French army. M1866 bayonet

[C4RL]

That's a nice Kukri David 👍

Sadly the bayonet was very likely "cleaned" by my father sometime, I'm guessing before the 70's because as far as I remember the odd time I saw it growing up it always looked like that, kept in an old felt lined gun case.
He also had a 1917 Bolo & didn't know what it was, and this was definitely polished by him 😟. I've managed to i.d it as a Plumb (Philadelphia) from the barely visible markings. Again, different times regarding attitudes to "cleaning"!

[kronckew]

They made great hunting swords too! Found a French 1866 scabbard for one, fits perfectly. The UK concurrently, or at least overlapping-ly, also used a yat bladed bayonet. the advantage being the spine of the bayonet attached to its rifle was further off the bore axis, allowing for easier and safer reloading. It also stayed out of tye sight picture more for longer range shots, and made a very handy sidearm in its own right for close combat, as inside buildings or fortifications.

[David R]

I did have a choice of this one, or a British Yat' bayonet at twice the price and with no stamps at all, so it was an easy choice in the end. The British one was definitely carried as a side arm on its own, I do wonder about the French one.