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1950's M4 Bayonet - Japanese contract -
The M-4 bayonet was made the standard bayonet for the M-1 carbine rifle in 1944. the
construction of the bayonet consists of a leather handle with large grooves evenly
spaced throught the handle. The pommel is secured to the knife via the use of a
square peg. the overall length of the bayonet is approximatelly 11.5 inches.
The item featured here is very interesting because it is an M-4 bayonet made in Japan.
At the end of the war Japan was destroyed. In order to bring the country back their
industry had to be revived. One way in which this was done was to provide orders
for items their factories could manufacture.
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This page is a recognition and identification guide for military fighting knives.
Multiple detailed photos of a specific sample are provided. Descriptions point out
clearly defined points that should be noted.
One of the most commonly asked questions is "How much is my fighting knife worth?".
A price guide is included here to address this question. The value of the knives is
reviewed over a period of several years. A trend can be observed. The present worth
of the edge weapons in the collector's market is illustrated.
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The scabbard would have been made of fiber glass. Olive drab color. It would have
wire type hooks in the back to allow it to be attached to the utility belt.
The pommel area shows the spring mechanism that secured the bayonet to the rifle. Once
mounted, depressing the spring loaded levers allowed the bayonet to be removed from the
rifle.
The base of the blade is marked "Japan". It is not clear if these bayonets were produced
for miliatry use or for the after-market.
This edge weapon is currently being reproduced.
It is becoming more difficult to be able to tell the fake ones from the real ones because
the quality of the reproductions is improving. The collector must become familiarized with
the construction style and materials employed in the manufacturing of this item.
Attention to the details is critical in order to be able to determine the authenticity of
the collectible.
If you have an interest is seeing other fighting knives, you can do so by going to our
Military Fighting Knives Price Guide
identification guide. Where we cover Army, Navy, Army Air Force, USMC and other organizations.
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