*British, WW2, No. 4 Mk. II Spike Bayonet by Savage-Stevens with No. 4 Mk. I Scabbard*
A very good original British WW2 No. 4 Mk. II spike bayonet, complete with its correct No. 4 Mk. I scabbard, and made by the Savage-Stevens Co. of Chicopee Falls, Massachusetts under Lend-Lease for British service. Marked “No 4 Mk II” with “S” for Savage, and with the spring plunger also marked “S”, this is a desirable wartime example of the simplified socket bayonet produced for the Lee-Enfield No. 4 rifle. Savage was one of only three firms to produce the No. 4 Mk. II pattern, alongside Singer in Scotland and Long Branch in Canada, and its examples are well known for their more utilitarian wartime finish compared with other makers. The accompanying scabbard throat is correctly stamped “No. 4 Mk. I”, the standard and by far the most commonly encountered scabbard type for the No. 4 spike bayonet family. Contemporary references note Savage production in 1941–42 and confirm the maker’s use of an “S” mark on the spring plunger.
The No. 4 Mk. II represented a wartime simplification of the earlier No. 4 Mk. I spike bayonet. It dispensed with some of the more labor-intensive machining associated with earlier production while retaining the same essential form: a socket-mounted cruciform spike bayonet forged in one piece with the socket. Designed for the British No. 4 Lee-Enfield rifle, it became one of the most numerous British bayonet types of the Second World War, reflecting both wartime economies and the enormous scale of Allied small-arms production. Savage-Stevens examples were manufactured in the United States and supplied to Britain under Lend-Lease, making them an interesting Anglo-American wartime production piece in their own right.
The scabbard is the standard No. 4 Mk. I type, with its tapered steel body and ball finial, designed specifically for the No. 4 spike bayonet series. This pattern far outnumbered the later scabbard variants and is the form most collectors expect to see paired with wartime No. 4 spike bayonets. The throat marking to your example confirms the pattern clearly.
Approx. Measurements – Overall length: 25 cm.
History note:
Savage-Stevens is best known to many collectors for its wartime Lee-Enfield No. 4 rifles, but the company also produced substantial numbers of No. 4 Mk. II spike bayonets for British use. These bayonets are a tangible reminder of Allied industrial cooperation during the Second World War, with American factories producing British-pattern arms and accoutrements in large numbers for the war effort. The Savage-made bayonets are often noted for their somewhat cruder forging and finish, which only adds to their unmistakable wartime character.
*Condition*
An honest original wartime example. The bayonet retains clear socket markings including “No 4 Mk II” and “S”, with the spring plunger also marked “S”. The scabbard throat is clearly stamped “No. 4 Mk. I”. General age and service wear are present throughout, as expected, with a utilitarian wartime finish and handling marks consistent with issue and storage. The spike, socket and locking mechanism appear complete, and the piece displays well as a representative Savage-made Lend-Lease example. Please see photographs as part of the condition report.
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