2 band snider sword bayonet

[Blair]

RattlesnakeJack,

I have seen some rather remarkable things done by the Indians.
Keeping them up to the original standard, is yet another issue. That has always been my biggest concern with their overall Quality control.
  Blair

[RattlesnakeJack]

Yes, this pattern of bayonet, as well as the Enfield socket bayonet, are both replicated, and offered by various Civil War sutlers, because of the many Enfield-pattern Short and Long Rifles imported and used by both the North and the South during that unpleasantness, and the consequent popularity of replica Enfield rifles for re-enacting.  The same bayonets are used without any alteration on the Snider-Enfield breech-loading conversion rifles, of course.

I have one of the reproduction sword bayonets - which I got because, although I have three original bayonets, I was short a scabbard. The reproduction bayonets are pretty good, although they are noticeably heavier than an original.  They have reddish-brown wooden grip scales, with "checkering" which is too coarse - in fact, the repro I got had significantly coarser cross-hatching than you see on this one from a Sutler's website ....


Original bayonets actually have black compressed leather scales with a fairly fine checkered pattern impressed into the surface ....


To start with, I didn't really plan to use the reproduction bayonet, because I bought it to get the scabbard, which is often missing - or too damaged to be serviceable - in the case of many bayonets.  Accordingly, original scabbards are virtually impossible to locate on their own.  In fact, the scabbard which came with my reproduction bayonet is an excellent copy ....

However, since this same pattern of sword bayonet was also used with the later Martini-Henry rifle (when issued to Rifles units, and Sergeants of Infantry regiments) - having the muzzle ring "bushed" to fit the smaller diameter barrel of the M-H - I did the same thing with my repro so now I have a Yataghan bayonet which fits on my Martinis.  (I suppose I should be keeping my eyes open for an original bayonet bushed to fit the Martini-Henry (or one of the later ones manufactured specifically for use with the M-H) but haven't really tried to find one because this modified reproduction one works for me ....

Having decided to make use of the reproduction bayonet in this fashion, I improved the appearance of the hilt by literally doubling up the incised lines lines on the wooden scales to produce a finer checkered pattern (in fact, it ended up fairly close to the line spacing in the above image from the Sutler's site) ..... and then dyed them black with leather dye.  The end result does look somewhat closer to an original, I think -

[redbadge]

Rattle Snake Jack im from Saskatchewan! It would be great to be recruited into that forum. The victorian era seems to be my favoured of intrest. And that picture of the KutKnife battle is definitely a controversial favourite. 

[pony express]

Redbadge, come on over to the GAF forum and sign up! We'd be glad to have you.

Jack, what's the delivery time usually like on the Repliaters stuff?

[RattlesnakeJack]

Jack, what's the delivery time usually like on the Repliaters stuff?

Well, it does depend on how busy they are, of course, but once they have your details,  measurements and authorization to proceed, it is usually a matter of a few weeks.  When I first ordered from them, the base price always seemed exceptionally cheap, but they will only ship "air freight express"  - to avoid something taking a month or two to get to its destination as might end up being the case with the surface "economy" shipping customers might otherwise demand ..... and then complaining to them when their item takes so long to arrive. The cost of shipping was often about as much as they charged for the uniform, and I think that caused them some grief with customers too.  Now the price they quote you - still quite reasonable - includes delivery anywhere in the world by air freight express.

I have always dealt with them by e-mail, and my contact has always been with the owner, Sanjay Suri.  He is quite accommodating and willing to spend as much time as is needed to get the details worked out.  I suspect some of the problems others have experienced have arisen from them being in a bit of a rush to get their order placed, and thus running afoul of the sort of miscommunication or misunderstanding I mentioned above.  

As I also mentioned, some uniforms are pretty much "stock" - say British WWI tunics, or a Highland Dress Doublet - which to this day is still the Pattern 1868 Doublet, and the standard upper dress garment for pretty much every Highland Regiment - and even many non-military pipe bands - throughout the world.  They have no problem getting something like that right, once they have your measurements and the few variables (like the "facing colour") clarified -

[GunClick Rick]

Well i found this one  

http://www.trackofthewolf.com/Categories/PartDetail.aspx/439/1/BAYONET-ZOUAVE

[RattlesnakeJack]

Unfortunately, not remotely correct for the Enfield rifle musket, nor the Snider-Enfield breech-loading conversion of it ..... and I doubt if it would even fit on one of those .....