Embedded Files
Information about scabbards
The correct scabbard found with a US brass hilted sword bayonet is normally a rarer find than the bayonet itself. Frequently, those bayonets found with a scabbard are mismatched, in that the scabbard was not made for the type of bayonet it was found on. For years, collectors (including myself) without the knowledge of what was the correct scabbard, have swapped scabbards purely for looks. Thus making it difficult today to know what was original and what was not.
Most of the these scabbards are long and made of leather with thin brass mounts, making it difficult for a soldier to kneel when the blade had been withdrawn, without damaging the scabbard. Carrying them through the rain and mud during a war had to take a toll as well. Many scabbards were destroyed with the wear and tear of usage and replaced during their time of service. Thus adding to the confusion of what is the proper scabbard.
For those scabbards that did survive their service, time has also taken a heavy toll. The leather in many of the surviving scabbards have dried out, significantly shrunk and sometimes deformed. Some are turning to dust via red rot decomposition. Thus, the remains of many surviving scabbards are very fragile and must be handled with the upmost care. All we can do is slow the destruction down by proper preservation and care.
Frequently, due to the drying and shrinkage of the leather, the current measurements in length and width range widely and are no longer the same as when the scabbard was produced. Therefore, most scabbard measurements should be looked at as an estimate no matter how accurately taken.
The amount of documented information available on the scabbards issued with these bayonets is very small. Most of what we do know is based on the knowledge gained by studying surviving examples. So what we are dealing with is mostly experienced opinions. Some of these opinions are pretty solid and others are pure speculation.
Scabbard Types
This scabbard type has a straight black lacquered leather body with exterior sheet brass mounts. The brass tip mount terminates with a flat oval brass plate that is brazed to tip mount. There is no finial.
This scabbard type has a straight black lacquered leather body with exterior sheet brass mounts. The brass tip mount is straight on the top edge and the bottom edge curves upward to the top edge terminating into a round brass ball finial.
This scabbard type has a black lacquered leather body with exterior sheet brass mounts and the leather body is curved to match the curvature of the blade. The leather side of both the throat and tip mounts have a straight edge that is perpendicular to the leather body.
This scabbard type has a black lacquered leather body with exterior sheet brass mounts and the leather body is curved to match the curvature of the blade. The tip mount has an oval brass cap brazed to the end of the mount. The leather side of both the throat and tip mounts have outwardly curved edges that protrudes over the leather body.
This scabbard type has a straight black lacquered leather body with exterior sheet brass mounts. They are similar to some Type 4 scabbards but the leather body is straight instead of contoured to the blade. The blade slot in the throat mount is rectangular allowing the blade to be inserted either way. The outwardly curved edges on the throat and tip mounts are exaggerated to almost a point.
This scabbard type is completely made of steel.
This scabbard type has a black lacquered leather body with exterior sheet brass mounts and the leather body is curved to match the curvature of the blade. It has brass throat and tip mounts with inwardly curved edges next to the leather body. Sort of the reverse of Type 4 bayonets. The blade slot in the throat mount is tapered wide to narrow like a blade edge.
This scabbard type has a black lacquered leather body with exterior sheet brass mounts and the leather body is curved to match the curvature of the blade. It has brass throat and tip mounts with straight edges perpendicular to the black leather body. There is no finial on the tip mount.
This scabbard type has a tin alloy throat mount similar in shape to the Type 2 scabbards, and a brown leather body. The tip mount is missing on the only currently known example.
This scabbard type is completely made of brass.
This scabbard type is very similar to Scabbard Type 3. The shape of the frog stud and the lack of rivets in the mounts are the major differences.
This scabbard type is made of solid heavy brown leather including the throat mount and attached belt loop.
This scabbard type is made of heavy brass mounts and a brown leather body. The throat mount has a very unusual scalloped edge facing the leather body.
Page updated
Google Sites
Report abuse