ColonelKlink1942

Hey gang, Initially, I was hesitant to purchase this bayonet simply because there are so many of them, but considering this was the only one I found in the entire city at the time, I didn't want to let it slip through my fingers. I'm intrigued by what I can learn from this bayonet since I've read that they went through refurbishments, and since they've been through so many conflicts, who knows what era this really comes from (I want to say WWII and nothing more, but I could be wrong). It's obviously for the M1891/30, it's not an original/early M1891 socket bayonet. There are almost no markings on this bayonet aside from a serial number, one that's hard to decipher, that looks like it reads "2295" or "2205/6", and it almost looks like there's a symbol of a square with a diagonal line struck through it (to the right of the stud just after the serial number), which is one of the markings that notes that the bayonet has been refurbished by the 1st GRAU Arsenal in Balakleya, Ukraine. I have since acquired another M1891/30 socket, which I'll post about in due time. Photos below:

Hey gang, Here is the final M1884/98 III of the initial trio, and the nicest of them all regarding condition. This bayonet has some markings that I didn't understand at the time but learned about later. On one side of the Ricasso is "44ffc" (I think the 44 is the year the blade was produced, "ffc" is the letter code of Friedrich A. Herder und Sohn, out of Solingen), and on the other side is "6712 over d" ("d" block letter prefix, 6,712th bayonet). There is a WaA marking on the pommel, but I can hardly decipher it. It looks like it reads "WaA5", but then nothing after that. Was the rest ground off/worn down? It doesn't look like the surface has been ground or buffered, but I could be wrong. It has a waffle-pattern/hatched flash guard. There is no marking on the spine of the blade. It has fluid still on the blade, and seemingly inside the scabbard. The scabbard is marked "P. Weyersberg 1940", which tells me that the scabbard and blade are clearly mismatched, but it's neat that I have a 1940-dated scabbard and a 1944-dated blade. The leather hanger is apparently a post-war addition. The scabbard also has what looked like some sort of alloy screw in one side of it, but that screw appears to have been ground off for some reason. The grips are post-1943, a plastic with wood flour as a filler (I think that's what Bakelite is). From the research I've done so far with these things in mind, it could possibly be that this bayonet was refurbished post-war and issued to members of the DDR (or some other European nation). Bayonets from that post-war period that look like this are often hardly used, hence why they're in such good shape.

Hey gang, Here is another M1884/98 III that I picked up. The maker's mark on one side of the Ricasso reads "E. u. F. Hörster" and on the other side is the serial number "5099 over e". There is a "38" stamp on the spine for the production year. There is a WaA stamp near the tang but ahead of the mortise slot but is covered by the flash guard. There appears to be another WaA stamp on the flash guard and looks like it reads "WaA253" though it's rather small, please confirm or correct this. This bayonet also has what looks like plastic grips, which should be pre-1943. Unfortunately, the blade has been sharpened, likely by a civilian or a farmer, but the tip is still nice and pointy. Overall, it's a very nice bayonet in a nicer shape than the 1936 variant I posted about earlier. Photos below:

Hey gang, Next is this M1892 Krag-Jørgensen knife bayonet that I picked up back in June 2023. Initially, I did not really know what it was since there was nothing listed on the tag and only a "US" and "1902" stamp on the base of the Ricasso to go off of. Did some searching on the net, and where I first thought it was an M1903 Springfield bayonet, I was pleasantly surprised that it was older than that. The design and shape of this bayonet were based on the Swiss Model 1889 knife bayonet, and this bayonet was made for the .30-40 Krag–Jørgensen, which was the first bolt-action rifle that the US Army adopted near the end of the nineteenth century, and was the rifle that was eventually phased out by the M1903 Springfield in 1906. Production for this bayonet started in 1894 and ran until about 1903 (though I've heard that some bayonets dated 1905 exist). I also hear tell that this bayonet could be used on the M1903 Springfield as well as the M1 Garand, but I have no concrete evidence (or proper knowledge) to support that. Following the photos I will share, I have since done a bit of preservation work cleaning some of the surface rust off of the bayonet, and I'm pleased with how it turned out. The "post-preservation" photos are at the tail end. Photos below:

