Sten Bayonet - real or repro?

[koldt]

I grabbed this Sten bayonet a few years ago ( $50 ) and I've tried reading as much as I could find, and viewed as many pictures as there were. But there doesn't seem to be any definitive place to find out exactly what does a real bayonet look like. I've seen a few repros, and they appear fairly obvious that they were in fact reproductions. And to be fair, most of the guys were selling them as such. But I still can't find anything, especially on the web, that shows what a real Sten bayonet should look like.

I understand they are a rare item, and have heard a bit of the tale of them being destroyed long ago, but I can't find a pic of any that have been determined to be real.

I can't tell from the welds, stampings, etc what a real one should look like.

Obviously any further information is appreciated fellas! I practice my SMG charges in my basement.

This one is stamped along the retention spring - B&J S.L.
Along the body - B&J ******

Information

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[dastier]

Hi Koldt. Don't know anything about Stens but suggest asking Stencollector. He's on the forums from time to time and on CGN. Good luck with your research.

[jmoore]

Also, Mr. Laidler did a tiny bit of research when writing his STEN book.

[Harlan (Deceased)]

Hi Koldt. Don't know anything about Stens but suggest asking Stencollector. He's on the forums from time to time and on CGN. Good luck with your research.

Here's his info if you want to send him a PM or email.

Military Surplus Collectors Forums

[browningautorifle]

I would suggest being extremely sceptical of a sten bayonet unless you know for sure of it's history. I knew of a gunsmith in B.C. Canada that has a stamp set of C broadarrow stamps and watched him stamp a repro from a known retailer and sell it as original. It's out there now. That was many years ago.

[Badger]

Sure looks authentic to me, but note ... I'm not a bayonet collector.

Regards,
Badger

[koldt]

Jeeezzz, I figured with all the "talent" on here, I'd get a few different directions to try. So far really, nuthin'.

Anybody got an idea where to look, to determine exactly what a war time production bayonet should look like? Interweb, literature, film, PAM, word of mouth, rumor???? Anything? So far, I've physically examined about a half dozen types of post war/repro/fake bayonets, and looked at a few more pictures. But no where have I seen, read, been shown or had described a real/war time production.

I'll buy the book that can give a definitive answer... Anything...

[jmoore]

Looks like plenty of suggestions to me. Might try the Lee Enfield sub-forum for maximum exposure. It is an Enfield after all! The Edged weapons sub-forum seems appropriate also. Folks here won't answer if they don't really know, generally. That's a good thing, yes? Patience!

BTW I had a model 12 trench gun mystery that went nowhere for about a month and a half, then it got REAL interesting! Thanks to a member who was looking at something completely different, the question was answered. Sgt Rock put the clues together for me.

Link:Model 12 trench markings - Military Surplus Collectors Forums

[koldt]

Anybody got a scan maybe of a reference book?

Anything, a bone, anything.

[stencollector]

The sten bayonet is the one bayonet that was so cheaply made, that it is difficult to tell an original from a poor copy. As such, most collectors will only buy them priced as fakes. There were a number on ebay a few years back where the seller claimed he got them from Hercules (or Hero, I can't recall for sure) surplus in TO back in the 60s, so those could be real. But as they say, buy the item, not the story.

IMA did sell fakes with all the stampings on them a decade or so back. Their more recent stuff does not have the stampings.

In the Sten Carbine book, there is a photo of a mk2 with bayonet in the Cdn section, The photo is form the archives if I recall. Interesting evidence that the bayonets made it into Cdn service, or the factory at least.