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Does anyone know what the dates are for these early bayonets and what one would be worth? There is one for sale with the price of $140. I don't know if that is too much or not. The seller says they are 1939-40 period. That would go well with my Trials "T" sniper if it is, Ray
Be warned RayG that there are a whole lot of fakes of these bayonets out there. All made from converted Mk2 bayonets. The little fackers that are faking them are getting better by the day so I've been told by Graham Priest, the author of the spike bayonet book.
He brought in a real one and a fake to show us at work (yes, ours are real.....) and unless they're together and you're knowledgeable, it's hard to spot the little fackers!
Best get hold of his book, but it's all to do with the point............ and that's the extent of my expertise on bayonets!
Thanks Peter for the heads up. The book would be great to have and I'm sure it's a great book to get if I was a bayonet collector but all I would need it for would be for this one bayonet.
I know the seller well and would have no problem returning it if it was no good. One thing I noted was the bayonet had been painted black at one time, maybe a red flag to cover up something. The paint does not look new but I know that does't mean anything nowdays. The locking button is also searated like the MKII's. Ray
The one I had was marked SM very faint in a script type of lettering. The butt was blued and the blade was perfect silver. The whole thing was flawless. This is typical of the early bayonets as the later ones degraded in workmanship. many today have been allowed to rust in some far off armory and that might explain the paint. There ARE lots of fakes being reproduced by milling the spike to spec. The butt will likely be rougher than the original.