Bruce and Jock, The teeth on the blade's spine indicate that this is a "Sawback" variant of the Imperial German S98/05 knife bayonet, used with the Gewehr 98 bolt-action rifle. Typically, Sawbacks were only issued to Pioneer and Sapper companies, as it was for the utilitarian purpose of sawing through wood, limbs of trees, thick rope, cutting wire, chopping bushes, and so on. They were made with limited numbers. Older patterns with and without sawteeth during the Great War (in 1914 and 1915) lacked a flashguard and had a partial muzzle ring that protruded higher and today has a colloquial term "high ears". Soldiers found that firing their Gewehr 98s caused burning and damage to the grips of their bayonets, and the high ears affected the accuracy of the rifle. From that point on, production included adding a flashguard and a shorter muzzle ring from 1916 onwards, until production ceased in favour of the S84/98 I (the well-known first-pattern German bayonet fitted to the Karabiner 98a and eventually the famous Karabiner 98k with the S84/98 III, or third pattern). Existing high-ear examples had the ears filed down and a flashguard was added to meet these requirements. Jock's example was manufactured and the blade was proofed in 1915 (as shown by the "Crown over W over 15" marking on the spine just past the muzzle ring). Manufactured by R. Stock & Co., Berlin-Marienfielde, this is an unusual maker, and I'm having difficulty finding much information on them in regards to the war industry, someone else may have the right information, and I welcome further insight. It is likely an "alter Art" (a.A.) or "older pattern/model" given the proof date, as these usually had a one-piece wooden grip surrounding the tang, and "neuer Art" (n.A.) have two individual grips secured to the tang by screws and spanner nuts. Whether you're familiar or not, at some point (I can't remember the exact year(s) ), propaganda began to circulate stating that these bayonets were grossly inhumane and they got a bad reputation (with it going so far as to say that British, French, and Canadian soldiers were executing prisoners found with these bayonets), the Germans set about filing down and removing the saw teeth and sawbacks were removed from service altogether around 1917, and a number of these examples with a toothless spine can be found today. There's more to that "fact or fiction", but I don't have the resources in front of me to add more than I know here. Lovely bayonet, thanks for sharing!

Apologies for the physical condition of this bayonet, this was one of the few that I first picked up when I didn't understand the importance of condition and being picky. From the research I did before and after purchasing it, it appears to be an M1884/98 III ("III" being the "third pattern", produced from 1927-1930, and 1934-1945) used with the Karabiner 98K. I did some basic research on the markings, and I think, based on the "S/185" marking on the Ricasso, that Elite-Diamantwerke is the maker. On the spine of the blade, there is a "36", which I think is the production year, meaning it was produced in 1936. On the other side of the Ricasso is the serial number with block prefix "9496 over lowercase l". Near the tang but ahead of the mortise slot is a Waffenamt marking of "WaA218". This bayonet did not come with a scabbard. I'm sure I could find other numbers stamped into the tang if I removed the wooden grips, but for fear of damaging them, I won't be doing that. I initially thought it was sent to Portugal or Spain, but I was wrong. It was most likely a standard Wehrmacht-service bayonet. Unfortunately, whether it was treated poorly, stored poorly, or even battle-dug, all the metal is rusted, the flash guard is missing, the press button is seized, and the original grips are gone and replaced with these. I like to keep this bayonet around as a reminder of how to be more selective and careful with bayonet purchases (keeping condition, rarity, price, etc. in mind), and also to tell the story of neglect and how to care for and preserve the bayonets in our cherished collections. Photos below:

