Thread: Old bayonet knife...ID, value, restoration?

Hi,
I'm not sure if this is the most appropriate forum, but it is the one that came up in my searches. But for all my searching I'm still not very much closer to an answer. If there's better people to contact then please put us in touch.

I have just picked up this bayonet off the windowsill in a shed...it's probably been there 20 years plus. The owner of the shed (a pig hunter) also has dad's 189X dated .303 enfield/martini (I'm not sure of it's marque - and I'm not sure they're related)

Any help in ID'ing it gratefully recieved.

My next question comes down to value and restoration.
Personally: I have no use for a knife that doesn't work.
Obviously: this has not been looked after for a hundred years or more.
So my question then becomes is there any value in the thing as it is, for a museum or whatever. Or, can I go ahead and de-rust and re-profile the steel, and fix the hilt. And if I am to fix the hilt, I assume it would be english beech?

Cheers and beers.
-mm11s

Im no expert but it looks like its been re profiled already so what ever you do it probably wont de value it

Originally Posted by blip

Im no expert but it looks like its been re profiled already so what ever you do it probably wont de value it

Yeah for sure there's a lot of metal gone from how it was made. And more likely heavy handed on a grinder, than from stabbing germans...I'd just feel really bad if I did wreck a bit of history.

Looks to have once been a bayonet for a Snider. I would say it is well past restoration to put it back to its original form and has minimal value unfortunately.

Originally Posted by NZShoota

Looks to have once been a bayonet for a Snider. I would say it is well past restoration to put it back to its original form and has minimal value unfortunately.

I would agree but this could be made into a cool knife even a kitchen carving knife good project for some one keen

Originally Posted by Maca49

Attachment 231816

Methinks sir, you are taking the piss. (I hopes!)

OR, I am in posession of a seriously molested example :S

What is the heritage of that/your knife??

Originally Posted by Barry the hunter

I would agree but this could be made into a cool knife even a kitchen carving knife good project for some one keen

If I'm keeping it, it will definitely be put to use. The actual mechanics of cleaning it up is pretty easy for me. Less is more, but if it's historical value is shot I may aswell put it on a surface grinder to thickness, and re-temper it to a filleting knife...

the discs that go on angle grinder that look like polypad/plastic string,will derust that without taking metal off.....please give it a good clean up and have decent look at it before getting all drastic.would be a very good kitchen carving knife that would be sure to start conversation.... if you want a filleting knife,go buy a new one,cheap as chips .

Originally Posted by Micky Duck

the discs that go on angle grinder that look like polypad/plastic string,will derust that without taking metal off.....please give it a good clean up and have decent look at it before getting all drastic.would be a very good kitchen carving knife that would be sure to start conversation.... if you want a filleting knife,go buy a new one,cheap as chips .

Yeah...nah. No powertools going near this.
I actually already have filetting knives, that was said tongue-in-cheek.

I have got the handles/scales and the rust off, unearthed a couple of (serial?) numbers, filed back a bit of shape into the spine/blade.

Metal is very soft, but the hilt and pommel are brazed/sweated on, so I'm going to have to be particular about heat treating it... I will grab and post some photos of the numbers if that will help with Age/ID.
One of the stamps looks like an impossibly poorly struck 2, or something greek (a reversed lower-case delta), but not in their alphabet nor on any proof-house chart I've seen

well Im pleased to read that........ and for what its worth..the poly pad type disc polishes up metal very well without removing metal....well sweet stuff all,sure brought the garden tools,old meat cleaver and some very neglected inherited knives back without issues.

Some progress. Had a stuff up driving one of the rivets through, my language got very un-PC!

Nice job bringing it back to life