Lebel 1886 Bayonet

[Aragorn243]

I think you overpaid for this particular bayonet which is one reason I'd recommend you follow the sales for a bit and decide how much you want to pay. I would assume you have the same access to ebay that I do here in the states. Most Lebels seem to sell between $60-$80 US and I've paid as low as $20 in person. Never go by what they are asking, always watch what they sell for. I can be extremely patient with bayonets unless I have the rifle. I've gone 3 years watching the auctions before actually getting one. Now if I just acquired the rifle, that's another matter. suddenly my buy price goes way up and I'll have the bayonet in about three weeks.

I was fortunate in that I couldn't afford rifles for a long time so I bought bayonets, so most rifles I have acquired recently, I've already had the bayonet for it.

I do a twice daily search for bayonets on ebay. I have the page bookmarked. Mornings I usually just check to make sure I didn't forget something and then in the evening I go back at least 24 hours, no real need to go further. If I want a specific bayonet, I will also search for that. Nowadays I'm mainly snagging things that I wasn't aware of or forgot about. I also don't really collect varieties at all. One of each type is sufficient unless I have more than one rifle that takes the same bayonet. Then I try to get different types if possible. The older I'm getting the less patient I am. I also have a bit more disposable cash now than earlier.

There are a few bayonets that can be pretty expensive. the British jungle carbine No 5 bayonets, Carcano folders, anything Finnish, Soviet SVT, Carcano TS, US 1903's, French Berthiers, anything with a sawback, Austrailian produced, Chinese WWII era, Hungarian WWII, and a lot of the pre WWI stuff is going up. Now that's just off the top of my head so I'm sure I missed some but most other bayonets can be found for under $100. And I don't exactly know what it means when I no longer consider $100 for a bayonet expensive. I'm not a wealthy person by any means. I guess I'm just getting used to the market.

[Eaglelord17]

The problem with Canada is the market is significantly smaller and the quantity is as well. Only a few places stock bayonets of any sort, and out of those only a few are reasonable in the prices. I am not much of a bayonet collector, generally speaking I only seek one of each (much like my rifles), and depending on how rare it is maybe less than that. It is really hard to find any for sale at a reasonable price here, and since gunshows don't really happen in my neck of the woods it prevents face to face interactions (I have only been to one gunshow in my life and that was around Halifax area). The only bayonets you see for less than 100$ here is basically the simple No. 4 Mk. 1 bayonets and occasionally some Mauser variations.

Definitely need to do a good trip to some gunshows in the States at some point, seems to be worthwhile.

[browningautorifle]

Just a curiosity, you don't have the brass handle version of this bayonet do you? They show up occasionally here, and a dealer I know gets them once in a while...he sells online too but if you wish and one shows up I can notify you. He had a suitcase of various come in and I had to sort them, clean them and name them for him. There was a brass and white metal version then...

[gsimmons]

At some point I want to go to some of the gun shows held in Michigan, just to get odds and ends like bayonets, ammo pouches, slings, and mannlicher clip/stripper clips (and also to see what is out there). I have to get a bit more stable for that to happen though. Generally I am working +/- 40 hours a week at the moment plus college. Schooling is finishing up so I need to find a more stable job, otherwise within a year or two it will be back to the Army for full time work (not a terrible thing, just not my first option at the moment). The good thing is where I live it is a fairly inexpensive place to live (average income is about 36,000$ a year) so it isn't too difficult to make a living here.

I used to( moved to NC)have good luck at the Michigan Antique Arms Collectors show in Novi,Mi. I lived in Northville, so it was just down the street.

[Eaglelord17]

I am good for the moment. Soon I will be going away to work for the summer and won't have the opportunity to receive or sell items so this was somewhat of a last hurrah before the work begins (I also just lucked into some Argentine 7.65 surplus on stripper clips I will post up soon). Next bayonets I will likely be looking for is either the 1886/15 Lebel bayonet (should have brass handle and no hooked quillion), a P07, a P13 or one of the many different bayonets for the M71 Mauser (specifically to mount on my Commission Gewehr 88/05).

[porterkids]

I don't know how far you are interested in traveling but I've been told there is a great flea market in Conneticutt twice a year called the white elephant or something like that. I have yet to go there personally, probably a 6 hour drive but it's supposed to take two days to get through it and I don't know if you even manage that. Supposed to have a fair amount of military stuff.

You would be extremely disappointed if you drove 6 hours to go to the Elephant's Trunk. It's held every Sunday during decent weather. It's about 40 minutes from my house and I've been there countless times over the last 30 years. I have NEVER found a bayonet there that I purchased and the few that I have found were so over priced it wasn't funny. It takes several hours to walk through but that's it. There is a huge antique show that is held once or twice a year in Brimfield MA. Maybe you're mixing the two up.

There is an excellent show coming up next weekend in Baltimore. I always come home from there with a decent haul.

[Aragorn243]

Elephants Trunk is it but there is supposed to be something twice a year. A business associate is the one that has been talking to my wife and I about it. You may have saved me a trip. Thanks.

[porterkids]

How far are you from Lutherville-Timonium? The show there next weekend is well worth the trip.

Baltimore Antique Arms Show

---------- Post added at 11:02 PM ---------- Previous post was at 10:55 PM ----------

Brimfield Antique Show Homepage

[Aragorn243]

I am about 2 hours from there and have thought about going for years. Just never get around to it. As my primary interest is post 1900, I'm not sure if it would be beneficial or not to go other than to just look.

[browningautorifle]

I will likely be looking for is either the 1886/15 Lebel bayonet (should have brass handle and no hooked quillion), a P07, a P13 or one of the many different bayonets for the M71 Mauser (specifically to mount on my Commission Gewehr 88/05).

I suppose I should PM you the name of this dealer local and you can keep him in sight yourself. He has quite a smack of stuff at times.