Ersatz Flea Market Purchase

[Aragorn243]

Today's flea market purchase is a bayonet I cannot identify. I'm assuming for the moment it is a WWI German Ersatz bayonet but I have yet to find an exact example to compare it too. Noting there are over 70 known types, this is not necessarily surprising.

The blade is 12 1/2 inches long which is 1/2 inch longer than it should be for a German bayonet. The pommel does not have any clean out hole in it which most examples do and finally, it has a full round attachment rather than one with the top cut out.

I did find one photo that it matches, that of a Belgium export bayonet which describes it as having black paint which this one also has. Only photo was an angle shot which did not show the blade, just the cross guard and the handle so nothing definitive there. Following up on this, I can find no reference to a Belgium export bayonet aside from the site the photo was on.

No major pitting but extensive staining, handle had flaking black paint, blade is clean, release button/catch work.

Any help on this for identification would be appreciated.

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[HOOKED ON HISTORY]

Good eye!

[Aragorn243]

I have a feeling that if I could access Old Smithy's site I'd be able to ID it pretty quick but all the links to his site are failing at present. I've found several dead ends going to his site referencing similar bayonets. If it is Chinese, I think I'll be a bit disappointed as I was hoping for WWI German as I have no German WWI bayonets. The handle portion looks correct but the blade portion does not for the Chinese version, that is some sort of triangular blade. The handle also looks correct for a German Ersatz bayonet in Anthony Carter's World bayonets but the cross guard does not match.

[gew8805]

Not all Chinese "ersatz" bayonets had triangular blades so I believe that is what you have, a low cost, Belgian produced Chinese bayonet. Very collectable, congratulations.

[Aragorn243]

That's mildly disappointing.

Can I count it as a Chinese bayonet that would have been used in WWII? That will improve things a bit. I have neglected the fact that they were a major power vs the Japanese so to speak.

[gew8805]

That's mildly disappointing.

Can I count it as a Chinese bayonet that would have been used in WWII? That will improve things a bit. I have neglected the fact that they were a major power vs the Japanese so to speak.

Most certainly. The Chinese participation in WW2 was hugely important. We tend to forget that and it is a shame.

All I can tell you is that it certainly not German used, sorry that disappoints you.

[Aragorn243]

The only reason it was a disappointment is that I have nothing from Germany in WWI and I thought this would fill that void. But by the same token I had nothing from the Chinese in WWII either so it's a trade off and all things being what they are, it is probably easier to find something else that was from Germany than it will be to find something from China.

I'm assuming this would fit on any of the varied Mauser rifles the Chinese had?

Now I have to locate a Chinese rifle, my wife will be so pleased.

[gew8805]

The German ersatz bayonets are far more common than Chinese bayonets, odd that you haven't been able to locate one.

[Aragorn243]

To be honest, I wasn't looking for one. I'm a collector of opportunity, flea markets, yard sales, antique dealers. Unless it's something very specific to fit a rifle I already have, then I get a bit more serious about the search. I've been watching for a GEW 98 but have not yet found one at a price I can afford so the bayonet for it has been on the back burner.

I spotted this one about three weeks ago at an antique flea market. Guy had $90 on it and I didn't have either the $90 or the desire to get it so didn't think much about it. This weekend, he had a sign 50% off everything on table so that made me a bit more interested. Checked the price guide for "German" ersatz bayonets as that's what I thought it was and what he was selling it as and figured I'd be pretty safe at $45. Went back to look at it again and took my time with it and he offered it to me for $40 which made it even better. So that's the basic story. Wife was with me and I was telling her how cool it was to finally have a German WWI bayonet, why it was made the way it was etc. She seemed mildly interested. I figured as I'll eventually get a GEW 98, may as well get a bayonet ahead of time.

Now I'll just look for a Chinese Mauser, something else I don't recall ever seeing but my books say they are reasonably easy to find so I'll keep my eyes open for one.

[HOOKED ON HISTORY]

You still have a way to go to top the cruciform Enfield bayonet. I kind of like the bayonet then gun metheod of collecting.