Anyone know about bayonets?

Ed Nelson

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Charlotte, NC
My uncle gave this bayonet to me. It has been in the family for quite a while, but we are not sure how it came into the family. I have to do some research on it, but in the meantime it's just really neat! I can't read the French writing inscribed. It is dated 1875. I am not aware of any French bloodlines in the family either! That side of the family is German, Welsh, English.:dunno:


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Hi Ed, :wave:
That's a letter opener and the writing says " i'm sad you are gone and I wish you were here".!:D Other than that and the fact that my french is rather second grade, let me think, "fraire a jua qua como tal ee vous", yep, that means wish you were here! ( all of the above is subject to change at a moments notice........:D:D) :rofl::rofl:
Shaz
 
Hi Ed, :wave:
That's a letter opener and the writing says " i'm sad you are gone and I wish you were here".!:D Other than that and the fact that my french is rather second grade, let me think, "fraire a jua qua como tal ee vous", yep, that means wish you were here! ( all of the above is subject to change at a moments notice........:D:D) :rofl::rofl:
Shaz



OOOOK Frenchie!

One of the guys on NCWW gave me some interesting info. The bayonet was made for a French Gras

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If I remember what little French I learned a long time ago, I believe it says, "Sharp end towards the enemy!". :rofl:

Sorry I can't be of more help, but it is a very nice looking piece of hardware. good luck with tracing it down.

Bill
 
Ed,

Its been a long time since my 3 years of high school French.... However I can tell you part of what it says, and take a guess on the other part. i'll fill in the parts I don't know with "?"s.

? weapons of/in Châl with June 1875

My guesses are that is says something along the lines of:
Weapons (military weapons) made for(or in) Châl in (or dated) June 1875

I would guess that Châl is the place or company where it was made.

It is for use with a French GRAS rifle as was pointed out in a previous post. Interstingly enough, there is someone selling several of them on eBay now.

If there are numbers on the bayonet that match numbers on the scaboard/sheath it is probably worth more.
 
Here's part of what's in the link above.

Markings:

On the flat back of the blade is engraved in script letters the name of the arsenal and the date of manufacture OF THE BLADE, month and year, by example :

Mre d’Armes de Chatlt, juin 1878

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The 3 arsenals having made it are Chatellerault (Chatlt), Saint Etienne (St Etienne) and Tulle.
 
Bill Grumbine may be on the right track... ":rofl:Sharp end toward enemy:rofl:"

You say you don't have ancesters of the French promanade? but perhaps you got a WWI hero in your past tribe members. Some of our dough boys may have picked a few goodies in their vist to the Pariee and perhaps an ungrateful papa chased your great Grand uncle or cousin out of his daughter's bedroom with that hog sticker. :dunno::D:thumb:
 
I had one excactly like that. It was given to my grandfather many-many years ago. My research turned up the fact that they have very little value. There are millions of bayonets out there. Some dealers sell bayonets by the dozens or hundreds for just a few dollars each. I had a CW sword that I sold to a dealer, we couldn't quite make a deal on what I wanted. I ended up sweeting the deal by tossing in that bayonet and another of a different style. More a curiosity than a valuable antique. There are just too many around. At some guns shows you will see, literally piles of bayonets for sale.
 
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