RARE REVOLUTIONARY WAR ERA SOLDIER'S 12" SIDE KNIFE MADE FROM AMERICAN BAYONET

[Patchcollector]

Hi all,

While browsing eBay I came across this knife:

 

http://www.ebay.com/itm/RARE-REVOLUTIONARY-WAR-ERA-SOLDIERS-12-SIDE-KNIFE-MADE-FROM-AMERICAN-BAYONET-/231552343195?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item35e9985c9b

 

Here is the seller's description:

 

RARE REVOLUTIONARY WAR ERA SOLDIER'S 12" SIDE KNIFE MADE FROM AN AMERICAN BAYONET BLADE / CARVED WOOD HANDLE WITH IRON CURVED GUARD - KNIFE APPEARS TO HAVE THIN BRASS COATING TO PROTECT AGAINST RUST IN THE FIELD - GREAT PATINA - GREAT LOOKING KNIFE - VERY DESIRABLE AMERICAN BAYONET BLADE SIDE KNIFE!

 

It appears that this seller is helping to liquidate a Museums inventory and he is listing all sorts of fantastic stuff from the Revolutionary/Civil/Indian Wars era.

 

Like to hear what others opinions on this knife are.Is it authentic?

 

BTW,the title of this thread is also the name of the auction,I just cut and pasted it.

[Patchcollector]

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[Patchcollector]

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[Patchcollector]

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[Patchcollector]

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[royski]

Beware!

Granted, this guy recently has had a few pretty nice early bayonets but he is known to make up provenance as well as shill bid on his own items. (if you look at the second highest bidder you will see 70% of their bids are on the same guys auctions. Thats an awful lot of ebay loyalty there to almost only bid on one persons items IMO..., also notice how the second highest bidder has been bumping the price.)

 

It has also been claimed that he sells repro/newer items as originals/older than what what they really are.

 

Here is one link to another section on this site

http://www.usmilitariaforum.com/forums/index.php?/topic/180567-abundance-of-vintage-civil-war-post-civil-war-usmc-insignias/?hl=%2Bgeneral+%2Blee&do=findComment&comment=1389238

 

 

I know there are more, but you have to dig through the real or fake section.

[royski]

Another example.

 

http://www.ebay.com/itm/RARE-CIVIL-WAR-ERA-58-CALIBER-BAYONET-AND-SCABBARD-LONGSTREET-MUSEUM-GETTYSBURG-/291455939057?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item43dc20b1f1

 

 

I'm pretty sure there was no Longstreet Museum at Gettysburg. I could be wrong but have studied the battlefield and the area pretty well and know of all the prominent collections and museums from back in the day. Have never heard of this museum except from this seller on pact auctions.

 

I was on a civil war relic forum which has unfortunately ceased to exist anymore where his stuff would be called out on a daily basis.

[Horseclover]

He occasionally lists decent stuff but very often badly listed and sometimes entirely false. I had one sword listing removed in the matter of hours. A Chinese reproduction listed as American revolution. I forwarded a retail link to both Ebay and the seller. The seller did reply with a thank you. Others have found themselves blocked, for their efforts to correct him. Items have ranged from outstanding to playing the charlatan.

 

Just be very sure what one is seeing. In the case of this dagger, I wouldn't give it a second thought. A period bayonet blade is plausible but not likely of that era. Silly to speculate on it and spend accordingly.

 

Cheers

 

GC

[Patchcollector]

Thanks for the links and the info Guys.It sounds like he offers a mixed bag of stuff,both "good" and "bad".The knife in this post is at 1050.00 and there is still 2 days left in the auction!

[Horseclover]

The last serious bid I see in the history was at #166. I have seen his stuff bid up, close as sold and resurface as a new listing. Although Ebay means to exclude schill bidding, I am afraid that it might be the case with this seller. He has had some outstanding pieces but they have been few.

 

A couple of his baddies

 

A Hanwei sidesword reproduction (the one I had pulled) Listed as English 1776.

 

 

Another in the next post

[Horseclover]

His Philadelphia Light Horse reproduction

 

 

[Horseclover]

 

 

This one will take a few

 

[Horseclover]

 

One more

[Horseclover]

 

That one closed at a fifth of what an original would sell at. If challenging one of their (or any) listings, report to Ebay with the facts and cc the seller. If the ad copy lists it as an absolute, prove the point to Ebay. With the sidesword, it was a simple matter of false advertising and proof to confirm that. A lot of ad copy lets the potential buyer see what they want to see I have misjudged a few myself but fortunately was informed and learned something.

 

I royally pissed off a renowned ACW dealer (Rafael at Shiloh) when innocently questioning one of his sword listings and then I replied that three of the four items I had previously bought from him were incorrectly identified.

 

Another instance with another acclaimed dealer selling a 1950s Korium lady figure dagger as a prostitute's dagger that had been dug. The reply from him (Spicer) "Well, it certainly looks like our beautiful gal! BUY HER and as many as you can!!!!"

 

I have that whole debacle archived. He had found it along with a digger magazine rticle on a show table (he had been taken as well, or figured someone would be).

 

Be careful with looking at old antiques and more recent items.

 

Cheers

 

GC

[Horseclover]

One of his nice swords that was relisted at least once.

 

 

Closed initially under $500 and then went again for around $1000

 

There are some gems there but expect to pay for it. Don't forget to read negative feedback and his replies.

 

Cheers

 

GC

[royski]

He also sells under other names ( don't remember offhand but you can tell by the pics).

 

Bottom line, if it's an item you want, do not bid til the end otherwise he will bid you up.

[royski]

This guy really gets to me.

 

Check this auction out.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/291461480857?_trksid=p2060353.m1438.l2649&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT

 

Click on the bid history, then click on the high bidder (should be the name with 12 feedbacks). You will see that they made 510 bids with 96% being on this sellers items. Ebay will do nothing about it though.

[camillus]

Im kinda dense, how can you tell by a bid history if something is crooked

[Patchcollector]

Well,there are a few ways that bidding can get "crooked" that I'm aware of.Sometimes someone will intentionally bid a very high amount to find out the top bid,then retract their bid,citing a bogus reason for doing so.Then there is what's known as "bottom fishing";bidding in small increments until the high bid is found.I'm sure that there are some more,those are two that I've seen used fairly often.

 

BTW,the OP knife in this thread went for US $2,033.77!

[Reeder3]

I don't know civil war pieces, but I can tell you this about as bad as a Chinese knock off as they get on Japanese swords. http://m.ebay.com/itm/381252834538?nav=SEARCH

 

I don't do anything at auctions anymore unless it's something I just don't care about. eBay has gotten so unpredictable. And then I hate when you get all the Chinese & other 0 feedback bidders making it look like you're shilling which discourages other bidders.

[Horseclover]

Translating all the kanji might prove to be fun, he does list that as non-Japanese "Damascus" blade. On and on, he does not mention anything that is not true. Age is relative. A sucker is born every minute. An uninformed buyer will see what they want to see and it may often just be a case of kewl factor. Another truth is that many have no idea and only after buying might visit a web site or discussion board.

 

Cheers

 

GC