Hey gang, Back in March of 2022, my brothers and I went to a gun show in a nearby town. They went looking for ammunition and a rifle or two, I went looking for antiques. Being that it was a cash-only event, I was limited in what I could get. I didn't have enough cash to get an Arisaka bayonet (with unit markings and a quillon), but I could purchase this beauty, as it was the oldest of the bunch. This is the third bayonet I have ever purchased and owned. When I got home, I began doing research on the markings to learn the history of this Gras bayonet. The markings on the spine of the blade read "Manufactured at St. Etienne, January 1878" ("Manufacture d'Armes de St. Etienne Janvier 1878" for the original untranslated French inscription). There are a handful of markings on and around the quillon and crossguard, which I haven't deciphered yet, and there are no unit markings. Maybe I can locate the serial number of the rifle online somewhere? The serial numbers on the quillon and the scabbard match which makes me happy, but I initially had a brain-buster of a time trying to figure them out. It has an "A" block prefix before the serial number "1999", although St. Etienne used F, G, H, I, K, L, M, N, P, Q, FG, FH, and it was Châtellerault that used A, B, C, AB, AC, BC (I wouldn't have known this if it wasn't for Ian McCollum's work Chassepot to FAMAS: French Military Rifles, 1866-2016). At first, I was absolutely stumped. Why was a Gras bayonet, made at St. Etienne in 1878, using a prefix that didn't match the block prefixes for that arsenal? I resorted to asking around and eventually landed on a Great War forum where someone else was asking these questions, and posed my own. One of the folks there quickly explained that bayonets were made at these various arsenals, but were often matched with rifles from different arsenals. They then mentioned that because of the "A" block prefix, it was very likely paired with a converted Mle 1866-74 Chassepot rifle from Châtellerault, and because of the "1999" serial number, it was likely a very early Chassepot prior to being converted into a Gras. It may or may not have taken part in the Franco-Prussian War in its early life, but I don't know for sure. I am also uncertain if the serial numbers are original to the M1866 Chassepot, or if they were newly stamped when the rifle was converted. One thing is for sure, as conversions were taking place from around 1878 to 1881 or so, I suspect that this bayonet was among some of the first batches to be paired with newly converted Mle1866-74 Chassepot rifles. It's overall a very unique bayonet, and I'm glad to have found it. It's in very nice shape for its age. Photos below:

Hey gang, Where I forgot to mention that my Pattern 1853 socket bayonet was the first bayonet I ever purchased and owned, I won't forget with this one. This is the second bayonet I have ever purchased and owned. Bear with me, the condition is not the best, but it was all that was available for me at the time. I bought it as a placeholder until I could find a better one. I found one in June 2024, and I'll post about it as time goes on. Back in November of 2022, I purchased this bayonet because I recognized it as a Pattern 1907. The seller told me that he thought it had a service history with India, but when I did research of my own, the markings turned out to be Australian. Initially, I thought it was Canadian, with "OA" meaning "Ontario Arsenal/Artillery", which doesn't appear to exist. This bayonet was manufactured at the Orange Arsenal in Australia and was from a batch produced in August of 1943 ("8 43"). The scabbard has matching arsenal markings, but that's all I can really see. I have not found any unit markings or serial numbers on this bayonet yet. Maybe it was in service with India, or there was an Australian presence in India at the time, but I have no concrete evidence to support that. Despite what looks like wood filler covering where the grip screws would be/are, and the fact that the blade was sharpened with a grinder or something later, the grips aren't flush with the handle, and the bayonet pommel is missing the press button, and spring, this is a neat piece that's honestly in nice shape.

