The following are the books in my library, the comments on the book are mine and reflect my opinions based on the book itself and discussions with other collectors. Prices (where) quoted are those that I have seen for sale and indicate an average price and are only for out of print books and reflects top price for books in almost mint condition. I shall add a few books at a time as the library currently stands at over 50 books. I have no relationship to any of the authors or publishers.
Author | Title | | Notes |
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JOURNALS
(Bi monthly magazines published by Bayonet Collecting Society's these are members magazines written by collectors for collectors) |
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| International Bayonet Association | Gazette de la Baionnette |  | Published in both English and French, this expands on the bayonet side by including information on the fire arms the blades fit on. Excellent quality print in full color, like the two below the articles are written by members, and can be very informative and show items never seen anywhere else.
GEADAM@wanadoo.fr |
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| L'Association Francaise des Collectionneurs de Baionnettes | Le Journal |  | The AFCB magazine is only in French but there are some very interesting articles by the members, covering a wide area of collecting and not just French blades, well worth the membership even if you can never get to the excellent meetings (both social and educational) held in conjunction with large arms fairs in Paris
http://perso.wanadoo.fr/christian.mery/ |
|---|
| Society of American Bayonet Collectors Inc, | The Journal |  | Some very interesting articles written by the members, the quality of the journal is not up to the two French journals, print quality is poor and in black and white, but well worth being a member, and maybe the format will change
http://bayonetcollectors.org |
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| BOOKS |
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|
|
Final Engineering Design Report for Knife Cutter-Bayonet
for Land Warfare laboratory, Aberdeen Proving ground |
 |
A short document covering the trials of a a bayonet with
a built in wire cutter as part of the grips. 5 models are shown along with
their development history. An interesting dead end experiment |
|---|
|
|
List of Changed In British War Material Vol!
1860-1886 |
 |
Just a list of the official changes in equipment but
allows the correct nomenclature to be gathered, and times to be put on
alterations. Few illustrations but interesting background data |
|---|
| |  | Totally in Russian this book is primarily about the rifles but has a couple of pages on early socket blades. published in 1992 |
|---|
| A.N. Kulinsky | Russian Sidearms, polearms and
bayonets
VolII |  | published in 2001 In Russian there is a brief English title on each displayed piece, a full page black and white picture with dimensions and history, some very interesting pieces not seen in other texts |
|---|
Albert N. Hardin Jr. | The American Bayonet 1776 1964 |  | First Published in 1964 this is one of the first of the bayonet books and still one of the best on American bayonets. The book is split in various sections based on the style of the bayonet, sword, ramrod etc. Being one of the first books there are items that have changed nomenclature or designation. Out of print this book is expensive to find second-hand (circa 150 GBP) |
|---|
Anthony Carter | Bayonet Belt Frogs |  | Not strictly bayonets, the frog is often bought still attached to the scabbard. A collectors field in its own right. The latest volume (III) contains everything from the earlier volumes and a lot more. This can make it difficult to use sometimes as a country can have 3 entries, and corrections can come in section II and in III it is still by far the best book on the subject that there is available at the moment I think this is now out of print although copies may still be available the recent demise of Anthony Carter makes its future unknown at the moment |
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Anthony Carter | German Bayonets Vol1 |  | Covers the Imperial bayonets 71/98, 98/02, 98/05, 88/98, KS 98/05, post war 98/05 and foreign blades. This and the following 3 volumes are THE books to have on German bayonets, written by one of the most respected authors on Bayonets these books cover in great detail the history of each bayonet, markings, variations etc. Tables show which manufacturer made which variations in which years. Although there are collectors who have combinations not shown in the tables there are not better references at the moment. If you intend to collect the German blades or to have the best library you can get these books now while they are still available, it is unlikely that there will be anything better for a long time Available? |
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Anthony Carter | German Bayonets VolII |  | 78/84, 84/98, 1899, KS98, S1914, Gottscho, S14 Greek, Brazilian, Foreign contract Available? |
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Anthony Carter | German Bayonets VolIII |  | Ersatz and Foreign converted blades Available? |
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Anthony Carter | German Bayonets VolIV |  | Others not covered in Volumes I to III Available? |
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| Anthony Carter | German Ersatz Bayonets 1. A concise illustrated history of the emergency all-metal designs 1914-1918 |  | The Ersatz bayonet was produced at the beginning of WWI to cover the lack of production facilities needed to produce the 98/05 standard bayonet, not as many state late in the war to meet the lack of production. This is a field of collection all its own, with blades ranging from cheap to astronomical in price, this book covers 90 vanities of the bayonet using line drawings with multiple images per page allowing the differences to be easily seen, it also uses small scrap views of the identifying differences. All of the information in this book is covered in German Bayonets VolIII with additional information and corrections. I would recommend buying the latter book, unless like me you also collect books, however you do not lose much information if you do use this book as your source for this interesting field of bayonet collecting. Neither of these books cover the astronomical number of Turkish variations/modifications of these blades post WWI Out of print |
