The Show-off Your Bayonet Thread

[Olly]

I love bayonets, besides the other darlings ofcourse, this is the most notable... The German 1898/1905 “Butcher Blade” bayonet - the most common bayonet used by the German Heer during WWI, it was called the “Butcher Blade” by the Allies because of it’s shape. Designed to fit the 1898 German Mauser Carbines and Rifles, this 98/05 bayonet was manufactured by Simson & Co., Suhl, Germany.

More info is welcome and I love critics too... !







This is the 'Indian' contraption... !

[TC]

This is one of the oldest blades in my collection. This spike went with the cap and ball muskets issued to soldiers by the East India Company. Bought this from R B Rodda, Calcutta, when I was in college. Shown with the iron mould soldiers used to make their lead projectiles. Nice simple device.
Both still have the serial numbers.












Cheers

TC

[Lanceman]

Great pic TC, this bayonet is very similar to one used by the Madras police on some version of the .303 when I was in school. Out of ignorance we used to call it the 'screw driver' bayonet. I don't know when a spike bayonet was used on a .303, cause all of WW I they used a knife bayonet.

[Moin.]

This is one of the oldest blade in my collection. This spike went with the cap and ball muskets issued to soldiers by the East India Company. Bought this from R B Rodda, Calcutta, when I was in college. Shown with the iron mould soldiers used to make their lead projectiles. Nice simple device.
Both still have the serial numbers.

[ Image

Finally Tcda finally the skeletons are rolling out of the closets. Loll

Regards
Moin.


[ Image ]


[ Image ]

Cheers

TC

[TC]

Great pic TC, this bayonet is very similar to one used by the Madras police on some version of the .303 when I was in school. Out of ignorance we used to call it the 'screw driver' bayonet. I don't know when a spike bayonet was used on a .303, cause all of WW I they used a knife bayonet.

Hi Lanceman,
Must admit I eagerly follow your posts and appreciate your experience. You are quite right. The "screwdriver" for the .303 can still be found in many parts of the country and hundreds must be catching rust in the Calcutta Police armory. The "screwdriver" is a simple spike with round and tapered surface and pointed tip and the whole thing (including the mounting lug) is about 7 or 8 inches in length. It is made of tempered steel and comes in a metal sheath.
This bayonet on the other hand is made of cast iron. It has a triangular cross section right up to the tip and all three edges are sharp. It measures about 18 inches in length (that's why I put the feet scale for comparison) and came with brass tipped leather or a simple metal sheath. I have another one... its broken from the middle.

Finally Tcda finally the skeletons are rolling out of the closets. Loll

Moin,
I can't find some of the skeletons...
This one took me a week



TC

[Lanceman]

the triangular cross section was standard for the Tower Musket and subsequent muzzle loaders. in fact I have seen one with a slight concave surface between each of the three edges, presumably to let the blood ooze out in great spurts!!! when I was a young cadet we used to do bayonet drill and the ustad used to say if the bayonet gets stuck, fire a round to release it!! what a tender and loving thought.
cast iron is new to me.... very hard but very brittle, accounts for the other one being broken. how did they 'punch' a number in cast iron.... very difficult.
as regards the bullet mould... very interesting, the top is the mould and the scissor type of indent below is to cut off the 'tail' of the bullet when it came out of the mould.

[TC]

Hi Lanceman,
You are absolutely right. This one has the concave surface between the edges. I think its not clear from the picture. The one in the picture is forged steel. Hence the markings. But the one I broke was definitely cast, at least that's what I could deduce from studying the cross section. Maybe it was some kind of a mass production to meet demand during war and cut cost and time. I also have a small leather pouch soldiers used to carry the percussion caps. Its lying somewhere in the mess I have

And, you are right again on the bullet mould... Its a pleasure to have you on board.



TC

[Lanceman]

Hi TC,
Yes, and talking of bullet moulds, the more common one used to be wooden, six at a time. However I once read a very interesting tale.... Need to verify though. If you drop a blob of molten lead in a bucket of cold water it is a perfect sphere by the time it reaches the bottom, in an emergency bullets were apparently cast that way.... Now check that out.....
Pleasure chatting with a connoisseur such as you

[Terminator-X]

My Bayonet. Maybe for Enfield British rifles.

[TC]

Hi TC,
Yes, and talking of bullet moulds, the more common one used to be wooden, six at a time. However I once read a very interesting tale.... Need to verify though. If you drop a blob of molten lead in a bucket of cold water it is a perfect sphere by the time it reaches the bottom, in an emergency bullets were apparently cast that way.... Now check that out.....
Pleasure chatting with a connoisseur such as you

Hi Lanceman,
I am no connoisseur Sir, just a serious enthusiast. But coming from a man of your stature this is definitely an honour
I heard about wooden moulds but never saw one. The molten lead in water sounds interesting. Will check that out.
Now, here is a picture of the musket bayonet that broke. Please note the difference. This one too is a triangular spike but one side of the triangle is flat and almost one and half times wider than the other two sides that have concave between the edges like the forged bayonet.

Pleasure chatting with you.
TC

[TC]

Hi Olly,
That's a nice German blade you got... Excellent condition I must say
Thanks for posting



TC

[TC]

Terminator,
That's a great looking Mark 1 Lee Enfield bayonet... complete with the brown leather sheath few of which have survived.
Thanks for posting...


TC

[Lanceman]

Hi TC,
Is that Broken? Looks a very clean break, almost sawed off. Sometimes captured bayonets were disabled and then sold as scrap....

[TC]

Hi TC,
Is that Broken? Looks a very clean break, almost sawed off. Sometimes captured bayonets were disabled and then sold as scrap....

Hi Lanceman,
Its not really a very clean break. But you could be correct. Got this from a private collection along with a lot of old stuff. This one was lying in my loft for years, completely forgotten. When I fished it out for this thread I thought it was cast metal and broke because of manhandling, although it emitted the sound of forged steel. Thanks a ton.

TC

[Olly]

Hi Olly,
That's a nice German blade you got... Excellent condition I must say
Thanks for posting



TC

Thanks, bro !!