Yes I'm aware of that and got the book. And if I had a year off I'd sit down, re-read it all and tabulate it all to come up with a list (no...., maybe not...)....... But has anyone sat down and tabulated all of the variables into a quick ready-reckoner type of list was the question!
Maybe my Q wasn't clear. But there are bayonets with TWO makers names on the socket where one indicates the casting and the other the machining with the spike part made by another...........
I seem to recall some of the 2 part ones were, I have some where the socket casting/forging was by VNS or something like that but the finished machined assembly was marked by one of the known makers.
Working off of memory but I am pretty sure I have one like that.
Peter and Frederick303, here is at least a partial list of casting contractors who made sockets:
"VNS" = Viners Ltd., Sheffield.
"F.F. & S. Ld" = Fred Fisher & Sons Ltd.
"JW (S) Ltd." = John Wilson Ltd., Sheffield
"TRM.1", "TRM.2", and "TRM 3" have not been identified. This mark sometimes appears alone and sometimes with another forging mark.
The above comes from Ralph Cobbs' website at:
worldbayonets.com-The Collector's Edge: Online Bayonet Reference.
His page on the No.4 Spike is at:
Britain - No. 4 Spike Bayonets
A good quick reference page but it doesn't have the information on who made the cast sockets for each of the makers of the No.4 MkII* .
Ralph Cobb's page on British Spike bayonets is the closest thing that I've ever seen to a list of all the variables of the spike bayonet etc, Peter, and an excellent, informative website it is too. I'm not sure what made Graham Priest believe that the handle which is illustrated in his book, which attaches to the No4 and No9 bayonets, to be of south African origin but from memory I think that he stated that it had an S.E marking on it as well as an arrow. Is anyone able to confirm this as a South African marking and has it been observed on other South African kit? Would this handle have likely been carried by the user attached to the bayonet in the scabbard when not in use or separately?
Skennerton wrote a pamphlet on spike bayonets. In it he lists the known contractors and sub-contractors and quantities made.
Small Arms Series No. 2. 32 pages.
Have a look at page 47 of "Without Warning".