Why Collect Bayonets?

Bayonets have a rich history, playing a pivotal role in military tactics for over 300 years.  Did you know that the bayonet was a hunting implement for decades before it was adopted as a military weapon? Did you know that the bayonet is what made it possible to do away with the pike and arm all infantrymen with firearms? Bayonets tell a rich story about technology, the firms that produced them, the countries and people that used them, and what was going on in the world at the time. The Bayonet History Timeline provides a taste of this. If you study the first 5 or 6 pages, the images will teach you where the term “big wig” came from and why we still refer to important people as “big wigs.”

Bayonet Collectors

The bayonet collecting community is very welcoming of new collectors. I experienced this first-hand in the late 1990s when I was starting out. I knew very little. I had two books and a half-dozen bayonets. The collecting community welcomed me and that made all the difference. While I was often in awe of the accomplished collectors, researchers, and authors with whom I interacted, I never had cause to feel inferior. Being part of the collecting community, its discussions and research, is immensely rewarding and enhances my collecting experience. It was out of this that I began the worldbayonets.com site in 2006 as a way to give back to the collecting community.

The bayonet collecting community is largely responsible for the current body of knowledge regarding the bayonet. Collecting isn’t just about possessing. Collecting is most importantly about learning. Study, research, and collaboration are an important part of bayonet collecting. New discoveries are made every year, adding missing information or clarifying what has already been published. Documenting what we learn ensures that the collectors who come after us inherit the knowledge that we gained and continue the community’s stewardship of the body of knowledge. New collectors continuing this legacy are essential to the collecting community’s future.

Getting Started

Books are important, and something that you cannot do without. Hands down, books are the best way to make good finds and the best insurance against making a bad purchase. Although there are exceptions, bayonet books are often published in small numbers and prices sharply increase once they go out of print. Get ‘em while you can is the order of the day when it comes to bayonet books.

If you are just getting started, Bayonets from Janzen’s Notebook, by Jerry Janzen, is a good first book. It covers about 1,000 bayonets from all over the world, arranged by country. It is no longer in print, but can be purchased used. It was my first book and has paid for itself many, many, times over by helping me avoid bad purchases and clueing me in to great finds.

Kiesling’s Bayonets of the World was republished as a single volume in 2009, after being out of print for many years.  It is an outstanding reference.  This is another good first book, if you are just starting out. Much more detailed than Janzen. (Kiesling feels like it weighs a ton!)

Although these books are becoming dated, they are still two of the best for new collectors needing to learn bayonet identification skills. I found that the line drawings used in these volumes were better for learning basic identification than photographs. There are many other books, some focused on one country or type of bayonet. I list what I have in my reference library, on my Library Page. Over the course of my collecting, I have purchased roughly one book for every five bayonets in my collection today.

There is also a tremendous amount of information available on the Internet. The Links Page contains a listing of links that have been most useful to me over the years. When I was starting out, I found auction sites to be an excellent companion to books like Janzen when first learning to identify bayonets. Auction sites give you the opportunity to view hundreds of bayonets from the comfort of your home and leverage your books to develop identification skills. This pays dividends as you begin to notice details separating rare variations from run-of-the-mill examples. Today, there are Facebook Groups where you can also study the cues that experienced collectors use to make good identification.

The bottom line is: study, study, study. Practice, practice practice.

Networking

I learn so much through helping others, either on Internet discussion forums or Facebook; and those who write via the worldbayonets.com site or Facebook Page.

The 98k Bayonet Collectors’ Network (BCN) was a pioneering collecting organization that used e-mail and the Internet to overcome many of the obstacles imposed by distance. Founded in 1996 by John C. Jacobi, the BCN began as an organization focused around collecting of the German M1884/98 III bayonet used on the Second World War German Mauser Kar 98k rifle. The BCN branched out to encompass international bayonets and include collectors from around the world. The BCN published an e-mail digest of member posts of questions, answers, and discussion of collecting topics until 2015, when social media became the dominant networking platform.

A BCN project that dated from the very beginning was to re-create the lost production record of the M1884/98 III bayonet, through collection and analysis of maker and serial number data. Members reported serial numbers observed at shows and other places and they were loaded to a database in Slovakia. Data on tens of thousands of M1884/98 III bayonets was collected. Much of what is known today regarding production of the M1884/98 III bayonet stems from this research.

The BCN was a phenomenal source of information and education. I treasure the correspondence that I had with leading authors and collectors on pieces in my collection.

The Society of American Bayonet Collectors (SABC) is another organization dedicated to bayonet collecting. The SABC was founded in 1987 by the late Robert Reilly, author of American Socket Bayonets and Scabbards. The SABC counts among its membership, collectors in many countries. The SABC publishes a quarterly print journal containing articles and research contributed by members and holds an annual meeting in Baltimore, MD. The Journal is a treasure trove of knowledge and the relationships with fellow collectors priceless. Submit your membership application today!

Internet discussion boards have also provided opportunities to network and learn from other experienced collectors.  Gunboards.com is one of the larger boards and has a bayonet forum.  Many other firearms and militaria boards cater to bayonet collectors as well.  As was the case with the old BCN email-based platform, social media has been slowly reducing participation in these venues.