|---|
Anthony Carter | World Bayonets 1800 to the Present |  | Released as an Illustrated reference guide for Collectors, and giving price guides for the blades shown. The book is in A5 format which made it possible to carry around to shows etc. and is probably the first book many collectors bought. It is still a useful book to give relative rarities of bayonets etc. Revised every few years there are two main versions the red and blue covers, the last update being with 87/88 prices Out of print |
|---|
Anthony Carter John Walter | The Bayonet, A history of knife and sword bayonets 1850-1970 |  | Published in 1974 this book was a compilation of some 60 articles originally published in the Guns Review monthly magazine in the UK, updating and revising some of them in line with information gained after their original publication. Bayonets are listed by country and type -sabre, knife etc. with line drawings of each one described with scrap views of markings or points of interest. Because it ahs multiple blades from one country on a page it makes it easy to compare variants of similar types, i.e. fuller or cross guard shapes. A good book to have to have as it covers a lot of the most commonalty available bayonets Out of print circa 50 GBP |
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| J Anthony Carter | Allied Bayonets of World War 2 | | Written in 1969 this is one of the earliest books available to the collector on bayonets. It only covers those blades used by the Allies during WWII, it offers no information that is not better presented in newer volumes. The bayonets are depicted in B&W photographs but the small size of the book (A5) makes their use for other than general identification limited. The book is however of interest in the history of collecting out of print |
|---|
| Dr A Ross | Slotted Bayonets |  | an attempt to mix science with bayonet collecting, the author tries to put a whole new terminology for the parts of a bayonet in pseudo Latin no less. There is some interesting information in
this book, but it is lost in the mass of terms that thankfully never came into standard use. A pommel is a pommel we don't need 10 different words just because one is long and one is short, strange that seems to cover those variants easily and understandably.
Shame as this could be so useful |
|---|
| Bannerman | German Mauser Rifle GEW 98 |  | Interesting little booklet on the GEW88 also includes a few pages on bayonets for the type 31 in drawings and also an adaptor to all the bayonets to fit on other rifles. Not a lot of detail but published in 1921 so cant expect too much |
|---|
|
|
Bannerman Catalogue of military goods 1927 |
 |
Best reason for a time machine I have ever seen, we have
all heard of Bannerman, this reprint of the 1927 catalogue shows what a wide
variety of militaria this company shipped out and how many bayonet types
this included. Not real information on the blades but worth it if only to
drool at the prices |
|---|
| Bert Walsh | Bayonets illustrated |  | 162 fine line drawings of bayonets published before 1970, brief description but no dimensions etc. |
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| Björn Schöön | Bayonets Bajonetter Bajonette |  | A privately produced (1986) soft cover book on bayonets this multi lingual book is an interesting addition to a collectors library if only for the pictures of the amazing Russian experimental bayonet with it's built in wire cutter. For German and Swedish collectors it has the great advantage of being written in both languages as well as English and as such can be used to help translate English only books. For English readers you are better with Janzens book, as the drawings are more help in identification out of print |
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|
Branko Bogdanovic |
Serbian and Yugoslav Mauser Rifles |
 |
A book for the rifle collector it has a small section on
the bayonets for the rifles, allows the blade collector to see the rifles
for which their blades are made. this one can help identify unmarked blades
at least to possible end users |
|---|
| Bruce Karem | The German S84/98 Bayonet Vol 1:1908-1933 |  | An excellent book on the type covers the genesis of the type from the 71/84 with coverage of other types in passing. The first volume covers up to the WuK made models from the early Nazi period. Well worth getting and am waiting for Volume 2 and the coverage of the Nazi period blades Currently available |
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| Carl Ziegler | The 1907 for Collectors |  | My own attempt to write for collectors, this is primarily about the 1907 but covers bayonets made for the SMLE by other countries and the 13/17 series of bayonets for the replacement for the SMLE. It is missing several bits found later but then that can be said for nearly every book. |
|---|
| Cesare Calamancrei | Baionette Italiane 1814-1991 |  | The book to have on Italian bayonets, in Italian but worth it for a wealth of information and bayonets not seen in other texts |
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| Dan Ernst | Pocket Guide to bayonets and Miscellaneous edged Weapons Vol 1 |
| Published in 1978 this book and Vol II show their age, with many items now know by different designations or found to be mis identified, it is however a useful little book for the novice collector as they can take it with them to shows to help identify unknown blades, - understanding that there may be errors in these identifications. Out of print (circa 15GBP each volume) |
|---|
| Dan Ernst | Pocket Guide to bayonets and Miscellaneous edged Weapons Vol
II |
 |
Some interesting blades shown in VolII such as the
SPIW US bayonet, and it shows a Transvaal with Turkish markings. |
|---|
| Dennis Ottobre | Observations On Turkish bayonets |  | A CD of information on Turkish bayonets, the best source around for information on this poorly documented area of bayonet collecting. Regularly updated as examples and information comes up Available from www.ebayonet.com |
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| Dennis Ottobre | Bayonets of Afghanistan |  | What Otto has done for Turkish bayonets he has now repeated for Afghanistan. A must have collection of the bayonets that come out of this country, with some very interesting local variations and reworks, 1893's for a Ross rifle anyone?
