Interesting Fighting knife ?

[kradman]

Picked up this knife this morning on the fea market , the blade looks to be Wilkinson Sword marked , maybe a put together item but what was the blade original use?
Thank you for any help

[humble collector]

Interesting 🤔.

[Michael Ryan]

Hi, It is, from the look of it, a British Army bayonet by Wilkinson that has been cut down and re hilted. Possibly trench art or indeed for use as a fighting or utility knife? Very interesting in any event.
Regards MR

[Spitace41]

The blade was definitely made from a socket bayonet but not sure which one, possibly Enfield or Martini Henry?

[kradman]

Thank you for your input , i looked at this being a cut down blade but couldnt find a bayonet with the blood groove on one side and raised blade on the other side

[Michael Ryan]

Hi Kradman, No, nor have I? Possibly ground to shape? Strange item!! I have just had another look at the knife and two things crossed my mind and both are probably wrong but I'll mention them anyway. First thought was a tentage spike? Second was a horse tethering spike?? As suggested by Spitace, it could quite easily be a socket bayonet but in my experience they do not have tangs but I suppose a piece of rod could have been welded onto the blade to make a tang????????????????? You have certainly got me guessing!!!!
Cheers Michael

[Jerry B]

Looks very home made imo and probably from a very salty relic bayo and fairly recently done looking at the perspex handle.

I hate to be pedantic, honest, but it is a FULLER not a blood groove. If this forum rightly insists we use the correct German terminology we should also use the correct UK terms as well.

[kradman]

Thank you both and yes Jerry you are right sorry should have put Fuller so i am sorry for that ,as for the perspex handle i have had knifes before with handle made of perspex normally taken from Aircraft cockpit perspex , i think the last one i had was made in the middle east for a British Soldier as came in with some 8th army items , As for this one who knows when it was made it does have age but when made we will never know and what the blade started out as again who knows ,

[Jerry B]

No worries Krad.

As you say, such handles are not knew, I made a poker in school using a similar method, turning it on a lathe using discs of plastic and brass.

Anyone know why Mr Ryan got banned?

[CBH]

On theater made knives, perspex was used as it was a rather exotic material in the 1940's.

Before the postwar plastics boom, now it seems strange to use such material, but you must remember the time frame when made.