Numbers of British P.1907 bayonets surviving

[4thGordons]

Another one followed me home (well actually is en route) - not sure if this one has been recorded yet - it was listed oddly so the price was not as outrageous as some.

I live in hope of finding one close to either of my rifles. I do not yet have it in hand so this is the only pic I have currently

4356?

 

[t.ryan]

4thGordons

Your new smiling tiger bayonet is actually number 9356 and it will be a new one for JMBs latest list. 

I am also away from home at the moment and when visiting a gun show last Saturday, I was also lucky enough to pick up a new smiling tiger bayonet and I have it on board.

It is another new number for JMBs list, and I will upload photo and number when I get back home.

Lucky if you can pick up any 07 bayonet at a reasonable price now, cheapest I seen on Saturday was $425 au., with a couple of early Aussie ones much dearer, my smiling tiger bayonet was the exception but still pricy enough.

It’s looking like that we will have several new numbers awaiting JMB on his return to post.

What are the numbers that you are looking for.

Cheers 

TR

[trajan]

On 25/02/2023 at 18:29, JMB1943 said:

Mr Ryan,

Third update, and still 208 in the count!

I must have eliminated all of the operator errors.......for now.

My daughter's husband is in the Run Silent, Run Deep branch of the US Navy and they are currently stationed in Pearl Harbour.

Next week we are off to visit them for a couple of weeks, so no updated lists until end of March.

Good hunting at Bathurst Gun Show.

Regards,

JMB

1	1013	2011	3008	4060	5021	6013	7056	8262	9047	32xx
6	1021	2078	3070	4070	5027	6107	7094	8496	9070	5x46
35	1115	2133	3090	4116	5044	6137	7128	8262	9088	608x
67	1166	2177	3155	4150	5066	6212	7143	8089	9091	808x
96	1202	2247	3260	4335	5154	6249	7441	8104	9130	x2x2
107	1241	2278	3290	4403	5171	6279	7594	8181	9185	xx1
145	1306	2280	3400	4406	5221	6285	7600	8349	9229	x070
326	1367	2339	3449	4496	5225	6339	7611	8388	9233	104x
330	1431	2390	3454	4537	5278	6430	7745	8415	9296	x33x
341	1485	2399	3572	4570	5351	6476	7778	8651	9306	x95
404	1527	2411	3689	4629	5391	6485	7860	8712	9338	71x
427	1584	2590	3797	4651	5405	6527	7948	8714	9385	158x
505	1635	2622	3810	4654	5502	6557	7973	8737	9412	16xx
541	1757	2702	3815	4724	5531	6581	7999	8751	9413	X97
544	1758	2715	3893	4770	5960	6630		8793	9459	437x
577	1831	2784	3958	4779		6732		8833	9502	X400
590	1889	2815	3992	4803		6737			9737
625	1926	2833		4983		6750			9792
649	1980	2849				6831			9851
711		2851				6847			9903
714		2925							9931
732									9957
788									9968
836									10000
866
941
979
997
28	19	21	17	18	15	20	14	16	24	16 = 208

Earthquake recovery and work matters have kept me off GWF for a while - hope you have a good time over there in SPAM land, JMB! Have a couple of tins for me!

No, we in Ankara were not directly affected by the earthquakes on 06 Feb, but we have been directly impacted by the recovery programmes, dealing with affected students and their families, rescheduling classes and courses, etc. So no spare time at all! Will clock back in to GWF properly next week - I hope!

Julian 

[JMB1943]

Very happy to be back home after visiting my daughter & son-in-law in Oahu, followed by a week in Hilo.

A nice visit, but don't let anybody tell you that jet-airplane travel is one of the marvels of the modern age!

Anyway, here is the updated Table of Smiling Tiger serial numbers.

