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Remembered Today:

M1895 KNIL Bayonet/Scabbard Identification


Winterhawk

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The bayonet itself is quite straight forward , however the scabbard is not. I realize this not strictly a WWI bayonet but I have not had luck with the Dutch sites so maybe some one can help. The bayonet is a typical early manufacture KNIL bayonet marked OEWG, Inspector Crown over T. Serial #C8069. The scabbard is marked 1912 and varies from the typical by having a large brass finial as shown. It has been suggested its a cavalry scabbard? The Bayonet does not have cavalry marks.

KNIL1.JPG

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The only thing that looks wrong is the brass final. Turkey and the Baltic states fighting just before the Great War, and beginning of Great War, these countries would repair anything they could that would work with their rifles. Start with who all used the M 95 rifle: carbines

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Exelent site there Andy, thanks

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As you say excellent site. I had a look there previously with the hope it might have been of help and tried to contact him without luck.  Steve I have to admit this looks like something the Turks would have repaired. Good input. I would believe that more likely if this was a standard 1895 for the Netherlands army but these bayonets were meant for the East Indies. Did the Turks end up with KNIL bayonets? Seems a bit unlikely. There is a mention on that site about KNIL cavalry bayonets:  "The scabbards of the cavalry bayonet were also a bit different then the M95 rifle bayonets; the cavalry bayonet scabbard had a brass ferule". I don't know if that refers to a brass finial or not. This may remain a mystery. Thanks for your input any way.

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It’s the Mysteries that keep us up late at night with new ideas and new leads🤪

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The scabbard could be repaired or reworked by indonesians or in the dutch colonies somewhere.

Edited by AndyBsk
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This is correct Dutch M95 I believe 

01890B2F-73F8-4A28-9C84-5174F542544E.jpeg

FD2E823A-AFC3-4486-BD04-D5C7055037D1.jpeg

71C61E6B-32F7-4270-9F5A-680104E57B53.jpeg

A83F12F1-27CE-4438-808C-C1F110CF2C4E.jpeg

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  • 3 weeks later...

Yes that is the Dutch issue M95. Nice bayonet. I was recently contacted by one of the Dutch bayonet specialist on the subject of this scabbard. In their opinion it was a homemade repair where it appears to be a "one of" and not done by the military repair facility. Since then I have come across another one with an identical brass finial sold by a military antique dealer. They are calling this a "Rare Dutch Netherlands WWI Model 1891 Bayonet Knife Leather Scabbard". Although I like the concept of "rare" I am inclined to agree with the specialist that its a home repair. But two identical repairs?. Dave

 

bayonet-scabbard_ww1.jpg

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Question remains from what is the ball fitting, any tiny stamp there?, when its from german S1871 bayonet so it would be probably not problem for them found any in WW1. or its from different bayonet, anyway the last presented ball fitting doesnt have identical lenght of crimp to attach the piece to leather body as You could see.

Edited by AndyBsk
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Andy I have to admit the finial looks a lot like the finial on the S1871 bayonet scabbard. There is no indication of an inspector's mark on the ball. I certainly could understand the Dutch bayonet scabbard illustrated above ending up with a German finial but how does a KNIL bayonet end up with it? These bayonets were sent to Indonesia and this is typical KNIL scabbard. Were some of these Bayonets used in Holland or were some of the 1871 used in Indonesia? Sorry about the quality of the photo will put up a better version eventually.  Dave

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It should be compared various brass endball fittings, i assume S1871 were send to Japan, same as to other east asian countries in small numbers, offcoarse it could be not a S1871 ball fitting, anyway it could be from other type of sidearm, or is variation of fittings made and  used in colonies.

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Slight terminological correction if I may... Ferrule or finial, the proper word for the metal part at the end of a scabbard is chape.

 

Trajan

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