Next from the collection is this Mk.I Ross bayonet which was sold out of service and converted to a Bowie-style knife. From what I've been able to learn, in March and April 1944, 2,209 bayonets & 1,963 Mk I scabbards were declared surplus and sold to William Margolin, Montreal. He paid 12 cents for the bayonets & 3 cents for the scabbards. These bayonets were then shipped to the Pal Cutlery Company in Massachusetts, USA, for alterations. Muzzle rings ground off, cross guards shaped, press buttons ground off and sealed shut, blades shortened, sharpened, and shaped, a "Sold out of Service" marking (a C with two Broad Arrows pointing nose-to-nose, forming a star) stamped on the bayonet (mine is on the side of the pommel), scabbards were painted black and so on. Once altered, the bayonets were resold as "Hunting knives with leather scabbards" to the public for about $7.50/piece. The markings on this bayonet consist of the Ross inspection markings on the tang, that "SoS" marking and the faded remnants of the acceptance date, "3-10" (March 1910), both on the left side of the pommel, the "Ross Rifle Co./Quebec/Patented 1907" on the right side of the pommel, and the struck-through unit markings "1 cc over 332" on the rear of the pommel. The "332" should refer to the "332nd rifle". Regarding the "CC", I haven't figured out what unit this belongs to, whether it was a Cyclist Battalion, or perhaps a Cadet Corps, so that remains a mystery to me. This is a unique bayonet that I'm happy to have in my collection and one of four Ross bayonets presently within the collection! Photos below:

Hey gang, Firstly, I'm posting my bayonet and sword collection in this forum section of the site (as it's dedicated to such things), but if they don't belong here, please tell me where to post them. Let's begin, shall we? Starting with the first bayonet I ever purchased, this Pattern 1853 Enfield socket bayonet. I do apologize for the condition that it's in, and the fact that I only have two photos that I can post, the rest are too large, so this is all I've got for now. I didn't have a variety to pick from when I purchased this in 2022, nor did I have a proper understanding of the importance of the condition and quality of the bayonet. I was enamored with the bayonet and it ultimately sparked my obsession with collecting bayonets ever since. It has the Enfield inspection marking "E over Crown over 13" on the Ricasso, "13" being the inspector's number. On the socket (not photographed), is "39 over 283", which would signify "39th Regiment, 283rd rifle". If it belonged to a British regiment, it would be the British 39th Regiment of Foot (or Dorsetshire Regiment), having returned to British North America and being temporarily stationed here between 1856-1859, in theory being rearmed for the Crimean War. Otherwise, this bayonet may have been issued to the Canadian 39th Norfolk Battalion of Rifles, and while I'm hoping it would've been right around the time the regiment was being raised in 1866 around the period of the Fenian Raids, it could very well have been issued to them several years later. I think I have narrowed it down to being issued to the Canadian Militia, but it's still something I ponder once in a while since I don't have any military inventory records to back it up. Photos below:

Hey gang, My order of bronze bristle brushes and Renaissance Wax showed up this morning, and after doing a test run on one of my brother's rusted railroad spikes, I set to work on a single bayonet. Note: I haven't used the wax yet, and have only really cleaned one small part of the bayonet to see how effective it would be versus a railroad spike that's encrusted with rust and scale. I was able to get some of the rust and scale to come off of the spike, but I had to be aggressive with my brushing, and even used a bit of a tougher bristle brush on it to remove much. It would have gone better had I decided to soak the spike in solution, but I did not. Food for thought on that front. Taking a user's advice, I focused on a rust patch on the Ricasso and a bit inside the Fuller, so as to clean that up and have it match the surrounding area as best I could, all while not removing the existing finish. On the "after" images below, you will see that after a couple minutes of slow and careful brushing with the bronze bristles, I was able to safely clean and remove the bit of rust and scale on the surface, and having the light shine on the Ricasso, it does not appear to have removed any finish at all. I used Hoppe's No.9 Gun Bore Cleaner to accomplish this, and simply dipped the bristles into that solution. Once I cleaned and removed what I wanted, I carefully wiped it all off with a microfiber towel. I did however notice micro scratches on one part of the Ricasso upon later closer inspection (as evidenced by the very last photo below). There is more to do here, but what do you folks think? Does this come off as "too clean" and shooting for a pristine look, or does this appear to keep the aged look of the bayonet? Does the finish look like it's been removed? I'd like to get thoughts and opinions before I proceed with further preserving of this one and any of my bayonets. Before: After:

