The Schwarzburg Armoury (3): Three Early Bayonet Types

May 01, 2018 Konrad Kessler All Posts, Combat Archaeology, Our Artefact of the Month 0

---

Introductory note:

In May 2018 – almost 100 years after the abdication of the last prince of the house of Schwarzburg – the Schwarzburger Zeughaus, the armoury of the Schwarzburg castle, is to be re-opened to visitors. It will be presenting a unique collection of arms and armour of over 4000 objects which have accumulated over a period of 500 years and date as far back as the Late Middle Ages. Mentioned in historical sources as early as the 14^th century, the Schwarzburger Zeughaus is the oldest and only surviving princely armoury collection in Germany. As such, the collection, which is to be on display in the original freestanding building, is an exceptional source of information on historical weaponry and warfare in Europe. In this series of blog posts, I will present a few of the main pieces of the collection which I examined as the main researcher for the Armouries catalogue.

 

Three Early Bayonet Types

Please scroll for longer description and discussion.

Plug-bayonet (Oss 1513, B 30/1)

Short description:

Handle consisting of several brass parts and a grip of two tortoiseshell parts. Small crossguard and coquille. Straight single-edged blade merging into a double-edged blade. Corroded etching in the ricasso area.

Origin: German (?)

Manufacturer: unknown

Dating: Beginning of the 18th century

Knife-bayonet (Oss 681)

Short description:

Wooden handle, flattened on one side, riveted twice. Spring thorn and riveted ring for fastening it to the firearm.

Single-edged knife blade with forged mark. Double-edged point.

Origin: Solingen

Manufacturer: Bügel, Wilhelm

Dating: 2nd half of the 17th century

Sword-bayonet (Oss 620)

Swept hilt with wooden handle, fist guard, ring guard, and quillons. Riveted spout for fastening. Blade with a wedge-shaped point.

Origin: German

Manufacturer: Unknown

Dating: 2nd half of the 17th century

 

The bayonet was developed out of the desire to minimise the number of weapons carried into hunting as well as to the battlefield, especially spears and lances.

Early weapons of this type were so-called plug-bayonets which were fitted directly into the barrel of a musket.  In hunting, these blade weapons were intended to kill wounded animals by stabbing when shots from firearms did not kill instantly. In a military context, the bayonet allowed light infantry forces to function as heavy infantry by providing them with a lance-like weapon which could hold off cavalry charges. This invention nonetheless had major disadvantages: When the bayonet was fixed to the musket, the barrel was closed and the weapon could not be loaded and fired anymore. It was also possible that the bayonet could bend in the process of entering the body and become stuck.

In comparison to the hunting daggers of this time, Oss 1513 has a very short blade. Moreover, due to the elaborate design of the hilt parts, it is probable that the weapon was made for more decorative purposes than for actual use in hunting.

In contrast to the plug-bayonet, Oss 1513, the bayonets Oss 620 and Oss 681 are military weapons.  Oss 681 belongs to a larger group of knife bayonets dating back to second half of the 17^th century. The bayonets in the inventory of the Schwarzburg Armoury are some of the oldest specimens of this distinct weapon type and can be traced back to the year 1726.

Knife-bayonets are attached to the firearm by a socket-ring combination. In contrast to the plug-bayonets that are inserted into the barrel of the gun, this construction places the blade weapon out of the projectile ´s path.  The knife-bayonet is defined by its characteristic blade and handle, both of which are similar to that of a knife: a short handle and a one-edged sturdy blade as well as a simple guard section.  In addition to the lance-like use when attached to the firearm, the knife-bayonet can also be used on its own as a combat knife or a tool.

Oss 620 is an even more distinctive weapon of approximately the same age. The sword- bayonets have a longer single-edged blade and a simple swept hilt. This qualifies it as an adequate single-handed weapon.

It was only at the beginning of the 19th century that sword bayonets became widely spread among the European armies. Around the turn of the 20th century, knife-bayonets had become a common piece of military equipment.

 

Plug-bayonet (Oss 1513 (B 30/1)

Dimensions

Total length: 526 mm

Blade length: 356 mm

Blade width: 23 mm

Weight

315 g

Material

Blade: iron

Hilt: tortoiseshell, gilded brass

Knife-bayonet (Oss 681)

Dimensions

Total length: 376 mm

Blade length: 230 mm

Blade width: 30 mm

Weight

209 g

Material

Blade: Iron

Hilt: Iron, Copper, Wood

Sword-bayonet (Oss 620)

Dimensions

Total length: 745 mm

Blade length: 600 mm

Blade width: 31 mm

Weight

665 g

Material

Blade: Iron

Hilt: Iron, Copper, Wood

To learn more about Combat Archaeology Click Here.

---

• 18th century, archaeology, armoury, bayonets, combat, early, kessler, konrad, muskets, Schwarzburg, swords, type, types, zeughaus

---

---