Two good bayonets destroyed to make one fake

[Richard2]

I shouldn't complain. I bought this about 40 years ago, and the seller admitted that it was a reproduction, which is why the price was a small fraction of what a real M1905 bayonet was worth. I don't remember how much I paid, but it was only a few dollars. I thought that if the sheath was real, it alone would be worth almost as much (at that time) as I paid for the sheath and bayonet together. It still seems a shame that two bayonets were destroyed to make it.

In the 1950s, Howa Machine in Japan made M1 bayonets for the US Marines on Okinawa. These bayonets were marked NPJ. When they were surplussed, the blades were cut to demil the bayonets in accordance with Japanese law. Around about 1980 the price of genuine M1905 bayonets was rising very rapidly. Somebody bought a quantity of the NPJ demilled bayonet handles with only a stub of blade left, and welded blades from other bayonets to them to produce a fake M1905. The blade looks like it may have been from a South American Mauser bayonet. That is just my guess; perhaps a bayonet expert here can identify the blade.

As far as I know, the sheath is real, but I would be interested to hear the opinion of others who know about these things.

I checked the price of scrap steel today; it's 3 to 7 cents per pound. I would imagine it was even less when the NPJ bayonets were surplussed. Subtract the cost of cutting the blades from the scrap value of the bayonet, and I don't think the Marine Corps made any money selling the bayonets for scrap. In hindsight, I think the Corps would have come out ahead if they charged 10 cents per bayonet to each Marine who wanted to keep one and bring it home with him.

[Anderson]

Interesting story and good reminder to new militaria collectors that fakes have been around for a very long time.

[sargetom]

SARCO is currently selling the demilled WWII era bayonets with reproduction blades as well as handle and internal mechanisms. I bought one and welded the blade onto it and it turned out pretty well. Not a bad replacement for the originals as long as one does attempt to pass it off as a totally original bayonet!!