MARKS ON BAYONETS Manufacturers, units, acceptance and inspection marks

The aim of this publication is to help collectors of edged weapons identify the marks that can be found on bayonets.
These marks come in many forms and carry various meanings. They have evolved over time — from simple blacksmith’s stamps to artistically rendered inscriptions, figures, and symbols.

We know the marks of manufacturers and subcontractors, marks indicating the owner of the weapon, the weapon model, marks confirming partial or final inspection of the weapon, its transfer for training purposes or decommissioning, and marks confirming overhaul or repair. Other marks denote the serial number of the bayonet or the weapon to which a specific bayonet was assigned, or sometimes the material or heat number of the steel from which the bayonet was made. A significant group of marks are unit marks, which can reveal a wealth of information — for example, the branch of service, battalion, company, and weapon number.
Many marks cannot currently be identified, but researchers are continually filling in the gaps.

It often happens that a mark is only partially impressed, and here the opportunity arises to compare and determine it.
The book is divided into three parts: the first contains the marks of bayonet manufacturers or their components.
The second part presents inspection and acceptance marks.
The third part describes the unit identification marks of several countries.
Unit marks tend to be the most complex; their style often reflects the skill of the particular unit armourer and his interpretation of the regulations.

The marks in this book are redrawn from photographs, and therefore appear as they do on actual examples of bayonets. On a single type of bayonet, there may be different variants of a manufacturer’s logo, just as a single company logo may be found on bayonets from several countries.
The marks were most commonly stamped; the dies themselves did not have a very long lifespan, so over time their impression changed and the originally sharp edges became worn.
Sometimes parts of a mark are missing — either because part of the die broke off, or because it was applied at an angle and one side did not print.
A mark may also have been stamped on a curved part of the bayonet, resulting in an uneven impression.
Corrosion and later interventions on the bayonet naturally play a role as well; sometimes marks were deliberately altered or removed.

Marks could also be engraved, etched, or more recently burned in by laser.
Despite efforts to obtain perfect examples, some marks remain imperfect — just as they are in reality.
The marks are not to scale.
This publication contains only marks taken from bayonets; marks on other edged weapons or cutlery products may look different.
However, that does not mean the book cannot also serve as a useful guide for fields beyond bayonet collecting.

In this publication you will find more than two thousand marks…

Sewn binding, soft cover, A5 format, 152 pages.