Posted 7 years ago
billretire…
(592 items)
I know the silly kid that tried to restore this, what I believe to be a Japanese Bayonet. He did it 50 years ago after his father brought it home to him from work. His father was a Tow Boat Operator that was pushing a Suction Dredge, that was dredging the bottom of the San Francisco Bay, for placement of the Transbay Tube, for BART(Bay Area Rapid Transit), a new high speed train system, that was being constructed then, and this Bayonet was caught on the suction head, where other artifacts, and old ammunitions, were pulled from, and some are pumped into the barge, with the bottom sludge.
When the silly kid got it, it was twisted and rusted, and the wood on the handle was rotted off. He worked on it, straightened it, re-riveted the guard(that he put on backward, to be like a hand guard, like a sword has), and cut and finished a piece of oak, and attached it to the handle, where the rotten one had been. Then he cleaned and sharpened the blade the best he could, and this is the way it's been since that time.
Yeah, you got it that silly kid was me, and I even got to go to work with my father, and search that bottom sludge, for bottles, fish, and crabs, and what ever else was pumped up from the bottom! A childhood dream of treasure hunting! :^D
Thank you for looking, I saw a Bayonet similar on the internet to come up with what this one is, if you know different, please let me know! All comments welcome! :^)
The total length of the Bayonet is ~20", and the length of the blade is ~15 3/8"
Thanks again for looking! :^)
Thanks for the love, Thomas and fortapache,
the old mailbox, was from my parents home, we sold it at an Estate sale that we had, when our mother died, and a year and a half later I found it at a Thrift Store, and figured that I had to get it! Paid more than we sold it for, but had to have it! :^)
I have a couple and there are several here at CW. That looks like a type 30 to me.
Thanks fortapache, I just saw yours! :^)
Thank you for looking at and loving this old Bayonet whyatt! :^)
super cool . I watch them on ebay a lot , but haven't pulled the trigger on 1 . im running out of drawers for my knives as it is .
my thoughts on these old war bayonets is their heading for rarity even as I type.
that's not good for a new collector . super nice item and story , bill !
Thank you so much whyatt, for the nice comment! :^D
Good to see ya SpiritBear, and thanks for the love! :^)
Love your story Bill:-)
Hey Judy, thank you! :^D
Thanks to you all for the love,
bb2 was here,
JImam, and of course you too Judy,
it's always good to get it! :^)
Hey iggy, thanks for stopping by for a look, and loving what you saw! :^)
Hey BlackWatch, nice to meet you! :^D Thanks for looking at and loving this Bayonet! :^)
Thank you for the love h2c! :^)
Hey Brian, you might remember this one from 2yrs ago! :^)
Bill, what a cool story and great childhood memory!
Thanks Mrstyndall, the best part about that Story was being able to go out on the Tugboat and Dredger, in the early Morning workdays on the San Francisco Bay, with my Dad, I even got to steer the Tug, and push the Barge under the Richmond/San Rafael Bridge, what a Thrill for a 11yr old Kid, and would never be allowed in this day and age, but my Dad was always right there in the Wheelhouse! :^D Thank you for the love too Mrstyndall! :^)