Originally Posted By: richkuch43@aol.com
Originally Posted By: Fred Prinz - FP
Originally Posted By: richkuch43@aol.com
FP,

Perhaps you might have some text books on SS Camp Made Bayonets that would readily show the rework & or assembly of these SS Bayonets. I myself have no such "text book" and I would give anything to have such documentation. The best that I can provide is an actual SS Bayonet showing the quality of workmanship that we have discussed. I would really be interested in seeing any references that are out there pertaining to SS bayonets. Perhaps we are pioneering new territory. There really has not been much new introduced into the field of bayonet collecting in over 30 years.

Richard Kuchta

Richard,

As a specialist in the area. If you had period SS textbooks showing the KZ reworking, and the new manufacture of bayonets I don't think that we would be having this discussion. And I’m flattered that you might even think for a moment that I might have such books. But if I did - why would I have asked:

I to am quite flattered that you think that I might have such documentation. You are also correct that if such documentation existed then this discussion would not be necessary. However, it does not seem that the SS documentation is readily available and we must persist on into the unknown to document the SS Bayonets.

Richard K
“Do you have a couple of 'textbook/best case' examples to look at to demonstrate visually the idea of camp made bayonets - your choice. That you could use to walk us through in detail the process (but it doesn't have to be ultra complicated), to illustrate what you are saying as to how they were made. For both the: "WKC provided blades & components to some of the SS work camps where the bayonets were assembled using slave labor." And the "battlefield salvage" type. I'm curious to see how the pieces might fit together." ??

FP,

It would stand to reason that if the SS reworked rifles & Lugers why would they not rework & or Assemble bayonets. We have seen numerous pictures of the shops using slave labor to work on rifles. We also in some pictures can see bayonets. I have never seen any pictures of Lugers being reworked and or assembled but we have such pieces in collections today. I have seen numerous Czech Pistols that have had the SS Property stamp added to them and were refinished to a beautiful high blue.

Now getting back to bayonets. The work camps could not forge blades because of the machines and skill that was required to produce the blade. However, the work camps could make bayonet grips, flash guards, screws, nuts,scabbards, latches, etc. as well as do secondary finishing. During the period when the SS was in desperate need of weapons they were able to get replacement barrels for rifles & pistols that they were salvaging. Why would the SS not be able to obtain bayonet blanks and finish them with the massive amount of labor that they had at hand. I still can not buy into total blanko bayonets being fabricated for the SS. Also, the rejected blades that were used by the SS would not have been assembled up into a complete bayonet by the manufacturer. I will get into the variations and the salvage bayonets later tonight.

Richard K
Because what I was actually asking for were some examples that you could use to illustrate your point of view. With my thinking being that if you don’t have documentation - sometimes the next best thing is “reverse engineering”. And it was more of an across the board (wide spectrum) look at not just the WKC types. But some of the Vz. 24 reworks as well which seem to be more diverse (but relatively ignored in this discussion) which could be as equally instructive.

And it would seem that we are "on the same page" with how to approach looking into how they were made/remanufactured: "The best that I can provide is an actual SS Bayonet showing the quality of workmanship that we have discussed."

Best Regards, FP