Available from www.ebayonet.com |
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|
Donald B, Webster Jr. |
American Socket Bayonets 1717-1873 |
 |
Another basic book on bayonets, this time sockets.
published in 1964 contains line drawings of the blades of the title with a
page or so of text to each blade, Interesting but not being a socket
collector not sure of the accuracy of some of the identifications |
|---|
| Donald J Hartman |
The US Krag Bayonets
History, variations, modifications |  | An excellent detailed book dedicated to the bayonets of one rifle. Covers the blades, the
scabbards, frogs and usage. Beautiful pictures and a lot of research. The book contains copies of many reports and letters pertaining to the bayonets etc. and leaves little untouched.
available
www.ddbladeresearch.com |
|---|
| Erik Goldstein | The socket bayonet in the British Army 1687- 1783 |  | A history of the Brown Bess socket bayonet, although he refrains from using this name |
|---|
| Erik Goldstein | The Bayonet in New France 1665-1760 |  | 36 pages dedicated to the socket blades of this period, taken from archeological digs etc. this is a history of early bayonet use in the USA while it was still a colony. If you are into sockets or early American history then this is an interesting title to own |
|---|
| Compiled by Frank Traska | U.S. Bayonet Letters Patent |  | Although freely available on line, Frank has collected together a large number of US bayonet patents into one easily available source. Some heavy reading but it is amazing what some people will think of |
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| Frederick J. Stephens | Bayonets An illustrated history and reference guide |  | One of the early writers on the subject, despite its age it still makes interesting reading |
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| Gary M Cunningham | American Military Bayonets of the 20th century |  | If you collect American bayonets then this is one you need. Good books on American bayonets are not easy to find, this fills the spot nicely. |
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| Gary L Walker and RJ Weihand | German Clamshells and other Bayonets |  | This book covers predominantly German dress bayonets from 1933 to 1945 with only 6 pages devoted to service issue bayonets. If dress blades are your area then this is a good little book covering a wide range of variations, otherwise it may be of only passing interest |
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|
Gazette des Arms | Les Baïonettes Réglemetaires Françaises de 1840 á 1918 |  | As you can tell from the title this is a French produced soft cover book on the "sword" bayonets in French service between 1840 and 1914. This is an excellent quality book well worth having and struggling to understand, if you wish to collect these French bayonets. The bayonets covered are the 1840,1842, 1842/59, 1866, 1874, 1886, 1892 and the colonial models. well illustrated with excellent colour pictures. Currently available |
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|
Gazette des Arms |
Les Baïonettes de
la Guerre 14-18 |
 |
A superb coffee table book on WWI bayonets the
photography is excellent, it has the basic information and is very very
cheap. |
|---|
| George T Wheeler | History of the German Bayonet 1919-1945 | | This is the way most new books on bayonets are going, specialised to a country, model or period, this is good if you also want to specialise but makes general collecting more expensive as you have to buy more books. The up side is that there is a lot more in depth information on that one small area. This book covers the 98/05 and 84/98 series of bayonets as well as the dress bayonets used by the German army from the end of WWI until the end of WWII. There are sections on frogs, civil and police bayonets and the knots used by the Germans as well as foreign bayonets used by German units. This is an excellent book and one that any serious collector of non Imperial German bayonets should have, having a wealth of data as well as extensive photographic illustrations of types, markings and variations Currently Available |
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| Gérard Adam Christian Mery Pierre Renox | Les Baïonnette Militaires Françaises Mémento |  | An excellent full colour A5 book on French regulation bayonets. In French Spanish and English the book gives a basic guide to over 200 bayonets, the majority of these are sockets but it does go right up to current issue, and also covers some of those blades associated with the French but which were never official issue i.e. Daudeteau. Every bayonet is illustrated with a full length picture and several close up pictures of the hilts. Currently available www.graphcom.com 35€ |
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| Graham Priest | |  | The Maltese bayonet will never be one that a
collector will get hold of as it appears they are all still in museums in Malta, this book is the next best thing. Graham has carried out a lot of research and put together an interesting read on a very specialized area. |
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| Graham Priest | The Spirit of the Pike
British socket bayonets of the 20th century |  | An example of what a bayonet book for the serious collector is all about. The much maligned No4 spike forms the basis for this 352 page fully illustrated book. Graham has done a superb job in researching not only the history of this bayonet but of it manufactures, frogs, scabbards, variations etc. and then illustrating everything in the text with clear photographs of actual examples. The amount of information brought together is amazing for such a basic type. Not the first book a novice collector should get unless they want to collect the No4 (a cheap bayonet to start with, but with several hundred variations covered a huge field all of its own) but well worth adding to any serious book collection. The book also covers the No9 and the No7 bayonets, as well as the STEN, and like any good book on the subject, fakes are well covered. Currently Available from graham@halofive.co.uk |
