Some help, please
 

Can anyone identify this knife/machete ? I'm asking for a friend. It's not a bayonet and there are no markings to be found on this piece.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v1...n/HPIM5668.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v1...n/HPIM5669.jpg

Thanks, Freddy

Hi Freddy,
If I remember right I once saw one of these listed as being from Argentina but cannot recall where it was that I saw it. :confused: Sorry.


Robert

Why you say it's not a bayonet, Freddy ?
Because it doesn't have the "rail" to fit in a rifle?
Don't you think it sure is a military piece and still considered a bayonet ?
Fernando

Sure looks like a bayonet. Perhaps some kind of military sword or knife?

How long is it? Overall? Blade?

Could very well be a "dress" bayonet. Many were used strickly for
"dress" or parade wear to be worn at the side and not mounted on
the rifle, hence no rail to fit the gun.

Rich S

I've seen similar knives offered in the replica catalogs as Union side arms for the American Civil War. They were supposedly the north's answer to the southern bowie, and were carried by riflemen.

That said, I'm pretty sure this isn't a Civil War piece. However, I'm comfortable that it's not a bayonet.

F

Looks very much to me like sidearms worn by specialist troops in European armies. These heavy bladed weapons were worn by the units that corresponded to engineers in U.S. troops, but were known by terms such as sappers (for the French term for an excavated trench) or in Germany as pioneers. There were many variations of these 'technical' forces, and these sidearms were for utility or weapons as required. Many of these, as in Austria or Germany had sawtooth backs (see Wagner "Cut and Thrust Weapons").
It seems many bayonets had these features as well.

I cannot tell by the size of the photo here, and if this seems larger than a normal bayonet, as in the size of a large hanger, this is likely what it is.
It appears to be 20th c. possibly WWI period. It seems most of the 19th century forms of these had brass hilts.

My first thought was Argentine but the Argentine M1909 sidearm has checkered grips, metal scabbard, no fuller and marks all over. On some that were sold as military surplus, the crests were ground off. One thing is sure, it is very similar to the Argentine model. What are the measurements?

Regards,

Teodor

I think you might be onto something Teodor. Possibly this might be a German export for Argentina. I cannot recollect exactly but I keep thinking of a bayonet I once had that I was told was from an Argentine Mauser, and it seems like it had wood grips with cross hatching (its been many moons ago!).

my first impression was also argentina.

fearn, you may be thinking of the ames rifleman's knife made in small numbers (less than a thousand) for an army rifleman regiment dispatched to the mexican war, unfortunately for them, the knives were not ready when they left so were not issued. some drifted into private hands and some were issued for the civil war. i've heard the traditional story of someone finding one at a flea market (garage/car boot sale here) for a few dollars a few decades ago. it's one of the holy grails of knife collectors.

replicas abound. mine:
http://i153.photobucket.com/albums/s...fleman_DCE.jpg
(fairly good replica, they mis-spelled 'cabotville' as 'cabotsville' tho, and used wrong font for one stamp)

Thanks for the response, guys.

First, let me give you an idea of its size. The total length is 55 cm. It's quite a big knife. The width is about 5 to 6 cm (that's a guess).

It also made me think of the sidearms worn by pioneers or 'sapeurs'. The sheath is made of leather (nicely stitched) with brass metalwork. My friend, who is a collector of WW 1 items, thinks this piece has a German origin. He deduces this from the frog stud on the locket or top mount.
The crossguard has two quillons, one pointing upwards and the other one pointing downwards.

There's no way to mount it on a gun. There is no attachment bar. I think it would be too heavy for this.

Should me friend come up with something, I will surely let you know. :)

Thanks to Teodor's tip on the M 1909, I've found it

http://therionarms.com/sold/ttoy5.html

I even think it's from the site of one of our members

My friends wishes to thank all who helped him :)

Freddy

Bingo! Teodor, nicely done!!! Thats it OK.
Thanks for confirming that Freddy.
All best regards,
Jim

Freddy,
Thanks for the link. At least now I know where it was that I saw one of these. :o :D

Robert