Modified No. 5 Mk. I Bayonet

[marysdad]

I have a No. 5 Mk. I bayonet that has been modified by thinning the blade to the depth of the fuller, then bluing the blade. I have heard this modification attributed to the Malaya Government, but have not been able to find any information substantiating the Malayan connection. The bayonet and its scabbard are both Wartime Wilkinson production. I was hoping someone here might be able to shed some light on this modification.

Information

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[Aragorn243]

Someone on ebay has been trying to sell one for two weeks that has also had it's ring cut off. Something about "fighting knife" and the Brits trying to recycle everything.

Personally, I don't see any government purposely weakening a blade in such a manner but that's strictly an opinion.

[Peter Laidler]

Our machine shops made/converted hundreds of these into letter openers for visiting dignitaries right down to every man and his dog who wanted one! It was never a government thing or sanctioned by anyone............. Just a little scam worked by the fitter/turners in the machine shops and Armourers to earn a few Malay dollars and while away the time and as a means of using up old bent or otherwise unserviceable bayonets - of which there were hundreds! I had one for many years that was beautifully engraved by one of the Instrument technicians, Bob Sterling, who could only hold his hands steady enough to operate the panto-engraver when he was slightly drunk. These will have been done all over the Far East. Then, with the extra money we had earned on the back of this scam, us young lads could use it to buy extra wool for our knitting and sewing classes or just add these ill-gotten gains to the church collection plate every Sunday................. Just joking!

That's the story of the slimmed down No5 bayonets. I was told at the time that the L1A1 bayonets were a much tougher material and harder internally too and didn't take to the surface grinder too well. That's why there weren't many done. There was no need because we had zillions of No5 bayonets left over from the No5 rifles and Sterlings/L2A3's when we got AR15's

If the muzzle rings were bent back or forwards, you had to be VERY careful not to do anything apart from heat the bent part to cherry red and bend it back to shape otherwise it would just break off. We could weld one side but not both sides if it broke off. You could make a new ring of spring steel wire but the unit cost was such that it wasn't economic - although '.......the needs of the service' as I remember the phrase, always out weighed anything else, including EMER's!

Sorry if I have rambled on a bit. If it's all too much, just ignore the bits that are mind numbing!

[old-smithy]

Peter

Glad to finally get to the bottom of these slimmed down No5's as I have one, and it came from a batch of material from MAlaya- hence the connection. Now can you explain the S14 WWI German I have that has been ground so slim itis almost usuable as a spatula?

[marysdad]

Thank you, Peter, for such good information on how these modified bayonets came about.

Ralph

[browningautorifle]

That makes more sence than anything I've heard thus far. The blades are too thin for any service...

[marysdad]

Peter, during what time period would these alterations have been performed?

[Peter Laidler]

During the 60's. It was a small time cottage industry

[marysdad]

Thanks so much!

[HOOKED ON HISTORY]

So it is not the fact that I need two that the prices are so high. It is at least to some degree that many were turned into letter openers. I feel better it's not all my fault.