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| Herman A. Maeurer | Military Edged Weapons of the world 1800-1965
A private collection |  | A grand title which covers the authors collection. Pictures are small but each occupies a half page with dimensions etc. Covers more than bayonets The book was published in 1967 and at that time was probably one of the best you could get, but is lacking now, but still a good addition to a book collection, as often these older books help explain miss identifications carried forward through the years. |
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| Homer M. Brett |
The military Knife & Bayonet |  | Some of the most impressive pictures in any publication, with lots of previously unpublished information (most on the M9 with which Homer was involved). An impressive book |
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| Ian Jackson | E-bayonet: Imperial German Bayonet price and rarity guide |  | A full years tracking of bayonet sales on EBay went into this publication. The prices and rarities are related to sales on EBay and there is some interesting information that often goes against perception, relative values of marked and unmarked, or states pre German amalgamation. Well worth having if you plan on collecting these blades, although of course the prices are no longer valid, the information is. |
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| Ian D Skennerton | The Broad Arrow
British and Empire factory Production , Proof, Inspection , Armourers, and Issue Markings |  | If you collect UK
and Commonwealth blades then this book is for you as it gives information on most of the marks you will find. Like any book there are marks not in there but it will help identify most of them |
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| Ian D Skennerton | Australian Service Bayonets | | Being a British colony most of the blades covered are UK blades used by the Australians, this book does however cover those blades made only in Australia e.g. the Owen. 45 bayonets are covered with a line drawing, description and dimensions of each clearly shown. The book also covers markings and has a chapter which gives the manufacturing steps for a 1907 pattern bayonet. Most of this information is also available in Skennerton's book on British and Commonwealth bayonets. Out of print |
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Ian D Skennerton & Robert Richardson | British & Commonwealth Bayonets |  | The accepted bible of British bayonets, well illustrated with pictures, detailed histories of each blade type with dimensions etc. make this a must have book for any collector of British and Commonwealth blades. There is a section on Fakes, information on markings and production figures, and coverage of trials blades, volunteer weapons etc. This is a standard reference that dealers will use to identify blades for sale Still available from many sources. |
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| ID Davidson | Bayonet Markings a Guide for Collectors | | Privately published this little booklet is very useful in covering the markings from a wide range of countries. Very useful for the novice collector as it may help identify a blade by it's markings. Out of print (circa 10GBP) |
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| ID Skennerton | The British Spike Bayonet | | 32 pages devoted to the UK No4 spike bayonet, which it covers very well, makers, production figures etc.. If you specialise into he No4 then this is a great little single source booklet, otherwise Skennerton's book on British and Commonwealth bayonets covers the same ground and more out of print (circa 20GBP) |
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| James Marchington | Knives
Military Edged Tools & weapons |  | Only covers 6 bayonets and not in any depth, more for the knife collector |
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| Jack Puaud & Christian Mery | Les armes a feu de la Defense Nationale et leurs baionnettes 1870 - 1871 |  | An excellent French Language book on the rifles and bayonets of the Franco Prussian war, a must for Chassepot collectors as it covers the various Defense Nationale versions, as well as other
bayonet used in this period |
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Jan-Pierre Vial | Atlas de la Baïonnette de Collection - ABC |   | Buying the rights to Kiesling ABC takes the original books and adds a substantial amount of new bayonets and information, unfortunately for a lot of collectors it is written in French, although the books themselves say that an English version will be coming out there is no information as to when. Currently extending to 2 volumes it uses the length as it's identifier and covers 163-513 and 513-640mm. Data is a combination of text, B&W photographs and line drawings form the original Kiesling books. Let down by some errors and the language for non French speakers this is still probably the best book available to the collector, a phrase book or on line translation program will enable the text to be decoded, and the text needs to be read as it covers many blades not represented by accompanying figures, Replaced by new addition |
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Jan-Pierre Vial | Atlas de la Baïonnette de Collection - ABC
VolI |  | Not a reprint of the original VolI this is an all new book with approximately 50% more blades than the first book and with a completely new numbering system. Format and comments are the same as the volume above but more so. There are comments around on the accuracy of some of the information and that some items are fakes or fantasy pieces, it is still however the best all round bayonet book there is, despite it still being in French only. Until I release an English language book on my collection ( ☺ ) this is worth having Currently available 60 € |
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Jan-Pierre Vial | Atlas de la Baïonnette de Collection - ABC
VolII |  | Vol II |
|---|
Jan-Pierre Vial | Atlas de la Baïonnette de Collection - ABC
