape rather than early internal one.

Scabbard shows Sold from Service mark, was it sold to Australia?

N mark on ricasso rather than the later pommel marks seen, this is period correct

NSW mark on throat ahs similar 4 digit serial to pommel although not matched but close

10 1908 shows very early made example

added 1-3-04

Box of chromed tips for the bowie blade tipped blades, box contains 12 but has no marks on it

Fitted to a blade the tip would effectively blunt the blade

added 8-2-04

Original Brown Bess socket bayonet

Blade is marked

early form socket without any locking ring as used on later sockets

added 3-2-04

Early 1856 style Yataghan, German made volunteer

Very early riveted spring, limited to the earliest production models in the UK, not sure of status on Volunteer blades

German makers mark on ricasso

added 3-2-04

1876 socket

Ricasso markings

Socket

Sold from Service mark on socket

added 3-2-04

Pommel on Wilkinson made Volunteer 1888, marked to Devon regiment

Is this the same RR mark as seen on the pommel

Nice walnut grips

Sold from service mark and what appears to be a very ornate reduced back to back R marking

Blade marked Wilkinson London, but no military markings or bend test. Could this be a private purchase piece, this may account for the sold from service mark which is only normally applied to military pieces

added 3-2-04

1895 socket with 95 date, on ground ricasso, original marks have been removed

Actually a 76 modified (new made 95's are not common), you can just see the filled original slot

Much clearer slot filling on another 95

This one a 87 made 76 with a 96 conversion date

Difference in 76 (L) and 95(R) sockets

Scabbard leather is brown, with brass fittings

added 3-2-04

Whitworth Yataghan with Indian brass mounted scabbard

Chape shows an Anchor symbol, probably a makers mark rather than any Naval connection

Throat of Scabbard shows unit and weapon marks apparently for Medical Corps, could this be a side arm use of the blade

added 3-2-04

1853 Yataghan Volunteer model made by MOLE

added 30/11/03

1879 artillery with scabbard

Unusual hand guard on bayonet, one of only a few bayonets so made

ricasso stamping

added 30/11/03

One that was photographed for my CD and now part of my collection, late WSC made 1907, locket has used late compression fit locket but used the older style locket with the 3 rivet holes.

1888 with RR marked for reduced in service, replacement grips look home made rather than arsenal, with steel pin rivets

added 11/10/03

WWI Vigilant mirror, sold to act as "periscope" for troops in trenches, allowing them to see without being seen

Hinged clip on rear allows mirror to be attached to a bayonet or other object to get height or reach

added 30/8/03

USSR

SVT 40 post war rework, these reworks are reputedly for the Ukraine or some other Soviet Satellite state. This has a different scabbard to my other un reworked examples

added 1/5/04

Luttich Sharpshooters bayonet as used during the Crimean war Bayonet is Belgian made and based on the UK Brusnwick, an uncommon bayonet

Locking mechanism is similar to UK Brunswick

Heavy blade damage, could this be from cutting wire? It isn't that damage seen from "sword" fighting

added 5/5/04

WWII Ersatz socket bayonet uses the 91 Mosin Nagant socket with the SVT blade. reputedly these were made in Leningrad or Stalingrad during their respective sieges

Blade has a serial number and the Iveshk arsenal arrow mark, which may indicate that they were production items rather than cobbled together items

This blade has obviously been buried since it was lost in WWII and shows heavy pitting, the damage to the end of the socket includes loss of the locking ring

added 6/3/04