Used to be, these would turn up in quantity at nearly every gun or collector's show I would attend....(even yard sales!)....These days, NOT so much. Again, sign of the times...what used to be common, seemingly isn't any more. I've had this lying around for a few months, thought I'd just toss a few snaps up to illustrate an item that's nothing as glamorous as an officer's Shin Gunto, but suffice to say, even stumbling across one of THESE out of the woodwork any more is reason to celebrate....
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As you say, not a Shin Gunto, but quite collectible none the less.
Regards,
Stu -
Thanks Stu. Yup, nothing glamorous, just something we used to see all the time, but now, even THESE are becoming a scarce commodity. Thx for commenting!Comment
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I know exactly what you're saying Milton. The bayonets are showing up less and less, even more so in my back wood area of the collecting world. When I started back in 2011 there were only a few Japanese bayonets at tables but as their demand has climbed most of them seem to end up on online auction sites like ebay instead of at local shows. The last "woodwork" bayonet I came into was a year ago when a seller brought one in he found in his shed of all places. I unsheathed it and it had all of its original phosphate finish and inside the sheathe reeked of old dried cosmoline (it still does a year later). Bought it for $40 and I'm happy I lucked into it. Nowadays at my local shows I only know of one seller that even will have them and most of the time he ends up selling them elsewhere before I get to look them over. Some shows I'm even the only one with an arisaka at the entire show though the ones I end up bringing are more for show and tell for my collecting friends than anything else.Comment
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Hi Burb. Thanks for commenting. Sounds like you found a nice piece. From what nation? Either way, always nice when they surface that way!Comment
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Japanese of course. Sorry I forgot to mention that in my post Milton. Here it is just for a kind of show and tell. Also the serial number for it is on the spine instead of the pommel like normal but it isn't an early bayonet. Wonder why that is.Comment
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Bayonet serial numberComment
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Interesting! Don’t think I’ve seen a serial numbered tang on a wartime “standard” bayonet like that. What threw me in your initial description was the term “phosphate”...when I hear that I automatically assume you’re talking late war German. Regardless, a nice pick up for $40.00! Thanks for sharing.Comment
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Sorry I threw you for a bit Milton. When I first started I was told that on Japanese bayonets along with bluing they also put a phosphate finish over the blade in some variations. Don't know if that's truly the case or not it's become sort of a habit to refer to the finish as phosphate. Truth be told this isn't even my best Japanese bayonet score by far. My best was a short variant Type 22 Murata bayonet that I paid $0 for since it was given to me for free. Granted it's not as pretty as most would want but it's rare so it does still have value.Comment
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Yes, the Murata is a rare bird indeed...probably doesn’t quite garner the attention that the WWII models do, but regardless, any bayonet collector would doubltless have been happy to have found it, too. Thx again for your feedback.Comment
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