From the November 2001 issue, pages 295 - 296.

THE TYPE 35 BAYONET

By Doss & Ruth White

"This bayonet is a modification of the Type 30 bayonet design for use on the Japanese Imperial Navy's Type 35 rifle adopted in 1902. It is constructed with a catch which secures the bayonet in the scabbard. The design of the catch bears marked similarity to the catch on the Japanese Army NCO sword.

A one-piece catch and spring extends the entire length of the hilt to the pommel, secured by a single screw. The catch projects upward and protrudes through a hole in the cross guard, engaging in a special throat piece on the scabbard. The wood grips encompass and are flush with the spring, resulting in the grips being higher than the pommel The blade is bright and has flat fullers, although some apparently have rounded fullers. The edge of the blade may not be sharpened, consistent with some very early Type 30 bayonets. The scabbard is an early style Type 30 scabbard with the special throat piece. The dimensions of the Type 35 are basically the same as those of the Type 30 bayonet."

Larry Johnson, Japanese Bayonets, 1988, Cedar Ridge Publications, Broken Arrow, Oklahoma, p. 85.

Earlier this year Ruth and I had the opportunity to examine two Type 35 bayonets. One was 'standard' and one had Type 30 grips. This bayonet had one serial number "peened" out and a new one added. George Taylor examined these bayonets and was of the opinion that it was a rebuild of two T-35 units. Both are recent imports from Finland.

The two are shown in the following photographs taken by Ruth. Since few Japanese militaria collectors have seen a T-35 unit the details of the latch on the bayonet with the T-30 grips should be of interest.