Facebook has emerged as a growing venue for collaboration between collectors, carrying on what began long ago with the BCN:  collaboration, research, and learning. Because it is much easier to establish a Facebook group, there are dozens of bayonet collecting groups on Facebook. A few that are particularly good are:

BayonetCollecting

INTERNATIONAL BAYONET ASSOCIATION

Military Bayonet Collectors

THE Bayonet collector group

The Society of American Bayonet Collectors

One downside of social media is that some people feel a compulsion to respond to whatever is posted, even if they do not know about the subject. This can be counterproductive to others who want to learn. I will offer a few suggestions for new collectors participating in Facebook Group discussions:

• By all means post questions. Experienced collectors WANT to help you. We were all new collectors at one time and benefitted from the help we were given.
  
  
• When posting a question asking for help, explain what you HAVE done to try and figure it out. This will help others help you better. Not only can they answer your question, they can clue you in on sources of information that you may not be aware of.
  
  
• The posting of a question is NOT an invitation to a guessing game. If you don’t KNOW the answer, don’t respond. Wait for someone who does know to chime in. These discussions serve as a resource for others seeking the same information at a later date. A thread loses its value when a question is followed by 20 misleading guesses before the right answer gets posted.
  
  
• Please don’t ask what something is worth. Once you know what you have, search completed auctions on eBay to see what examples in similar condition are selling for these days.

Where to Find Bayonets

One of the fun things about bayonet collecting is that bayonets can turn up just about anywhere. If you have done your book work, you can recognize the gold nuggets when you see them (as a long-ago mentor drilled into my head: not every gold nugget comes labeled ‘gold nugget’). Study, study, study . . . it will pay off. Venues that can be fruitful for making finds include:

Antique Shops and Antique Malls

Often these venues are known for high prices. However, they also yield some real nuggets, because antique dealers do not always make the distinctions between run-of-the-mill examples and rarities.

Bayonet/Militaria Dealers

Militaria dealers are good sources, especially when it comes to the more difficult-to-find pieces. However, dealers often purchase in lots, so often have more common items as well. There are now some well-established dealers in both the USA and Europe who specialize in bayonets, a few of which are on my Links Page.

Discussion Boards

I check my favorite Internet discussion boards almost every day.    As the old saying goes, one man’s trash is another man’s treasure.  Good finds go quickly, so you have to be in the right place at the right time or be aced out.

Distributors and Importers

These firms are a boon to new collectors. This is how many bayonets in collections today first came to market. These are a place to watch to grab new stuff coming in from overseas. Prices are usually very reasonable, so grab em’ while you can.

Gun and Militaria Shows

Shows are a great study opportunity.  I hit as many shows as I can and practice identifying scarce bayonets even if I don’t buy.

Militaria shows tend to be where knowledgeable advanced collectors and dedicated militaria dealers are the dominant exhibitors. Some very nice pieces can be found. You can learn a lot at these shows, just by studying what is on the tables. The sellers tend to be knowledgeable and enjoy talking about what is on their tables.

Gun shows promoted by collector’s associations tend to have more exhibitors who are knowledgeable advanced collectors and dealers specializing in collectable firearms.

Gun shows promoted by commercial show promoters have largely become “bubba shows” that cater to shooters more than collectors. Some good finds can be made, if you are knowledgeable, because exhibitors at these shows tend to be less knowledgeable about bayonets. You just have to be willing to wade through a bunch of extraneous stuff in order to make the occasional find.

Small rural gun shows are something that I am especially fond of. You drive farther for fewer tables. However, many exhibitors are locals unloading stuff they have had at home for decades. Bayonets that haven’t been on the market for a long time turn up, yielding some real gems if you are willing to make the trips and be satisfied with an occasional find.

Gun and Pawn Shops

Shop owners often obtain bayonets and other items that are outside of their area of interest (or expertise). They do their best to price them right, but sometimes overlook those gold nuggets that I mentioned earlier.

Networking/Other Collectors

Other collectors are a great source of hard to find bayonets. You will not walk away with a sleeper, but you can really add some nice pieces to your collection at reasonable prices. This is where networking really pays off.

Other Online Venues

Many of the better auction houses now offer online bidding services, such as Proxibid, giving collectors access to high-quality bayonets that have sat in collections for decades.

Unfortunately, eBay has become a vehicle for the proliferation of fakes being manufactured in India and China.  eBay has become increasingly unfriendly to militaria sellers and sellers in general, leading many to find other venues. This has reduced the number of quality bayonets for sale. However, if you wade through the chaff, there are still good pieces to be had.

GunBroker  purports to be an auction, however, GunBroker has become an online gun show that sometimes offers bidding. My issues with gunbroker sellers are reserves on $20 items; sky-high starting bids where the same stuff is re-listed daily for years and never moves; sellers who unethically delete auctions at the last minute when an item is about to go cheap; and too much blatant BS in item descriptions.
 
Craigslist.org and Facebook Marketplace can occasionally yield a gem or two available locally.

Conclusion

Tons of good stuff is still out there, in just about every type of venue imaginable, all ripe for the picking. Don't let anyone convince you that the good days are over. Do your homework, never stop looking, and you shall be handsomely rewarded.

Best of Luck and Happy Collecting!

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