UBB.threads Forums Edged Weapons The BCN Bayonet Forum Grip Insignia Wiggle

Gentlemen, From time to time a dress bayonet is posted here that has a grip emblem of sorts. Immediately the red flag goes up, especially if it's some form of SS. The first thing a member asks does it wiggle?

So I thought I would show an example of what they mean and why it would wiggle for our new collectors and for some of our veteran collectors that have branched out into the bayonet field.

I originally didn't start out with the intentions of posting this topic, but one of the bayonets in my avatar that I've had for a number of years didn'thave a wiggle, but it does have Pack style grip screws. So the other day I made the correct type tool out of an old screwdriver, a lot of hand filing. I removed the grip plates for a look see.

I found some interesting extra tidbits that I thought I would share with pics. This an early Pack style bayo, no TM, if it didn't have the screws I would have left it alone. It's of the black finish type. Orpo has a great thread on these. I'll try to add the link.http://daggers.infopop.cc/eve/forums/a/tpc/f/172097573/m/7890045443.

It shows some with grip cyphers like mine, with lots of great info on this type of finish.

What I found on the inside hilt it was stamped "55". The grip plates were penciled "55" as well. A way to keep pre-fitted parts together? The grips are dyed black to match the finish ( these are early and made of wood ). You can see from the under side some of the wood color present, which also helps tell me the emblem was done period. The counter-sunk holes are dyed and don't show new wood.

Steve.

Pic 1 and 2, the penciled "55" was applied before the holes were drilled and countersunk on the emblem side. You can just see part of it. The emblem isn't brass as you can see. The ends where they're clipped has no finish. One possibility why it didn't wiggle is the three pronged emblem set very tight and some of the under side edges may have caught the grooves between the diamonds.

pic 2

pic 3, front view.

pic 4, stamped hilt.

pic 5, false push button, no key on the reverse.

pic 6, complete.

pic 7, two variations, both no TM, these two DO wiggle. Two pronged?

Steve,

Some great pics of the guts of that piece, well done. I love seeing the inside of these pieces whenever possible, especially when there's markings like on yours. You've really made me want one of these cypher pieces, thanks for showing yours.

Steve,

An excellent presentation on the grip insignia on your KS98! This is exactly why your insignia does not "wiggle." It is also a clear explaination of why some original ones do and some don't. This is what one would expect to see from a factory applied grip cypher.

Yes, agreed, excellent presentation. Interesting topic and detailed pictures.
Enjoyed seeing it and learned from it.

--dj--Joe

Just for informational purposes, for a link to work (turn blue), it has to be on it's own seperate line.
http://daggers.infopop.cc/eve/forums/a/tpc/f/172097573/m/7890045443

Thanks again. --dj--Joe

Very informative thread. Many thanks for sharing.

Dave

Thank you all for your kind words. I had hoped that this would be an interesting and informative topic.

Thanks Joe for properly attaching Orpo's wonderful thread and the addittional info. I'm still a bit of a computer idiot.

Steve.

Steve

Great pictures and great bayonets. Next time you make a spanner wrench try a dremel tool. It goes alot quicker. I have a question did the bottom bolt go thru the blade tang. It looks a little off center. I have seen numbers scribed on other TR dagger grip plates. I have only seen one dress bayonet with a number stamped on the internal surface before.

Steve, Those are some very nice Imperial era dress bayonets . A very interesting and informative thread. As you noted the cypher was not brass, which I think helps indicate when it might have been manufactured. Which would have been a little later in the war after certain metals began to be conserved (like the steel hilted version of the Prussian Kriegsmodell IOD 89 in the other thread).

And my compliments on the photography! Sometimes I get lucky, but I also could take 10 plus images before anything halfway decent is produced. FP

Terry,

I'll attach a pic of the area you were interested in. The screw does go thru the tang.

F.P.,

I do like those old sabers with the Imperial cyphers. It would be a good thread for someone to put a pic and info of each one of them. I have little info on them. As far as pics, I take a bunch myself. I find it faster to delete than go back and re-shoot.

Thanks again, Steve.

Steven C.
A wonderful thread with some great information.
The pictures are very professional. Thanks for sharing them with all of us.

I Love This Stuff
Von Ryan