That's a solid suggestion! I think I will definitely consult some visual how-to videos before I accidentally ruin any of my bayonets. I have no problem attempting to work on the bayonets which have spots of rust here and there, but I'm honestly scared to try cleaning up my Pattern 1853. She's too old and coated in a dark brown layer of rust everywhere, I don't know what I should do. Not to mention, she doesn't have a scabbard. I bought her as a "naked blade," and as you said you've faced the return of rust for those without scabbards, I fear I may have the same issue should I decide to try. Part of me feels better just leaving her as she is, but the other part wants to try and save her from further deterioration (even in a dry environment).

Hello Tony, Thanks for the reply and the suggested post, I checked it out. Definitely another case of "100 collectors, 100 suggestions, and they all work to some degree." Seems gun oil is a safe bet all around. My workplace sells Hoppe's No.9, which is a bore cleaner, and I think would be suitable. I'm also interested in Renaissance Wax, but not too sure if it would be ideal if I'm trying to use oil on the blades alongside a bronze bristle brush to carefully clean away whatever active rust or scale I can get off without ruining the finish. Any other thoughts on that?

Hey gang, I've got a goulash of non-military antiques that I may show off from time to time. Starting with a couple of pocket watches I picked up last year on an antiquing adventure in a small town not far from home. These are wind-up pocket watches, not battery-operated. They are still ticking away happily after all these years. The one without a lid is a Westclox Pocket Ben (Style 6), produced between 1960 and 1980. The one with a lid is a Swiss-made Adorna watch, but I have yet to accurately date it. Enjoy!

Hello! I'm brand new here and have joined mostly for the purpose of asking for help in regard to bayonet preservation, as I have a handful of bayonets in my collection in various states of decay. I'll preface this by saying that I am aware that the goal is to preserve the bayonets in their current condition, not to make them look brand new. Long message, I'll try to condense it as best I can: I've been trying to research what I can about what to use and how to do it, and while it can be overwhelming, it seems it's best to pose a question like this to the community since there are a lot of folks who have experience and success in this type of preservation, despite the many differing opinions and suggestions. I've heard folks using WD-40, paste wax, Renaissance Wax (kinda interested in this one), vinegar, 50/50 mixtures of transmission fluid and kerosene, kerosene at full strength with a bronze bore brush, and so many more (and then folks going against the above suggestions, which adds to the fun and confusion). Heck, my little brother (who has a 1912-dated pump-action shotgun and has done a bit of preservation work on that) suggested that I use bore cleaner, a soft brush (likely something like nylon or bronze bore brushes), and a thin layer of synthetic oil. The use of steel wool, "Kroil" (a penetrating oil only sold in the US), and bronze-bristle brushes have been suggested to me for one bayonet already. I have picked up #0000-grade steel wool from work, all I'm missing are bronze-bristle bore or detailing brushes, and some sort of liquid or wax. A few of the bayonets (the M1892 Krag, Pattern 1888 Lee-Metford, and M1866 Chassepot) shown in this post look to have some spots of red active rust, which I'd like to remove as safely and best as possible without damaging the finish. The others (the Pattern 1853 and 1936-dated M1884/98), look to be in a condition where they might not need anything since the rust is a darker brown, but I'm both tempted to try and clean them up, and scared to do anything to them for fear of damaging them much further. As for the wood, the grips on the majority of my bayonets look fine, but perhaps it wouldn't hurt to put something on them to keep them looking as they are and prevent further damage from the oils of my skin when I'm foolish enough not to handle them with gloves. What are the best things that I should be using to preserve (the metal more than anything, but also the wood) my bayonets, and how should I be doing this? If you need other photos or info, please feel free to let me know! Photos of everything below: