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WW1 Factory Unfinished 1907 Bayonet Blanks


navydoc16

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Bit of a random one, but I recently picked up another two unfinished blades to add to my collection of blanks.

I purchased some of them as WW1 blanks from the Wilkinson factory, does anyone very familiar with the factory process have any comment- I have heard possibly they are WW2 or interwar. 
 

the hole drilling before the pommel placement is off in terms of sequence if you analyse the blades. Second from the left has not had the grip screws drilled before pommel placement - any comment? 

are they’re any more out there? 

Kind regards

g

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Navydoc,

Attached are the three pages (p. 85-87) from Textbook of Small Arms 1929 that describe in any detail the manufacture of the Patt. 1907 bayonet.

Hope this will help with thinking about your blade blanks.

Regards.

JMB

img035.pdf img037.pdf img038.pdf

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Have just found a clearer and more detailed description (with drawings) in “Australian Service Bayonets “by Skennerton that I shall try to get out later today.

Regards,

JMB

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Navydoc,

As promised, here are the first 28 operations in the manufacture of the Patt. 1907 bayonet at Lithgow in the 1950's; they are taken from p.33-37 of Australian Service Bayonets,  by I.D. Skennerton. I cannot show all of the total of 83 operations, because of copyright restrictions, but these 28 ops get to a recognisable Patt. 07 blade.

You will see that at this stage the blade has both fullers, the crosspiece and pommel have both been fitted, and the two holes for fitting the grips have been drilled.

However, at no point in the 83 operations is a larger hole (between those for the two screw-bolts) drilled in the tang, which is shown in your blanks.

Regards,

JMB

 

img039.pdf img040.pdf img041.pdf img042.pdf img043.pdf

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3 hours ago, JMB1943 said:

Have just found a clearer and more detailed description (with drawings) in “Australian Service Bayonets “by Skennerton that I shall try to get out later today.

Regards,

JMB

Thanks JMB I was looking at the Aussie ones this morning, it was the British ones your so kindly uploaded that I couldn’t remember where I saw but unfortunately lacks the details of Skennerton. 
 

I am enjoying my head scratching moment, and looking for more to buy hahaha

 

kind regards,

g

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  • 3 weeks later...
On 24/03/2024 at 15:44, JMB1943 said:

However, at no point in the 83 operations is a larger hole (between those for the two screw-bolts) drilled in the tang, which is shown in your blanks.

I meant to get back to this, as I had noticed on the cover of The Broad Arrow (MkI) there is an unfinished P1907 shown.  Third hole & unfinished (squared) pommel.  

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41 minutes ago, DisasterDog said:

I meant to get back to this, as I had noticed on the cover of The Broad Arrow (MkI) there is an unfinished P1907 shown.  Third hole & unfinished (squared) pommel.  

Perhaps during wartime expediency some steps were compressed and the bayonet blanks come before and after the changes, I bought 3 at one time and 2 at another 

 

kind regards

g

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DisasterDog & Navydoc,

I have a Lithgow-made Patt. ‘07, [dated to ??, difficult to tell because of corrosion] which has III beneath an A inside a 7-pointed star; perhaps this III can provide a date-range. Have recently seen a comment to that effect but cannot now find it. The cross-guard is missing, but the brazeing was clearly done with brass, rather than the silver brazeing described by Skennerton.

The grips had to come off to cure some rust on the tang, and there was, just as in the diagram from “Australian Service Bayonets “ NO third hole between the two screw-holes, BUT remember that this was description of manufacture in the 1950’s.

Regards,

JMB

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Very curious, do you have a photo to share? 
 

I might have to start pulling some grips off stuff 
 

kind regards

g

Edited by navydoc16
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Navydoc,

I will put up some photos tomorrow.

Regards,

JMB

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No sweat mate, the 1950 list I looked at again, I am now very curious if it was actually adhered or just theoretical. 
 

problem is I really don’t want to go taking off all my grips, but I may in the name of history. 
 

kind regards

g

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Navydoc,

Here are some photos of my Lithgow Patt. '07 bayonet, to show:

1) Absence of large third hole between the two holes for grip bolts,

2) Residual brass brazeing from removal of cross-guard,

3) Number 3 in Roman numerals (III) below A inside 7-pointed star on RHS ricasso, Any comment about III rather than I or II ??

4) Oddly positioned 7 (July??) on LHS ricasso together with heavily corroded 'X1 year stamp (1921??)

Serial number stamped on flat of pommel at the base is A over 96657 [not shown in a photo]; from searching on GunBroker forum, this serial is about right for mid-1921.

Regards,

JMB

EDIT: Just remove the grips, if you think necessary, from only two Lithgows; one from 1915-1918 and one from 1950-1955 period. My guess is that both will only show the two holes.

EDIT: add photos!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

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Edited by JMB1943
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Navydoc,

Additional photos.

Regards,

JMB

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Regarding this Lithgow bayonet, the A prefix serial number quoted should be more like 1922 manufacture, just from my readings and observations.

The StarA with Roman III is the individual Inspector's mark who viewed the bayonet during the manufacturing process. Roman numerals are commonly seen used by Lithgow inspectors.

I think just the 2 bolt holes for the grips is standard. From memory I can't recall any that have had 3 but that may be due to my "early" bayonet bias.?

Cheers,  SS 

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Don’t know anything about them, but there’s been one on the cover of this book for 23 years………

 

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18 hours ago, DisasterDog said:

Don’t know anything about them, but there’s been one on the cover of this book for 23 years………

 

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Cheers for that, I never even noticed it- it’s the missing link in between some of mine actually, 

 

need to keep searching to complete the set

 

kind regards

g

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