I thought I would take this opportunity to restart the original thread that explored fire bayonets. That thread, as many of you will remember, lasted at least a few years & had a tremendous amount of information. It also had tons of pictures from many GD members collections & I hope collectively we can recreate some of that thread here now. Please feel free to add pics of your pieces or any info that may help add to the appreciation of these fine edged weapons.
Feuerwehr bayonets are somewhat more popular now than when I started that thread 6 or 7 years ago. Initially I had no interest in dress bayonets, a sentiment I'm sure many dagger & blade collectors feel. First off there's plenty of them out there & it's probably human nature to practically disregard something that's so plentiful. I know, I do it myself.
As far as detail there's not much there, right? These pieces are as plain as plain can be & yet there is beauty in their simplicity. The lines are clean & true, almost utilitarian in their appearance.
Most collectors would look at a pile of fire bayonets thinking they're all the same but there are differences there, subtle differences that obsessive collectors can not only see but ponder over for hours. But I'll get to the subtle differences & variations at a later date. For now maybe it's best to start where I started, at the beginning. Here is that first piece.
