Im new and could use some advice

Hi, Im Reesy89 from the UK. This site looks to be full of useful and knowledgable threads and hopefully I will learn a lot while on the forum.

With that said I am hoping that someone could shed a bit of light on a bayonet for me. I have a Wilkinson pattern 1907 bayonet (I figured that out using this forums threads) but I am struggling to read all of the stampings. I can see the crown followed by the GR and 1907 is just about readable, however, I can not read a full issue date. I can make out a 7 so July but the year is proving difficult. Im not sure if its a 1 or a 2 that I can read but either way thats not a full year. I was hoping someone may have some advice on how i could clean the bayonet to a point that I can read the year but without damaging the metal and especially the markings.

Thanks in advance
Reesy89

Use WD-40 or RP-7 with STAINLESS steel wool or STAINLESS dish scourer I will say it again STAINLESS not steel wool as that will strip any bluing off faster than a Ghost Chilli will have you on the dunny singing Johnny Cash's song "Burning Ring Of Fire"

Spray the pad with the WD or RP put some on the blade and rub in circles to remove the gunk wipe away with rag and you should see it but you do not say if the blade is good or bad if push comes to shove you can always use chalk to try and get some into the depression.......
GR = George Rex

Thanks very much for your reply. The blade is in a fair condition but look to be quite pitted. I tried lightly rubbing in with white spirit and kitchen towel to try lift the dirt. It did make it a little easier to read but not fully.

I will try what you have suggested and see how it comes up.

Thanks again
Reesy89

Welcome to the forum, you could also use a rifle bore brush with oil and it may clean out the letters/numbers stamped in there.

Why not post some pictures of your bayonet here, showing the markings and grips, and see if anyone can give you any additional information on the forum.

Cinders, I haven't experienced the same problems as you describe, of steel wool removing blueing from metalwork. I normally use the finer grades of steel wool lubricated with diesel oil* to clean corrosion and dirt from metalwork but I don't get the problem of the blueing being removed, quickly as you describe. Obviously if the blueing does start to come away I don't continue rubbing away ferociously, with the steel wool, like an idiot.:nono:


*Diesel oil is said to be damaging/dangerous to the eyes if smashed in accidentally and so I always wear eye protection when using it.

I've used steel wool too, about 4 zeros and a touch of fine oil to remove rust but not blue. We've gone through this discussion many times here though.

Its was a old trick an WWII armourer (Think he was in his 80's) showed me and I have stuck by it ever since as he showed me there and then on a very cruddy 303 magazine sprayed it with WD-40 and put a good deal of pressure whilst scrubbing the object with the stainless scourer and not one bit of the finish was removed but the crud and rust was gone. It is only for light surface rust if you have corrosion then it won't fix the holes!
I mean if you guys get it done with 0000 steel wool then thats another way to do it and people can make their choice.

"...steel wool as that will..." 0000 steel wool has been used with light oil to remove surface rust from blued steel for eons. Doesn't bother bluing at all. Neither does a light touch with a fine, brass wire, wheel in a bench grinder. SS is more likely to scratch too.
However, it may not be rust on Reesy89's bayonet. Might just be accumulated 100 year old crud. Regular firearm cleaning solvents will do that. I'm assuming that stuff is available in the UK. Mind you, it's also possible the markings are just worn away.
I'd have to look at mine, but I don't recall there being any date but a year.[COLOR="black"]

I've got several 1907's where you can't make out all the marking details such as date of manufacture/issue and even the maker in at least one case. It could be that some of them have been refurbished several times in their lives and have had the blades shot blasted/abraded during refurbishment making the markings less clear.

I have never been able to find 0000 in Bunnings nor any other hardware place I tried perhaps I am not reading the fine print!

Try specialist cabinet-makers / wood-carvers suppliers for the fine stuff, as well as Bronze wool and lots of other useful things.

Bronze wool is good for woodwork finishing as it does not leave easily-corrodable steel fibres stuck in the timber.

Avoid synthetic "pot-scrubbers" like the plague on original blued or "browned" finishes. Most of these scourers, especially the proper "3M" brand, have Silicon Carbide granules embedded in the spun green plastic "mesh". Instant blue removal. Don't use them on your good, "Teflon" etc. -coated cookwear, either.

For fiddly bits, a small brass or bronze brush spun in a Dremel or similar will take off surface rust in "awkward" places.