VolIII |  | Out at last (Nov 2009) this continues the previous two books and contains the long sword bayonets. There are lovers and haters of these books but they are probably the best out there. This shows its French
original with multiple pages showing the same blades, I don't think that different makers
necessarily need their own 1866 page for example. there is now apparently a VolIV on the way with more additions, or will they start it from scratch again. |
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Jerry Janzen | Bayonets from Janzens Notebook |  | The standard book for new and experienced collectors, the range of blades and countries covered make it a very good "primer" on bayonets and is probably the first book any collector should buy, even if you have decided to restrict your collection to a specific blade it's all round cover can be a benefit to any collector. Although there are well known errors in the book the latest print includes an addendum to cover a lot of these. There are around 1000 bayonets covered from 50 countries, and most common bayonets are covered with line drawings and a short comment A standard reference for dealers on EBAY etc. Still available from many sources. |
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| Jerry L. Janzen | Bayonets of the Remington Cartridge Period | | Published in 1993 this book covers the bayonets used on Remington chambered rifles and is not restricted to Remington made bayonets. This is a truly excellent book that unfortunately still leaves some areas un clear. It covers countries not seen in other books i.e. the Vatican (Papal States). For many countries it identifies that a type was or may have been used but due to these blades being unmarked it is difficult to identify authoritatively. If your interest is in blades of the late 19 Century then this book is a definite for your wants list Currently Available |
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| Jim Maddox | Collecting Bayonets |  | Jim set out to write a book on collecting bayonets and this book has fulfilled his wish. Basically it is really a redo of the Evans and Stephenson book, using Jim's collection to illustrate the various types of blades etc. Really an essential book for the new comer to the hobby, it is probably too expensive for many newbies to buy, which is their loss. More experienced collectors will enjoy seeing blades that they may never ever get a chance to own or handle. It is not the definitive book on bayonets as I have seen it said on various forums, it is not an encyclopaedia of bayonets, it is a book on collecting and a chance to see Jims magnificent collection Currently available |
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|
Joe Poyer |
Swiss Magazine Loading Rifles 1869-1958 |
 |
A book for the rifle collector it has a small section on
the bayonets for the rifles, allows the blade collector to see the rifles
for which their blades are made. Author also has a joint book on Swedish
rifles - see below |
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| John L. Hayden | The Socket Bayonet |  | A nice little book on sockets |
|---|
| John Walter | The German Bayonet A comprehensive Illustrated history of regulation patterns, 1871-1945 |  | German bayonets are probably the most well documented of all bayonets, and probably the most collected. Walters book written in 1976 is one of the first but this does not mean it is not a book worth having, although not as detailed or comprehensive as Carter's books or Wheeler's it is worth having as a guide to the breadth of German blades available as well as manufacturer details, markings, knots, and rifles. A great first book for someone looking to specialise in this area of collecting Out of print |
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| John Walter | The Sword and Bayonet Makers of IMPERIAL GERMANY 1871 -1918 |  | Once you start to specialise, the types of books you buy change, no longer the pretty picture books you first bought it changes to the more stale specialised texts. This book covers the makers of Bayonets for the Imperial Germany with a drawing of the makers mark and basic information on the maker and other marks on the bayonets. This book has been superseded by Anthony Carters latest book(s) on this subject which are much more expansive and reflect the information not available in 1973 to Walter. Out of print |
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John Watts and Peter White | The Bayonet Book |  | First published in 1975 This is one of those books that every library on bayonets should have in it. Again there are some mistakes in this book but updates are available on the web for download to identify the mistakes. For may years this was the bible for collectors and many dealers still use it as a reference. 1050 bayonets are shown by a black and white photograph with major dimensions, and there is a brief "history" for each of the 30 countries represented, most extensive sections are on UK and German bayonets. Out of print this book is very expensive if you can find one (circa 200GBP) |
|---|
| J.P. Pitous | Les Baionnettes Reglementaires Francaises | | Published in 1973 this is a French volume covering the history of the bayonet and then line drawings of each of the types with some also illustrated with B&W pictures as well. A good little book now supplanted by Gerard, Christian and Pierre's new book (see up table) out of print circa £30 |
|---|
|
J Wilkinson and Latham |
Discovering Edged weapons |
 |
A brief history of edged weapons, very brief and bayonets
are covered in 2 paragraphs not worth it for a bayonet collector but if you
are a bibliophile then it fits |
|---|
| Klaus Lübbe | German Sidearms and Bayonets 1740 -1945 |
| 436 bayonets are illustrated by B&W photographs with model , dimensions and guide line prices for all of these blades. The prices have come under a lot of discussion and should really only be used as a rough guide, when it first came out dealers rushed to use these prices for all of their blades, thankfully this did not last long. It is however the relative pricing that this book can give which is it's true value to the collector, if you want information you are better with Carters books Currently Available |
