Stevie Posted 28 April , 2015 Share Posted 28 April , 2015 Here's a bayonet I came across by chance on a junk stall about two years ago. Much of it was covered in silver paint. Both scabbard and bayonet serial numbers are matching, and bayonet is stamped to 3rd Battalion Welsh Fusiliers. It is dated for November 1914. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beerhunter Posted 28 April , 2015 Share Posted 28 April , 2015 Nice find. I find that bayonets in junk shops fall into two price ranges - far too much and bargain basement. I only buy at the latter and then only if I have a rifle to fit it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jscott Posted 28 April , 2015 Share Posted 28 April , 2015 Nice find Stevie, thats a great bayonet. How did you get rid of the silver paint? Its in cracking condition and the markings on the scabbard are very clear too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stevie Posted 28 April , 2015 Author Share Posted 28 April , 2015 Nice find Stevie, thats a great bayonet. How did you get rid of the silver paint? Its in cracking condition and the markings on the scabbard are very clear too. Judicious application of liquid wax polish and very fine wire wool lifted it off. As for price, I managed to knock the seller down to £40... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trajan Posted 28 April , 2015 Share Posted 28 April , 2015 It is indeed a nice find! Well done! Especially as [A] unit marked and with its unit-marked scabbard! Whereabouts are the serial numbers on the locket? top or face? Is the scabbard 1915 or is that just a shadow? Trajan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stevie Posted 28 April , 2015 Author Share Posted 28 April , 2015 Here you go, a picture of the scabbard top. The leather is stamped... HGR15 and possibly crows foot, crown XO E? '15 Cheers, Steve. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gew88/05 Posted 28 April , 2015 Share Posted 28 April , 2015 Judicious application of liquid wax polish and very fine wire wool lifted it off. As for price, I managed to knock the seller down to £40... Exceptional job, well done! I have been sitting on a P07 and scabbard covered with silver paint for years, you have inspired me to drag it out and give it a shot.... someday. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lancashire Fusilier Posted 28 April , 2015 Share Posted 28 April , 2015 Here you go, a picture of the scabbard top. The leather is stamped... HGR15 and possibly crows foot, crown XO E? '15 Stevie, A nice bayonet & scabbard, and particularly nice to have the marked ' WF ' pommel and the matching serial numbers on the pommel and scabbard throat, which are not often seen these days. As you probably know, your scabbard's HGR15 mark is for the maker, Hepburn Gale & Ross of Bermondsey, London and the date mark of 1915. Regards, LF Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beerhunter Posted 28 April , 2015 Share Posted 28 April , 2015 Exceptional job, well done! I have been sitting on a P07 and scabbard covered with silver paint for years, you have inspired me to drag it out and give it a shot.... someday. I would be inclined to use something a LOT less harsh than steel wool. A much better material for this job being brass wool. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gew88/05 Posted 28 April , 2015 Share Posted 28 April , 2015 Good advice Beerhunter. However, lightly and carefully applied, 0000 steel wool is quite gentle as long as you don't allow it to get clogged. The big problem that has restricted me on cleaning this one is the paint on the leather. Whatever I do, rest assured it will be done carefully. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trajan Posted 28 April , 2015 Share Posted 28 April , 2015 I suspect that I may have asked this question before, and it may have been answered: if so, forgive me, for I cannot find it and I certainly can't remember the / any answer. Was there ever a GW-time LOC or whatever that ordered the stopping of unit marking of GB, etc., bayonets? I know that the RAF marked their P.1907's - and I have argued from the numbering system that this was a WW2 thing. But what about the GW period for the infantry/navy? Was there anything like the Prussian DVE 298A/F of 02 November 1915 ending weapons marking 'for the duration'? Trajan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stevie Posted 28 April , 2015 Author Share Posted 28 April , 2015 Good advice Beerhunter. However, lightly and carefully applied, 0000 steel wool is quite gentle as long as you don't allow it to get clogged. The big problem that has restricted me on cleaning this one is the paint on the leather. Whatever I do, rest assured it will be done carefully. I often apply methods which would absolutely horrify some people. But I can honestly say that in all the years I have been cleaning up certain objects, I have never had a bad result. My last clean-up was on a battle-damaged Jager zu Pferde helmet. The skull was completely covered in a fine layer of red-rust. Using the same method of liquid beeswax polish and fine wire wool shifted all the rust and brought back the original black finish. As for your bayonet frog, if it was mine I would have a cloth soaked in white spirit at hand and go over the leather with a coating of Nitromores. Leave it for several seconds and neutralise with the white spirits. It takes a giant leap of faith in your abilities to use such extreme measures, and you have to be prepared to accept failure too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gew88/05 Posted 29 April , 2015 Share Posted 29 April , 2015 .................. As for your bayonet frog, if it was mine I would have a cloth soaked in white spirit at hand and go over the leather with a coating of Nitromores. Leave it for several seconds and neutralise with the white spirits. It takes a giant leap of faith in your abilities to use such extreme measures, and you have to be prepared to accept failure too. Well, the scabbard actually, not a frog. Here in the US I have never seen Nitromors but it may be available. I do see it contains methylene chloride. Not the best thing for leather but it may work if neutralized as you suggest, however the white spirits can certainly damage leather if over used. All that being said, I do like the description of your method (and the photos above of the results) and as long as the substances don't stay on long enough to soak in and dry in the leather, it may do the job very well. Can't be any worse than the paint, right? I've been a leather worker (hobyist) for over 30 years. Thanks for the suggestions Stevie. BTW, the bayonet's condition appears to be fairly nice under the paint, no pitting whatsoever and a very little active rust in the spots where the paint has worn off. It is a Wilkinson, dated September 1917 and the point to point Broad Arrows sold out of service mark beside the press stud on the pommel. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stevie Posted 29 April , 2015 Author Share Posted 29 April , 2015 I can't believe I said 'frog.' My brain must be fogging a bit! I of course did mean the scabbard! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sgt-maj Posted 4 May , 2015 Share Posted 4 May , 2015 That's a superb find.... especially as 1914's are very hard to come by. What's the manufacturer.... looks like EFD? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trajan Posted 4 May , 2015 Share Posted 4 May , 2015 ... especially as 1914's are very hard to come by. What's the manufacturer.... looks like EFD? Be careful what you say... People are listening, reading, and listing...Next thing you know we'll have a data sheet on it - and why not? I have just checked Carter's listing of 'rare' Ersatz bayonets against actual surviving marked ones, and although in general he is spot on, the rankings can be adjusted in some cases... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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