Garron Posted 18 July , 2011 Share Posted 18 July , 2011 Hey Pals, I never expected to win this my bid was $1 above the starting price, I only bid as a test, I was having trouble bidding on bayonets on ebay.com due to .co.uk's rules on blades and them not wanting me bypassing them by using .com (Missed a hell of a bargain because of it ) Its a Wilkinson made, November 1908 dated 1907 bayonet with quillion removed (You can see where it was ground) and a clearing hole in the pommel. Its quite shiny and I'm not sure if its chrome plated or just been over cleaned. There is some rust present and what looks to be light pitting on the blade Heres the auction link http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=270780454413&ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT#ht_720wt_932 What do you guys think? Gaz Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jay dubaya Posted 19 July , 2011 Share Posted 19 July , 2011 Looks over cleaned to me Gaz and probably had some kind of metal polish applied Jon Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shippingsteel Posted 19 July , 2011 Share Posted 19 July , 2011 Well its certainly been chromed at some stage, which is unfortunate - together with the rough sharpening .... Apart from that the markings don't look as though anything is awry, but the chroming doesn't help, it covers much of the detail. Coincidently I was just inspecting a Wilkinson '08 over the weekend and it too had the naval mark N stamped on the ricasso. Gaz you may have picked yourself up a nice bayonet if only you can work out how to remove all that horrible chrome finish.! Cheers, S>S Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Garron Posted 19 July , 2011 Author Share Posted 19 July , 2011 Thanks, Well I was pretty shocked when the email came through saying I'd won it, wasnt sure if I should be happy or sad due to it went pretty cheap meaning its a great bargain or I was daft to bid and I'm left with a piece of junk. Jury is still out on that I think... anyway its in better condition than my current 07 bayonet even with the plating. From what I remember in Chemistry removing the plating is hit and miss I think, depends on the type and metal base plating used underneath. Elctrolysis would be the best way, anything abrasive would ruin the bayonet. Gaz Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wardog Posted 19 July , 2011 Share Posted 19 July , 2011 Shame the postage doubles the cost, and hope the seller is helpful as the value is just over £18. Regards, Paul. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Garron Posted 19 July , 2011 Author Share Posted 19 July , 2011 Sadly buying from the states it happens. Better than the $100 one seller tried to charge me though. Thats why I've started buying from local dealers now, postage can kill a good deal. I asked seller to describe it as a 'Antique British bayonet' if its gets taxed its 5% instead of 20%, sometimes they don't even bother if its going to be £1 or £2, the last 3 bayonets I had from the US didn't, I worked it out as £1.48 tax, hardly worth it. Gaz Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
auchonvillerssomme Posted 19 July , 2011 Share Posted 19 July , 2011 I don't think that looks chromed, if it is its the worst chrome job I've ever seen. It looks like its been bead blasted and coated in some metal paint. I have an 07 marked with an N, I thought it was spurious, are there any other marks relating to the N on these bayonets? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MikB Posted 19 July , 2011 Share Posted 19 July , 2011 I don't think that looks chromed, if it is its the worst chrome job I've ever seen. It looks like its been bead blasted and coated in some metal paint. I have an 07 marked with an N, I thought it was spurious, are there any other marks relating to the N on these bayonets? Bead blasted is what I think, from the faintly stippled finish. It could have been pickled in something to remove rust (leaving clean pitting), except that there's still ingrained dirt in the stampings - that also points against it having been chromed, unless it was a long time ago and a grimy life since. Regards, MikB Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wainfleet Posted 19 July , 2011 Share Posted 19 July , 2011 I don't think that looks chromed, if it is its the worst chrome job I've ever seen. It looks like its been bead blasted and coated in some metal paint. I have an 07 marked with an N, I thought it was spurious, are there any other marks relating to the N on these bayonets? N stamped on the brass tabs of patt 1908 web equipment denotes naval issue. I would have thought the same applies to bayonets. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tom Morgan Posted 19 July , 2011 Share Posted 19 July , 2011 Bead blasted is what I think, from the faintly stippled finish. It could have been pickled in something to remove rust (leaving clean pitting), except that there's still ingrained dirt in the stampings - that also points against it having been chromed, unless it was a long time ago and a grimy life since. Regards, MikB I'm not a bayonet expert but I do see a lot of elderly steel motorcycle parts and I agree with MikB - there does seem to have been some acid treatment to remove corrosion prior to polishing, as I think the fibrous structure of the steel has been revealed. Tom Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
auchonvillerssomme Posted 19 July , 2011 Share Posted 19 July , 2011 N stamped on the brass tabs of patt 1908 web equipment denotes naval issue. I would have thought the same applies to bayonets. The reason I ask is that the N is only the grips, I was wondering if there would be any other markings that went with the N. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shippingsteel Posted 19 July , 2011 Share Posted 19 July , 2011 I have an 07 marked with an N, I thought it was spurious, are there any other marks relating to the N on these bayonets? The italic capital letter N indicates Naval Service and was first announced in the LoC para. 7815 in 1895. The N was first applied to the ricasso of bayonets but later were stamped on the pommel areas, as shown below on one of my P'88s. (This particular marking was cancelled out upon leaving Naval service.) No other markings went with the N, it was just stamped on its own. In your case of having the N stamped on the timber grips, I don't believe it would relate to any Naval service, just another unexplained marking.! Cheers, S>S Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Garron Posted 19 July , 2011 Author Share Posted 19 July , 2011 Shame about what the previous owner did to it but it seems there is nothing I can do to reverse it now. Its a little rarer than most 1907s so for £18 I'm alright with it. Wasn't really my plan to buy it but Im sure I can do something with it. Gaz Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shippingsteel Posted 19 July , 2011 Share Posted 19 July , 2011 Gaz, some of the P1907 bayonets were chromed in service you know. I don't have much detail but I believe they were done mostly during the inter-war period. Again I'm not sure why but it seems they were done for ceremonial & parade use. You do see quite a few marked to the RAF, so perhaps the RN had similar.? Cheers, S>S Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Garron Posted 19 July , 2011 Author Share Posted 19 July , 2011 Hey S>S Yeah I've seen a few for sale, it was posted today, so should be with me in a week or so, I can have a decent close up look then, photos only do so much. Gaz Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sawdoc34 Posted 20 July , 2011 Share Posted 20 July , 2011 Hello chaps, I have a WW2 Naval contract P1907 bayonet that came with a brass mount scabbard (will get some pics tomorrow) Would this have been for the Lanchester SMG or were the RN still issued with No1 series rifles at this time also? Cheers, Aleck BTW. I also have a quite nice N marked mk1 type2 P1888 to go with my N marked LSA made MLE mk1* (DP), probably not correct as it has the hole in the pommel for the cleaning rod, so think they were for the MLM & MLE mk1 but looks the part any way until I can get my hands on an N marked mk2 P1888 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Garron Posted 2 August , 2011 Author Share Posted 2 August , 2011 Hey Pals Well it arrived today and its defiantly plated, a small piece has come away from the blade tip and near the pommel, you can see the metal underneath. Im thinking its nickel plated as chrome would give a mirror finish. Any ideas on how to remove nickel plating? Gaz Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
squirrel Posted 2 August , 2011 Share Posted 2 August , 2011 Hey Pals Well it arrived today and its defiantly plated........ Gaz Freudian slip? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Garron Posted 2 August , 2011 Author Share Posted 2 August , 2011 Could well be, though using my mobile right now so could be down to predictive text/auto correct, Im not sure Gaz Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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