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| Krzysztof Szczeglow | Bagnet Wojaska Polskiego 1914-1999 Tom 2 |  | Line drawings of Polish used bayonets, gives good information - if you can read or translate polish, on the wide variety of blades used by Poland after WWI and into the communist period |
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| Larry Johnson | Japanese Bayonets |  | The bible for Japanese bayonet collectors, 350 drawings and photographs illustrate all the T30 variations and other Japanese bayonets, right up to the books printing in 1988. The numbering system adopted by LJ has become the defacto identifier for Japanese blades. An excellent readable book giving all that you need to know and the best that is out there until a new book comes out. Out of print copies are hard to get hold of and very expensive when you do. If however you want to collect the Japanese bayonet this is a book you must have Out of print this book is very expensive if you can find one (circa 2-300GBP) |
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| Logan Thompson | Daggers and Bayonets A History | | Not quite sure how to describe this book, as it goes it is not a bad book, but if you want a book on bayonets this would not be far up my list. Approximately half the book is devoted to bayonets, in these 50 pages it tries to cover 250 years of bayonet history which it does if you only want the most basic of information. You would be better buying Janzen or ABC, unless you also collect daggers but even then I doubt its use to a serious collector Currently Available |
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| Mack A Pattarozzi | American Gladius
A study of the M9 multi purpose bayonet system |  | Ssomewhat disappointed First comment was its need for considerably better proof reading! there are several figures with incorrect
labelling, a new bayonet location known as the ricosso and a continued reference to scales, that i have only ever seen in one other text. I do not think I am not being picky here, there are 3 figures showing three different bayonets one after another with identical text, and others saying left and right when items are above each other, or comments on the figure below - with no figure reference - that are actually above the text point. I write technical papers for a living and make similar mistakes so I am not with the sin, it just detracts from the book and sometimes makes you wonder about other "facts". And before you comment I know my CD has many typo's as well The information on the Quaterbore M9 forum (or even my M9 page) more than covers anything in the book, and in more detail and with considerably more pictures. The information is interesting and varied, but does a book on the M9 bayonet need a chapter plus on the P38 can opener, or several pages on the modifications to the M16 rifle carried out by the Marines, and as for the soap box opening chapters....... Shame really as his ideas on a nomenclature for M9 types will be useful if adopted, will just need additions for military contracts not specifically US - mention is made of Australian, Dutch etc. but that is all. The book is very obviously US aimed, I am afraid that
I would have to explain to the writer that in the rest of the world The Marines, doesn't always mean the US ones, try telling a UK marine that he comes below the US ones - but please rewrite your will to give me your blades first . There is no place in a text like this for such comments. If like me you collect bayonet books as part of your hobby then get a copy, if you want to learn about the M9 save your money and read the Quaterbore site, and it's forum there is a lot more in it. Also these pages cover a lot of variations (non military granted) not in the book, but definitely part of many M9 collectors area. |
|---|
| Martin D Ivie | Kalashnikov Bayonet
The collectors guide to bayonets for the AK and its derivatives |  | A expansive look at the bayonets for the AK rifles let down by the quality of some of the illustrations, this is still the must have book for collectors of these bayonets which are growing rapidly in collectability and value |
|---|
| Martin Brayley | An Illustrated history of Bayonets |  | A lavishly colour illustrated (500 pictures) A4 landscape soft backed book covering 300 bayonets commonly found by the new collector. At 19GBP this is an excellent basic guide to bayonets particularly as the pictures are all in colour, and would be of interest to both new and experienced collectors. Currently available |
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| M.H. Cole | US military knives bayonets and machetes
Book III |  | Good books on US bayonets are hard to come by, this is one of the accepted "bibles" on the subject and covers a lot of ground. Not in the detail of the books published now it is still one of
the only references out there, |
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| M.H. Cole | The best of US military knives bayonets and machetes |  | Basically all of the information in Vols I to III with some extra info. If you
want to collect American bayonets then you need this one |
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| Mike Welser | Reichswehr and Wehrmarcht bayonets 1920-1945 |  | Privately printed this A5 book is an excellent guide to the bayonets of this period, it has tables showing bayonet rarities, makers codes etc. This little book is well worth having if you want to collect bayonets of this period, it's small size means you can take it with you as a portable reference. Available from the author |
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| Osvaldo Oscar Zavala | Bayonets del la Republica Argentina | | One of the few texts on South American bayonets it covers 29 blades, but this includes machetes and multiple variations of the M1 with cut down blades etc. Still it provides some interesting information |
