You dont mention blade lengths etc so I might be barking up the wrong tree here, however , the blade appears to be from a British bayonet of the 19th century . Either a Pattern 1856/1860 sword bayonet for the Enfield rifle or if it is straight , from one of the 1880s Martini Henry series of straight bladed sword bayonets ( see pic 3 ) . Its hard to make out because of the angle of the pics but would you say this is a yataghan shaped blade as in the bayonet I have shown in my attached picture or a straight blade ? Looking at the fuller length it seems more likely to be from a Martini bayonet .
However , in my opinion , the handle is a fantasy created in someone's workshop. The handle is in the Oriental style favoured in the late 18th / early 19th century but I know of no British military issue sword which conforms to this design. I also believe the WD ( War Dept ) mark on the handle to be spurious ( see the attached close up of a genuine one ) . The other possible interpretation is that it was assembled as a side arm for a military bandsman . Many bayonets were reworked to make decorative sidearms for bandsmen in the 19th century but this is a type I have not encountered before and I am not happy about the authenticity of the WD marks .
Last edited by thinreadline; 18th February 2014 at 11:59 AM.
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