Regards,

JMB

1	1013	2011	3008	4060	5021	6013	7056	8262	9047	32xx
6	1021	2078	3070	4070	5027	6107	7094	8496	9070	5x46
35	1115	2133	3090	4078	5044	6137	7128	8262	9088	608x
67	1166	2177	3155	4116	5066	6212	7143	8089	9091	808x
96	1202	2247	3260	4150	5154	6249	7441	8104	9130	x2x2
107	1241	2278	3290	4335	5171	6279	7594	8181	9185	xx1
145	1306	2280	3400	4403	5221	6285	7600	8349	9229	x070
326	1326	2339	3449	4406	5225	6339	7611	8388	9233	104x
330	1367	2390	3454	4496	5278	6430	7745	8415	9296	x33x
341	1431	2399	3572	4537	5351	6476	7778	8651	9306	x95
404	1485	2411	3689	4570	5391	6485	7860	8712	9338	71x
427	1527	2590	3797	4629	5405	6527	7948	8714	9356	158x
505	1584	2622	3810	4632	5502	6557	7973	8737	9385	16xx
541	1635	2702	3815	4651	5531	6581	7999	8751	9412	X97
544	1757	2715	3893	4654	5960	6630		8793	9413	437x
577	1758	2784	3958	4724		6732		8833	9459	X400
590	1831	2815	3992	4770		6737			9502
625	1889	2833		4779		6750			9737
649	1926	2849		4803		6831			9792
711	1980	2851		4983		6847			9851
714		2925							9903
732									9931
788									9957
836									9968
866									10000
941
979
997
28	20	21	17	20	15	20	14	16	25	16 = 212

[Chasemuseum]

Having done the flight San Fran-Hawaii on a return trip to Australia, that's one of the worst flights in the world. To those that have not experienced it, it gives a whole new meaning to cattle class. Makes the super cheap July flights from Gatwick to Athens look positively comfortable. Frankly I even preferred a regimental deployment in a Hercules, that's with webbing on and wearing your backpack on your chest and your knees hard up against the knees of the soldier opposite you.

 

Anyway, it's amazing to watch how the cats progress.

[4thGordons]

On 15/03/2023 at 23:09, t.ryan said:

What are the numbers that you are looking for.

Cheers 

TR

4787 and 4789 (somehow I hadn't realized how close the numbers were before!)

The new bayonet arrived today - nothing much to report (scabbard is fairly dented and battered but blade although it has been sharpened is in decent shape Looked fine after a quick wipe over with machine oil)

Chris

[t.ryan]

trajan,

All the best to you and your people with the earthquake recovery programs over your way.

4th Gordons,

You can't get 2 numbered smiling tiger rifles much closer than that. Closest bayonet on the list is 4779 so not to far away.

JMB

I only have 2 new smiling tiger bayonets for the list at this time. Numbers 456 and 644.

Smiling tiger number 456 is the one I picked up at the Bathurst gun show Saturday week ago. The metal work is all good, slight blade sharpening, does have replacement grips and screws and the previous old owner seen fit to give everything except the blade a coat of flat black or something similar, (looks good though).  It was a bit hard to walk away and leave it there, so I now have a pair which for some reason I hope are not breeders.

Smiling tiger number 664 is from over your neck of the woods.

Cheers,

TR

[JMB1943]

TR,

Welcome back to you, sir.

Those two triple-digit tigers are nice finds, and I’ll add them to the list in due course.

As for not being breeders, I’m afraid that it’s too late for that…….

Regards,

JMB

[t.ryan]

JMB

If they start breeding I may have to send them to Phil B's smiling tiger breeding farm.

The weights of these 2.

Number 8833 is 501g. and scabbard is 276g.

Number 456 is 528g. and scabbard is 238g.

I think the weight of the scabbards would vary depending on how much brass was used in the brazing, also some have only 2 small rivets holding top mount on and some are brazed.

Cheers,

TR

 

[4thGordons]

1 hour ago, t.ryan said:

I think the weight of the scabbards would vary depending on how much brass was used in the brazing, also some have only 2 small rivets holding top mount on and some are brazed.

 

I have thought about mentioning this but it seems a little esoteric for even this group..... but

My replacement metal scabbards have a mix of locket and chape patterns - some with round some with ova,l studs; some with figured(curved) ends on the locket and chape some with straight and some with rivets proud and some with rivets filed down. These too would I assume affect the weight. What is interesting is it appears to suggest that the scabbards (at least the metal parts) were recycled and no attention was paid to the particular design. I had originally assumed that scabbards were new but perhaps not, or perhaps just the leather was?

Chris

[JMB1943]

2 hours ago, t.ryan said:

JMB

If they start breeding I may have to send them to Phil B's smiling tiger breeding farm.

The weights of these 2.

Number 8833 is 501g. and scabbard is 276g.

Number 456 is 528g. and scabbard is 238g.

I think the weight of the scabbards would vary depending on how much brass was used in the brazing, also some have only 2 small rivets holding top mount on and some are brazed.