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Paul Kiesling | Bayonets of the World Volumes 1 to 4 |     | First published in 1974 Kiesling broke from the norm by listing his bayonets by length rather than country or type. This has a great benefit when trying to identify an unknown bayonet, all you need to do is measure the blade and look it up this way. Eventually extending to 4 volumes there can be some problems as the lengths are not consecutive through the volumes, 1 and 2 follow, 3 was an addendum and errata, 4 blades not identified previously and not part of the original plan. There are over 1000 blades covered in these 4 books. There are some mis identified bayonets in these books but then that is true of nearly all books on most subjects. In my opinion it is a set of books that is worth having for those of you like me that are less specific in your collecting area, although most of the information is reprinted in ABC (see) this has the advantage of being in English rather than French. Out of print a full set of these books is expensive (circa 400GBP for a full set) . |
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| Paul Kiesling | Bayonets of the world
The complete edition |  | 30 years on they have released all four volumes of Keislings work in a single volume, there is some additional information but in the main it is the same as the old books, where it differs is that now the book is by country (am I the only one that sees the benefit of ranking by length for unknowns??). If you don't have the original get this, it is superior to the Janzens work though about 4 times the price and double the weight, (the printing is high quality paper) it is probably almost as many times more useful. If you have the original it is probably still worth getting if only to preserve the old ones from getting too dog eared |
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|
Peter A. Schmidt |
US Military Flintlock Muskets and their Bayonets
the
early years 1790-1815 |
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An interesting read and a lot of information on the
bayonets for this period. Explains the differences in models making it
somewhat easier to identify the various sockets |
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|
Peter A. Schmidt |
US Military Flintlock Muskets and their Bayonets
the later years 1816 through the civil war |
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An interesting read and a lot of information on the
bayonets for this period. Explains the differences in models making it
somewhat easier to identify the various sockets |
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| Petr Moudrŷ | Bayonets of Czechoslovakia | | A Czechoslovakian published book on the bayonets used by Czechoslovakia, 42 bayonets are beautifully illustrated by line drawings. The text is in Czech but there is a title in English to give designations of the bayonets. Included in the book are blades such as the UK No4 and I can only assume (since I don't read Czech) that the book includes blades used by Czech units outside Czechoslovakia. Currently Available |
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| Maciej Proszynski | Bagnet Wojskowy
poradnik kolekcjonera |  | Eastern Europe produces some great bayonet books, someone should translate them into English. A wealth of information and examples many never seen before, |
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| Raymond C. Labar | Bbayonets of Japan
A comprehensive reference on Japanese bayonets |  | If you want to collect Japanese bayonets you have to have this book,, fantastically illustrated in full colour this is a wealth of information on the subject, and contains many never before reported variations and bayonets. |
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| R Barrie Manarey | The Canadian Bayonet | | 50 pages covering the bayonets used by Canada from the 1600's onwards over 40 bayonets are illustrated and documented along with a chapter on markings. Like most books on British Commonwealth countries most of the information is contained in Skennerton's book. This is however a very interesting booklet on this specialist area. I got my copy of this before I knew better and paid 5x what I later found it for sale at. Out of Print (circa 15GBP) |
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| RDC Evans Frederick J. Stephens | The Bayonet An Evolution and History | | A great book to have as it provides a chronological history of bayonets using line drawings and photographs. This is one of those books that I feel most collectors should have as it puts into perspective the way blades have changed and how the introduction of a type in one country can have profound effects to other makers - i.e. the Yataghan style introduced in the French 1840. It also highlights those styles that lead no where - and sometimes why. Out of print |
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| RDC Evans | British Bayonet letters Patent 1721-1961 |  | For the historians amongst us this book offers an interesting insight into the history of the bayonet, showing how over a period of 240 years inventors thought up new ways to affix a blade to a firearm. Many of the patents cover ideas that never went any further than paper, but it also covers many ideas that made it into service. An interesting if somewhat heavy read. It is of little use in bayonet identification but of interest to those who wish to study the topic deeper Currently Available |
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| RDC Evans | The Plug Bayonet |  | Another excellent book by Roger whether you collect plugs or are just interested in the history of bayonets in general (my reason for getting them). Plugs started the use of bayonets with rifles and some of those shown in this heavily illustrated books are truly beautiful works of art as much as weapons of war, as the type was used heavily for civilian use in hunting. Currently Available plughole@legend.co.uk |
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| Robert M Reilly | American Socket Bayonets and Scabbards |  | For socket collectors a history of American sockets, not being a collector of the type I cannot comment further |
