Thread: Sharpening military bayonets

I have am old military bayonet make of Soligen steel, fairly big[long] bugger too, tried last night to put some kind of edge on it, very duanting tast indeed, want to use it for a general camp knife. I tried the Gatco system, the lansky system, and just stroking patiently on a diamond sharpening steel, it's one tuff little jasper!!
Any thought of what the poor fellows in the trench' and or hedgrows in uniform used to do to sharpen one up without causeing a major carpel tunnel flair up??

Just proving that I still have WAY to much time on my hands, I am, tinkersd

I have a newer one, and it was dull when it was given to me. I don't know that they are supposed to be sharp.

You need to set the bevel on a stone like any other knife. I doubt it is that hard of a steel typical hardness range is HRC 56-60 which is not tough to sharpen at all.

I know approximately nothing about bayonets, but I thought they were for stabbing as opposed to slashing.

+1 holli, a slashing blade has a belly--like a Saracean sword.

As above,having actually run an armory on a navel base,Bayonets are never intended to be used as edged weapons,the edges were never sharpend as issued,Of course many were after issue by the grunts that got them.

I'm no expert, so for what it's worth;
my machetes, axes, long blades are stabilized, so I can use two hands to work the edge with a stone, usually setting the bevel with a carborundum stone / puck, then finish off with a beat up Swaty that is only used for rough stuff.

Not meant to be sharpened. The theory being that when you get stabbed by it, the dull edges tear all the surrounding arteries ect vice slicing them. That way you bleed more and die faster.


That`s what I was always told (8Yrs combat arms)

Not meant to be sharpened?? I think you are correct, the profile of the blade does suggest that an edge was NOT any where in the future of the Bayonet as issued. But when I get an idea it tends to stick until I act on it or at least address the concept. WELL, I took some sanding bands that I had made for my Dremel 150/220/320 grits, sat down and dremeled away, all the time hating myself for even thinking about the project, but I did get both sides of the bevel to meet, roughly of course, I put it in my Gatco fixture and with the coarse stone finally got me an edge!!
Take my advice, if you ever decide to try this don't, just break down and buy a camp knife, much much easier.

[but as general camp/utiliy knives go it's sort of cool!]

Can we see it?