Information about this scabbard

These large straight scabbards are all made with heavy black lacquered leather bodies and sheet brass mounts.  Although these scabbards are straight they are used with bayonets with curved blades.

There are two large copper rivets, front and back, on both throat and tip mounts, that hold the mounts to the leather body.  The overall length is approximately 600 mm long.

The throat mount is 82 mm long and 46 mm wide.  The throat is open to the edges of the mount and the leather body is exposed.  There is a 24 mm angular shaped piece of brass with a slot for the frog strap on one side and the other side is brazed to the throat mount.   

The tip mount is 115 mm long and 35 mm wide.  The round brass ball finial is very proud, in that the connection point to the mount is much more narrow than those found on other Type 2 variations.  

Courtesy of McPheeters Antique Militaria

Some pristine examples of this variation can be found with the marking "MADE BY" / "J.I. PITTMAN" stamped into the backside of the leather body usually a couple of inches below the throat mount.  J.I. Pittman was located in New York City and was known for producing cartridge boxes, belt buckles, holsters and other military accouterments in the mid 1800s.  

Information from other sources

Albert N. Hardin, The American Bayonet 1776 – 1964, states that some scabbards are known which are stamped on the obverse side near the throat "MADE BY " / "J.I. PITTMAN"  

Speculation and questions

This variation is very similar to variation C but so many things are just a little bit different.  The scabbard body and tip mount are a bit narrower, the leather finish is a bit thicker, the frog stud is a bit smaller, the rivets are a bit smaller, the connection between the tip mount and the ball finial is a bit narrower and the edges of the mounts are rolled a bit wider.

The Pittman marking identifies this scabbard as being produced by a commercial contractor and answers the questions over Albert Hardin's statement in his book "The American Bayonet 1776 - 1964".  (See above, Information from other sources.) Thus, I have taken the liberty to label this scabbard as the "Pittman Scabbard".

Only a few of the examples that have been examined still show the Pittman marking but it is believed that most were originally marked.  The stamp into the leather is faint and it is believed to quickly disappear when exposed to moisture during use or maybe just aging under improper storage.

Based on the numbers found today this scabbard must have been made in fairly large numbers.