Iconic British WW1 Pattern 1907 bayonet made in 1916 by the Wilkinson Sword company and in an Australian made scabbard.
The 436mm, single edged blade has a long narrow fuller and rounded spine. The edge was service sharpened. The blade has been nickel plated and is in good condition. There are some small areas of pale tarnish along the fuller. The blade was plated for post WW2 parade purposes, maybe by the Australian Army as the scabbard was made by Mangrovite and dated 1944.
The ricasso is marked with a faint Georgian crown over the pattern date 1907 and the date of manufacture 11 ’16 below which is stamped “Wilkinson.”
The obverse ricasso bears the War Department broad arrow, bend test stamp and three Enfield inspection and acceptance stamps.
The crosspiece, muzzle ring and pommel have been nickel plated and are in good condition. The wooden grip scales are in good condition and were probably replaced at the time of plating. The scales are held firmly in place by two plated screws. The push button locking mechanism is in good condition and works well.
The bayonet is complete with an Australian made WW2 dated leather scabbard with a small round frog stud. The scabbard is in good condition. The leather is stamped “Mangrovite’44.” The steel locket and chape retain their original blueing. The locket bears a star stamp containing the letter “A,” an early Lithgow inspection mark. The chape is stamped with the letters “OA” for Orange. Scabbards and scabbard fittings were often sourced from several manufacturers.
This is a better than average example of the iconic British World War One Enfield bayonet, plated for post war parade use. These plated parade bayonets are scarce.
