Rating and value of your German, Russian and English bayonets

If you own a collector's bayonet and would like to know its value, our state-approved experts and auctioneers will be happy to offer you their appraisal services.

Our specialists will carry out a free appraisal of your work, and provide you with a precise estimate of its current market value.

Then, if you want to sell your work, we'll point you in the right direction to get the best possible price for it.  

Dimensions and value of bayonets

First introduced in the 18th century and adopted by Western armies, bayonets have now become veritable collector's items.

These edged weapons have often survived the passage of time, bearing witness to past or present conflicts, or gaining in value because they belonged to specific personalities.

These were sold at very different prices, ranging from €10 to €6,200. In 2016, a brass-handled bayonet with an iron scabbard, dating from 1866, sold for €4,700.

Estimate

Bayonets can be worth between €10 and €6,200.

The utility of the bayonet

Designed to be attached to the end of the barrel of a rifle or similar weapon, the bayonet is a bladed weapon, in other words an edged weapon that relies on the physical effort of the user, as opposed to firearms that depend on the propulsion of projectiles.

It can be used in close combat, hand-to-hand, with a technique similar to that of a spear.

This transformation makes the rifle much more than a simple ranged instrument; it becomes a versatile weapon, capable of fulfilling two distinct functions: that of a firearm and that of a hast weapon, a bladed weapon typically composed of a metal point attached to a wooden shaft.

The use of bayonets became widespread in the West from the 18th century onwards, a period when pikes and halberds, the weapons of the old tradition, were slowly giving way to rifles fitted with bayonets.

As military tactics evolve towards more mobile and adaptable formations, infantrymen in Europe's armies are increasingly turning to this innovative weapon, which enables them to maintain a close defense capability, even in the absence of ammunition.

The history of the bayonet

The invention of the bayonet is generally attributed to the peasants of Bayonne, who, during their revolt and the sporadic conflicts of the 1660s, resorted to this weapon for lack of ammunition.

These Bayonnais would have attached hunting knives to the end of their sticks, to increase their defensive capacity. However, it is important to note that as early as the 17th century, the ancestor of the bayonet was already mentioned and used by the king's musketeers.

The latter added blades directly to the barrels of their muskets to transform them into melee weapons, so they could defend themselves when engaged in close combat.

At the same time, several accounts mention the use of this weapon by French archers, who used it to protect themselves during field battles. The first bayonets were officially used by French armies in 1640.

At the time, under the reign of Louis XIII, these bayonets measured around thirty centimeters and were of the "cork" type. They were fitted with a cylindrical handle that enabled them to be firmly attached to the barrel of muskets.

Although this model was effective for close-range fighting, it could not replace the pikemen, the soldiers armed with long halberds or pikes, whose main function was to protect gunners from enemy charges.

Bayonet production  

Initially, there were two types of bayonet: the plug bayonet and the socket bayonet. The wooden handle of the plug bayonet is inserted into the barrel.

This type of bayonet was introduced in Europe around 1640-1647, making it the very first model designed for hunting. Although it has the advantage of being sharp on both sides, it is impossible to shoot when fixed.  

It was in 1695 that the socket bayonet appeared, consisting of a tube to which the blade was attached. This model was modified in 1703 to reload the weapon, and then in 1770 with the addition of the ferrule, for better attachment. The straight-bladed bayonet saber was invented by the United Kingdom in 1800 and adopted by France in 1840.

With the evolution of military tactics, the bayonet is similar to a relatively short sword, from its beginnings until the mid-19th century, one of whose archetypal models remains the Baker rifle, used by the British infantry until the 1840s. The bayonet became versatile with the invention of the "rifled rifle" in 1854, similar to the "Sawback model" invented by Prussia in 1865.

In 1869, the British appropriated this model to invent a very similar weapon. The bayonet knife was definitively adopted by Germany and Italy the year Hitler came to power, as well as by the United States in 1944. This model thus became the standard for all armies using bayonets.  

In principle, recent bayonets have a visible gutter on the emerging part of the blade. Designed to limit the weight of the bayonet, this gutter forms a concave depression. More recently, the modern U.S. M9 sawback bayonet was introduced in 1984. It incorporates one of the features of the Russian AK-47 model, which can slice through barbed wire with a cutting brush.

The M7 bayonet of the 1960s was replaced by the M9 bayonet. Today's bayonets take the form of a knife with a handle, part of which attaches to the rifle in the manner of the SKS. The type of SKS bayonet blade varies according to place and date of manufacture, and can be knife-like (Romania, Russia, Yugoslavia), cruciform (modern China) or triangular (Albania).  

These bladed weapons can be found on a variety of rifles, such as repeating infantry riflesand other Empire riflesor even rifles from the Versailles factory.

Point Histoire: The bayonet at Verdun

One of the most famous anecdotes involving a bayonet takes place during the First World War, at the Battle of Verdun in 1916.

Verdun, the symbol of French resistance, was the scene of one of the fiercest battles in history, where the bayonet, as never before, took center stage on the battlefield.

In February 1916, the French and German armies fought a war of positions that lasted several months.

Caught in muddy, narrow trenches, soldiers regularly find themselves having to fight hand-to-hand for lack of space to deploy their firearms.

One of the most memorable moments of the battle came during a heroic charge by French troops.

With the defensive line on the brink of collapse under the relentless onslaught of the German army, a French lieutenant, Charles de Gaulle, later General and President of the French Republic, leads his men in a desperate offensive.

At the decisive moment, the order is given: "Fix bayonets! The soldiers, exhausted but determined, leapt into the fray, bayonets fixed.

The scene is one of unprecedented violence: bayonets at the end of rifles are transformed into makeshift swords, used to pierce enemy lines in an unleashing display of brute force.

Hand-to-hand combat, using the bayonet, illustrates both the brutality and necessity of this weapon in a context where space and time were reduced to the bare minimum.

Thanks to this charge, albeit costly in terms of human lives, the French managed to retake a strategic position. This feat is one of the many legends that nourish the memory of Verdun.

The bayonet, in this crucial moment, embodies not only the violence of trench warfare, but also the resilience and self-sacrificing spirit of the soldiers.

Why are these objects prized on the auction market?

The market for vintage weapons is relatively unknown to the general public, but is fuelled by collectors who buy and sell vintage weapons such as bayonets.

Closely linked to the history of France, Europe and beyond (you'll also find Ottoman, Asian and American weapons), antique weapons are sought-after both for the know-how they demonstrate and for the history they tell.

At auction, your weapon is submitted to an expert who examines it in minute detail. This expertise enables future bidders to find out, if you don't already know, about the weapon's era, the materials it was made from, the manufacturer, and the conflicts in which it may have been used.

Like French swords, crossbows and wheel guns, bayonets are sought-after items by bidders all year round.

Know the value of an object

If you happen to own a bayonet-like weapon, don't hesitate to request a free evaluation using the form on our website.

A member of our team of experts and certified auctioneers will contact you promptly to provide you with an estimate of the value of your work, as well as any relevant information about it.

If you're thinking of selling your work of art, our specialists will also be on hand to help you find alternative ways of selling it at the best possible price.