Cheers,

TR

 

TR,

Don't waste your time with the scabbards---it's strictly  bayonet only weights required.

Regards,

JMB

[JMB1943]

2 hours ago, 4thGordons said:

I have thought about mentioning this but it seems a little esoteric for even this group..... but

My replacement metal scabbards have a mix of locket and chape patterns - some with round some with ova,l studs; some with figured(curved) ends on the locket and chape some with straight and some with rivets proud and some with rivets filed down. These too would I assume affect the weight. What is interesting is it appears to suggest that the scabbards (at least the metal parts) were recycled and no attention was paid to the particular design. I had originally assumed that scabbards were new but perhaps not, or perhaps just the leather was?

Chris

Chris,

It sounds similar to the mix and match of cocking pieces used on the SMLE during the war---oval disc / flat-topped slab / curved-top slab, just use whatever was at hand until they were used up, and then on to the next parts bin.

I wonder if BSA bought 10,000 scabbards also from WD stocks, and sent the ratty ones to a scabbard maker to replace leathers / chapes / lockets as necessary.

Regards,

JMB

[4thGordons]

Maybe but remember the scabbards as supplied were stamped with the tiger head and numbered. Was this on existing leathers or……

Crus

[t.ryan]

4thGordons and JMB,

If we could get a look at the full page which Phil B posted on page 2 of this post we may get some answers to these questions.

I have also noticed whilst looking through the post that a few of the scabbards appear to be painted with a black finish, I wonder if this finish was applied at time of replacing the leather with metal. One would think that some sort of coating would be needed to stop the bare metal from rusting in the hot humid Siam conditions, especially after the metal being heated at time of brazing.

The smiling tiger I picked up the other day has replacement grips and screws and a recent coat of black finish to all except the blade and I was wondering if the previous old bayonet collector/owner was trying to make it look like what he had seen sometime before. I should have asked the chap that was selling his old mate's bayonets if he knew anything about it.

Cheers,

TR

 

[t.ryan]

JMB,

Another smiling tiger survivor has just shown up for sale here, a nice clear number 1482 and another new number for the list.

I must say just how easy it is to make a quick check of numbers on your new easy to read listing page.

Cheers,

TR

[Phil B]

Just captured this one in the land down under. I’ll do the weigh in on the others tomorrow. Saw a possible rifle purchase last weekend, still thinking it over . Second picture is of the rifle I’ve got a rifle and a bolt that are only 3 numbers apart. Hopefully one day I will get a three way match of rifle , bolt and bayonet . The new bayonet makes 13 in my collection. Cheers Phil 

[t.ryan]

Phil B,

I posted that smiling tiger, number 1482 3 hours ago. It popped up just as I switched on the computer. 

So it is yours then, I see it is now sold and re read your post.

Cheers,

TR

[Phil B]

Just now, t.ryan said:

Phil B,

I posted that smiling tiger, number 1482 3 hours ago. It popped up just as I switched on the computer. 

So it is yours then, I see it is now sold and re read your post.

Cheers,

TR

Those two in the USA are still up for sale  other than that this is the only one I’ve seen for a few weeks. Hey tell me , what do you make of the markings on the leather scabbed on the one I just bought?

cheers Phil 

[t.ryan]

Phil B,

Sorry, the photo's are to blurry to see anything.

Cheers,

TR

[Phil B]

Just now, t.ryan said:

Phil B,

Sorry, the photo's are to blurry to see anything.

Cheers,

TR

That’s ok , I will have possession in a week and can get better photos 

cheers Phil 

[t.ryan]

Phil B,

There is a Siamese Tiger rifle up your way for sale, it is at Oakey, is that the one you looked at last week end.

Cheers.

TR

[Phil B]

7 minutes ago, t.ryan said:

Phil B,

There is a Siamese Tiger rifle up your way for sale, it is at Oakey, is that the one you looked at last week end.

Cheers.

TR

Yes mate, that’s the one.i took my 15 yr old son out there last Friday night camping so he could see the stars that are hidden by pollution and city lights . We went and checked out that contract rifle the next day. It’s an ok example and I’m still thinking about it . But I’m not going to rush in . 
best regards 

phil

[Phil B]

First one is Wilkinson as old stamp still partially visible. More to come but can only do two at a time 

[Phil B]

This one popped up on UK eBay. There seems to be another run of sales starting. 
cheers Phil 

[Phil B]

Did anyone get this one from Guns International? 
cheers Phil