Australian WW2 Lee Enfield 1907 Pattern Bayonet by Orange Arsenal, Dated 1944

Straight single-fullered knife blade, steel hilt with muzzle ring, wood slab grips secured by two screws, steel beaked pommel with locking button. Black leather scabbard with steel locket & round frog stud and steel chape piece.

The ricasso is stamped on one side with ‘MA’ for Munitions Australia, over ‘1907’, the model, over ‘1’, as well as a broad arrow War Department mark, the manufacturer’s mark ‘OA’ indicating the Orange Arsenal, and an ‘X’ indicating that it passed a manufacturer’s bending test. On the other side it is stamped with another ‘MA 1907 1’ mark and the manufacture date 4 ’44 indicating April 1944. One of the wood grips is stamped between the screws with ‘SLAZ 43’ and the other with ‘SLAZ 44’, indicating that they were produced in 1943 and 1944 by the Slazenger company, better known for its sporting equipment.

The throat piece of the scabbard is stamped next to the staple with another ‘OA’. The chape piece is stamped next to the staple with a seven-pointed star. The leather section of the scabbard is stamped next to the seam with ‘MANGROVITE 44’.

The blade has an even dark parkerised finish with some wear only along the spine from rubbing upon sheathing and drawing, exposing bright steel. The hilt, exposed tang and pommel likewise are darkly parkerised. The grips have some abrasion next to the pommel – possibly deliberately shaved down to better fit it to the pommel – and are otherwise excellent. The throat piece of the scabbard has some light scratches showing bright steel and some rubbing to the finish on the frog stud, likewise some rubbing to the tip of the chape piece. The leather of the scabbard has some light denting and surface rubbing.