William, are you still in that? i will just repost my comment for this that had been published on FB, then. also, the ORIGINAL picture (not re-take from a computer screen) is attached below.
but first:
i am the owner of the pictures, which jacob published. they have not been altered or whatsoever, not by me and not by him. i have long term international reputation as an AK bayo expert, and i need no altered pictures for prooving my word being taken seriously neither i feel any need to hide as their owner that never removed or added any details from them. that's not the league im playing at.
want to know more - and especially why this is just a case of someone that missed it completely? check my LONG, PICTURED comment out:
i will join the forum's duscission later, but i want to set the things as they really are: this exact bayonet wasn't mine. some of the ones on the market - are. this exact one came from a guy in israel that sold his grandfather's belongings after his pass. i tried to get it myself, btw. and for the topic:
you guys don't keep in mind and take in account the history and geopolitics involved here - e.g. what were the politic disabilities of egypt during that time, which i will review in the next few lines; you also don't take in account the different vision about bayonets in a country such israel, 25 years old, full of wars and enemies (trophie, forever, not a collector's item. the guys took them in order to keep them - those had great sentimental value for their owners), and you dont take in account the supply was extremely limited due to those geopolitics (egypt - russia, despite syria and russia) and other factors such as those wre never being sold commercially - and made in very small quantity per request, for a specific contract.
the reason them for popping now is first, becasue Kippur war veterans took them 51 years ago. those were ultra rare as they were contracted un-numbered from tula (for some reasons such as hiding the origin - the arabic show-off culture wouldn't let them keep it like that, and also the contract was probably a secret). note that they've been using in white ink to cover the grinded tula molds, but mostly never botheres removed the small stams such as the guard stamps. those were all the AKM 6x4 EARLY Type 2 that were preduced from 1965 to 1971, which fits the 1973 Kippur war. i've seen also tula magazines with the star removed the same way but only twice or so. those were issued in small quantities for some elite, small unit. hence, they were taken as war trophies, long ago any collecting colture were present in israel. again - the whole idea wasn't slling or collecting those. just being kept as a war trophie, since they had some great sentimental value. as long as those old veterans pass and their stuff is being sold to dealers or by their families (which most of the tiem do not know the stories of those knives), those are popping, rarely, here and there.
they came from different origins, from combat soldiers who collected them to field investigators that questioned the prisoners in the field, and took their belongings. i have taked to different people that got those bayonets from their grandfathers here in israel, and all had the same story: a unit that was completely wiped out, involving probably some helicopter crush, after being ambushed. that's why some of the items are burnt. (CHECK THE NOTE BELOW!***) there were very few survivors and all the equipment had been taken by our military. some knives made it to the soldiers who kept them as trophies, and again, once they are passing, their belongings are rolling.
also, ive seen at the forums a picture from Ivie's book, of a "so called" egyptian bayonet which we all know that is fake (he was misleaded. nothing about ivie).
compare this crisp mint, percise looking piece for those attached here. would you even think those are similar? have you ever seen an arabig made military equipment in such hi-end manufacturing levels? this one, indeed, guys, is fake - never seen any field use and show's none of the details it sdould show (tula, date, finish level, combat use, ink stamps to cover the origin after grinding). also, NO egyptian bayonet EVER had the Factory 54 (maadi) stamps on it. ever. please do not compare apples and oranges in order to justify a doubt.
and lastly - Me, Tal Kats, Eran Hershkowits and Кирилл Барышников have enough, long term reputation among a lot of the the world wide bayonet's collectors communities - for not being suspected for creating a faking-concern.
for your interest, im attaching some of my egyptian bayonet trophies (withouth the one numbered 15555 (arabic ١٥٥٥٥) and the "אחיק" in handwriting font ("small letters") on it, that had been posted below) - for your information.
enjoy the info and pics here and on the following comments.
and the full picture that was suspected as "altered" in the thread below. any more detailed pictures would be attached per request. i dont posses some of the items anymore, so cant make morte pics of some of them, but i have left here some and have a lot of detailed pictures anyway.
and as for Martin Ivie's book, if he accepts, i can attach the so called "egyptian" bayonet that made its way to the book, accidently. This one is fake indeed, but i wont post the pictures from the book as i do respect the copyrights. but you can find the detalied ones up on this thread anyway.
PS: if you want' heres another detailed pic of the 15555 (arabic ١٥٥٥٥) and the "אחיק" in handwriting font, from another angle.
i am #sorry_notsorry to ruin the party, but those are not fake, nethier altered or photoshopped. now judge for yourself.
blaming someone for scamming (YES, altering and photoshopping such details in pictures IS INDEED a scam) is a one hell of a SERIOUS accusation.
a lot of high-reputated people such me, Eran, Kirill, Tal, Jacob, and more had been prooving you wrong, and you are still trying to claim and accuse the same. BTW, all of the above have or had egyptian 6x4's made by Tula, seen and handled them. some of them, like me - had five over the years, all came from leftovers from israeli veterans. all the ones in the collectors market came from israel, to the last one. the reasons are stated above.
the minimal reaction i would expect is to get down of the tree you've been climbing and to understand that sometimes it is ok to say "i just don't know".
David.