Original American Revolutionary War French-Pattern Colonial Socket Bayonet with Woven Canvas Shoulder Carriage & Partial Leather Scabbard - Maker-Marked
In stock
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Original Item. One-of-a-Kind. This is an excellent ensemble likely carried by a militiaman during the American Revolutionary War, perhaps with a French Charleville or St. Etienne Musket. This is a well-used American-made socket bayonet complete with its original partial custom-made leather scabbard and integrated woven canvas shoulder carriage which appears to be cotton. The bayonet measures 17 ½” with a 14” blade.
The blade has a roughly 5½” top fuller reaching back from the tip, which aligns it closely with the French Bayonet Circa 1754 shown on page 40 of George Neumann’s book “Swords & Blades of the American Revolution”. This is either an American-made copy of that pattern or a French example carried by an American during the Revolution. The blade shows heavy wear with some minor delamination along the edges. There is also a crack in the shoulder of the bayonet, and some minor denting in the socket. This example saw very heavy use during the period. The blade itself is stamped with what may be a maker marking, reading EED? There is also an X stamped on the side of the socket.
The outstanding woven canvas shoulder carriage has the often-seen weave pattern with minor oxidation staining throughout. Cross-stitched to the end is a custom-made leather frog and integrated scabbard for the bayonet, with the scabbard molded to the exact fit of this socket bayonet. The scabbard is only partial as shown, with the bottom half gone and the stitching on the remaining portion gone as well.
Close inspection of the stitching of the frog to the canvas will show the meticulous cross-stitching that still keeps these pieces together roughly 250 years later. The construction is very evident of the period, and the cracking of the leather is quite indicative of its age. The bayonet fits into this partial scabbard like a glove.
This ensemble is particularly significant for the survival of the 17½-inch French-pattern socket bayonet, approximately 14-inch blade, distinctive upper fuller, woven linen shoulder carriage, hand cross-stitched leather frog, and partial custom-fitted scabbard. The exact national manufacture of the bayonet remains unresolved, and no documented individual attribution presently establishes its original wearer, but its construction closely fits the varied French and American socket-bayonet tradition of the Revolutionary era. This will fit well into any collection of American Revolutionary War artifacts.
Specifications:-
Blade Length: 14”
Blade Style: Socket
Socket Length: 2 ½”
Overall length: 17 ½”
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