Israeli bayonet
Moderator: Mr. B.
Israeli bayonet
Today I received this bayonet from Israel. I bought it on eBay from an Israeli seller who only offers IDF equipment. You can see the tzadik on the handle. Here are pictures of identical bayonets from the bayonet.lv site.
Re: Israeli bayonet
According to the bayonet site. lv, the state of Israel purchased a number of these bayonets for the engineer troops. On another site, it is indicated that these bayonets were captured during the Israel-Arab war, which is plausible because the Iranian (Hezbollah) and Iraqi armies were equipped with AK 63. What would be the best hypothesis for you? ?
Re: Israeli bayonet
Sorry, but no documentation, believes or opinions from me on Israeli marked items. From the beginning Israel has used a wide variety of bayonets from many different countries plus made a few of their own. Some were new, some used. Some were purchased, some traded for, others were captured or stolen. Most were marked with Israeli property marks in a variety of ways. Some were not and left "sterile" and untraceable. At one time, before 2000, had 15-20 different Israeli marked bayonets in my general collection. Since collecting only AK bayonets I have seen AK bayonets from several ComBloc countries, (Yugoslavia, Russia, DDR, Hungary, etc.), with supposedly Israeli markings. Marked in a variety of ways. Hand engraved, laser, photo and acid etched, ink stamped, painted, heat branded and metal die stamped, etc.. Too easy to fake, too hard to prove or document. Lots of stories about them from various sources, some may be true,, others not so much.
I guess I wonder why they would even bother to mark purchased or captured AK bayonets. A great deal of what they produce is left sterile. I play it safe and don't even bother with them. Mike
I guess I wonder why they would even bother to mark purchased or captured AK bayonets. A great deal of what they produce is left sterile. I play it safe and don't even bother with them. Mike
Re: Israeli bayonet
I'm with Mike. And when I speak to my military contacts in Israel, they always tell me there is NO official issue knife or bayonet like this.
Seems one of those things that if repeated enough times...becomes fact.
I avoid them. Not to say the Yugo or Romy ones aren't legit, but I doubt they were done en masse and issued in any great numbers, and I'd rather consider them an oddity that is easy to fake.
Seems one of those things that if repeated enough times...becomes fact.
I avoid them. Not to say the Yugo or Romy ones aren't legit, but I doubt they were done en masse and issued in any great numbers, and I'd rather consider them an oddity that is easy to fake.
Brian
- Admin -
- Admin -
Re: Israeli bayonet
Certainly, however, it would seem that this type of bayonet (yugo and Hungarian) were or are used by the engineer troops for demining and not for combat as evidenced by these photos. In addition a mark is made on the blade (M70). Then it is the first time that I see on sale a Hungarian bayonet marked in this way.
Finally, the Israelis are used to marking import bayonets, mauser and M16 for example. Why did they do it and why wouldn't they have done it for Ak bayonets?
Finally, the Israelis are used to marking import bayonets, mauser and M16 for example. Why did they do it and why wouldn't they have done it for Ak bayonets?
Re: Israeli bayonet
To add to the "whys", Why are the Yugos marked on the blade and scabbard with laser style etching and the Hungarians with heat branding on the hilt? Different styles in different places? Is there a central arsenal or depot that has the capability to do this marking or is it done in the field by just the engineers? Why use them in the first place? Are the the only tool to use for this job? What do other countries, (USA, G.B., France, etc.) use for mine clearing? Again back to the original question. Why mark them in the first place? They are a disposable tool of no significant value. Mike
Re: Israeli bayonet
They may have kept the habits of the American and French armies of the last century which marked all the equipment "US" or "Armée Française ".
Re: Israeli bayonet
Mike, as to why mark them in the first place, the Israeli military like most militaries in the world has a lot of control freaks. REMF's tend to be the biggest control freaks in my experience. I have Israeli AK cleaning kits with the Tsadeh stamped on them. That said, I won't pay a premium for a Tsadeh marked bayonet unless I get it directly from an IDF person who is willing to include documentation. And then not much of a premium - maybe 10 % or 20% above normal price. That's why I only have one in my collection.
BTW, the Israeli marked AK cleaning kits I own all came out of PLO Captured AK kits imported from Israel. So they were basically free with the kit.
Martin
BTW, the Israeli marked AK cleaning kits I own all came out of PLO Captured AK kits imported from Israel. So they were basically free with the kit.
Martin