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| Robert W Stirling | Socket Bayonets of the Great Powers |  | European Sockets |
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| Robin Lumsden | Edged Weapons of Hitler's Germany |  | Containing only a small section on bayonets this is only of interest to bayonet collectors if they want to have an idea of the other edged weapons used by the German forces up to and during WWII or for the dress patterns shown, otherwise you are better adding Wheelers or Walter's books to your collection Currently Available |
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| Roy Williams | The Collectors Book of German Bayonets 1680-1945 Part One |  |
An excellent source of pictures on German blades up to WWI. The A5format
book contains 550 pages packed full of detailed pictures of a full range of
German blades including markings, makers marks, unit marks, detail shots,
blades fitted to rifles, many not reported anywhere else. Not a lot of text
but if you have Carters books an indispensable addition to your library |
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| RJ Wilkinson-Latham | Sword Bayonet Pattern 1888 | | 10 pages dedicated to the 1888, all of the information is again contained in Skennerton's book out of print (circa 10GBP) |
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RJ Wilkinson Latham | British Military Bayonets From 1700 to 1945 |  | First Printed 1969 More a history of blades in British service than a book for identification purposes (which it intends to be) due it's narrative based style with blocks of pictures , it does however have a good section on markings, particularly unit markings. Skennerton's book serves as a better standard book for collectors. Out of print but not overly expensive |
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| Rudiger W.A. Franz | |  | |
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| Rudiger W.A. Franz | Preubisch-deutsche Seitengewehre 1807-1945 |     | Five volumes on "German" bayonets starting from the individual states right through to the combined Germany after 1870. This is a comprehensive and well illustrated reference on bayonets from this area of Europe. Text is all in German which is a problem for non German speakers but the illustrations tell most of what you need. There are apparently 3 more volumes and this is consistent with items not covered in the first 5 volumes. The detail the articles go into is extensive with many illustrations of items I've not seen in other texts Currently Available and excellent deals on the set can be obtained on German internet sites |
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| RR Raidl - DR Leslie | A reference on daggers and Dress Bayonets illustrated | | Published in 1959 this must be one of the earliest books for collectors, it has excellent pictures of all of the blades illustrated, most of which look like they are brand new. A nice book for the book collection but there its use stops, more modern books give more than just a picture of the blade. Out of print |
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| | Bagnety |  | Wish I read Polish, this appears to be an
excellent reference with many pieces not in English language books |
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|
Steve Kehaya and Joe Poyer |
The Swedish Mauser Rifles |
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A book for the rifle collector it has a small section on
the bayonets for the rifles, allows the blade collector to see the rifles
for which their blades are made. |
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| T Wise | European Edged Weapons |  | published 1974. Only a couple of pages on bayonets, with small pictures that don't tell a lot, but an interesting little book on all forms of edged weapons from stone axes to broad swords |
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| Thomas B. Rentschler | Rifles and Blades of the German American Militia and the Civil War |  | An excellent book on the Bayonets related to a very specific period and group of people involved in the US Civil War. Gives a history of the people, their weapons, culture and bayonets |
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| Svenska Vapenstiftelsen | Bajonnetten da till nu |  | An excellent publication issued by the Swedish collectors, dated and limited compared to modern books but
useful in its way |
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| | |  | Another excellent Polish book (judging by the pictures) |
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| Ulrich Seidmann | Kalaschnikov Bayonette |  | A self published book on AK bayonets, outshone by Martin Ivies later work, this is still an interesting little book |
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Lt Col William S Brophey |
The Krag Rifle |
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Mainly covers the rifle and it variants but does cover
the bayonets, though not in as much detail as the Krag bayonet specific book
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| Yves Robitaille | The No4 Bayonet a Collectors Guide |   | Two books out at the same time on a subject as specialised as the UK No4 bayonet shows the detail that many collectors will go into on their subject, It also gives two very different approaches to the same subject, both books do the subject great coverage, Yves is a self published book in loose bound format with pictures printed separate to the body of the text which can make getting the text and pictures to match a little bit more difficult, he doesn't however go into the detail of the manufacturing plant etc. that Graham Priests book does. Maybe expensive in comparison to many books particularly as it has a very home made appearance it is still worth having if you want to learn about the No4. I cannot say which i prefer as they are such different animals, but both gave a lot of new information on an often maligned bayonet that is probably one of the most affordable blades out there to collect and readily available Currently Available from yves@iaw.on.ca at 75 USD |
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