Luristan Bronze Dagger

By Rodgers, with finely shaped 15cm stiletto blade with traces of original black finish tapering to a steel oval guard and fitted with a brass 'beaded and ringed' shaped hilt secured by a copper pommel nut; the hilt bearing the War Department 'broad arrow' and '2' marks near to the guard; with the original leather scabbard fitted with brass rivets and chape, pierced for belt wear and with the side flaps for sewing cut away as commonly seen when belt worn; the dagger showing wear with minor chipping to the blade. 254 grams, 33 cm overall



Property of a Luton, UK gentleman, by inheritance.

In the autumn of 1942, the Rodgers firm produced what many consider to be the best of all the wartime Fairbairn-Sykes knives: the 'Beads and Ridges' model (or 'Beaded and Ringed'); so-called for its distinctive grip pattern to the brass hilt of single rings of tiny beads, interspersed between sections of four to seven plain rings. The blade is delicate and uniform, and the weapon, though light, is well balanced. The blade finish was black (as this example) or nickel. All of this type are considered to be at least scarce. According to both Fredrick Stephens and Leroy Thompson the type was a commercial variant for private purchase; however, there are some rare cases of this type which were officially issued with the War Department broad arrow and number marks, as with this example.

Comprising eight caltrops, hand-forged with square-section spikes. 494 grams total, 83-92 mm



Acquired 1971-1972. From the collection of the vendor's father. Property of a London, UK, collector.

Caltrops were scattered on battlefields in an effort to stop or slow advancing enemy cavalry or foot soldiers; regardless of how a caltrop lands, one spike is always facing upwards. Caesar used widely them at Alesia (Caes., BG 7.73; 82): 'Stakes a foot long, with iron hooks attached to them, were entirely sunk in the ground before these, and were planted in every place at small intervals; these they called spurs'.

Comprising a knife bayonet for use with the Second World War 8 mm Mauser Kar 98k rifle; fitted with resin grip scales and spring release button; scabbard with original throat and chape. 588 grams, 40.5 cm



Property of a Luton, UK gentleman, by inheritance.

The bayonet offered here is an example of the third pattern of bayonet manufactured in 1927-1930 and again in the period 1934-1935, with this specific example having been produced in 1935. In an attempt to keep their identities a secret, the makers of these weapons stamped the blades with a letter/number code, a practice they repeated for the scabbards. This scabbard bears the code for 1943, although it was double struck. Both blade and scabbard in this instance were produced by E. & F. Horster & Co. of Solingen, and the weapon is apparently a pre-war example that was captured and reworked in eastern Europe, likely Yugoslavia. The plastic grips such as those used on our bayonet, and typically found on M1884/98 III bayonets, are made from a phenolic resin. Owing to a shortage of such resin in Germany during WWII a substitute moulding compound known as type 41, which contained a much lower percentage of resin, was adopted in January 1943.