The Sharper Side

Carrying a sharp and pointy weapon by your side was essential for battle, a practice upheld for generations. Whether it was a sword, a polearm, a battle axe, or even a bow with arrows it was important to have a tool that could pierce through armour. Bayonets were the first attempt at putting something sharp on the end of a weapon but the development of repeating firearms greatly reduced the combat value of the bayonet. Nevertheless, it was retained through the First and Second World Wars, though shortened into an all-purpose knife, equipped with a hand grip, and carried in a scabbard when not affixed to a rifle.

Ross Mark II

As Canada entered the First World War, soldiers, for the most part, were issued the Ross Mk III rifle along with the Ross Mk II bayonet. This bayonet is much shorter than other countries’ bayonets with a blade length of only 254mm; this made them a better fit for trench warfare. They were produced in Quebec and bear the Ross Rife marks indicating the date of manufacture and model number along with the ordinance stamp. In 1915, the blades were modified to provide better penetration, but only a year later the Ross rifle and thus the Ross bayonet were replaced by the Lee Enfield because of the poor performance of the rifle.

Ross MkII with altered blade

1907 Lee Enfield

Switching to the Lee Enfield SMLE rifles meant a switch to the 1907 pattern bayonet with a much longer blade length at 435mm. The length makes them more difficult to maneuver in the trenches and the blade being so long makes them more prone to breakage.

Spike Batonet

Canadian soldiers continued to use the Lee Enfield rifles into the Second World War but switched out the bayonet for a different style. The No. 4 Mk. II spike bayonet was produced at the Long Branch factory in Ontario. All together, they produced approximately 910 000 bayonets for British and Canadian soldiers. This style of bayonet was lighter and more compact with a blade length of only 203mm.

C1 Bayonet

After the Korean War, Canada adopted a new rifle, the C1 (FN FAL), and then a new bayonet to go along with it; the C1. This would spell the end of the spike bayonets for Canada, but not the shorter, more useful length at 199mm. This bayonet was based on a British L1A2 design but with a sharper pointed tip.

C7 Bayonet

In 1984, Canada again changed the rifles used by the army and went with a design based on the American M16; the C7. Nella cutlery won the bid to produce 70 000 bayonets for the Canadian Forces and produced them in Ontario. Different from the American bayonets which were made of carbon steel, Nella made the C7 bayonet with stainless steel 171mm blades, which increased the quality of the blade. These bayonets were also lighter as the handles and scabbards were made of plastic.

Photo Courtesy Mark Thomas
Photo Courtesy Mark Thomas

CAN 2000/ 2005 Bayonet

Today, Canadian soldiers use the CAN 2000/2005 bayonets and they fit on the C7A2 (M16) and C8A2 (M4) carbine assault rifles. This has a sturdy design with a blade length of 184mm and weighs only 310g. They are licensed by Colt Canada to be produced for Canadian soldiers by Eickhorn- Solingen in Germany.

But bayonets are not the only sharp weapons that soldiers use. There have also been many differing styles of fighting and utility knives. Click here to continue learning.