AK-47 bayonet

[razoredge]

Some time ago I acquired a Russian AK-47 bayonet, an early production (1948, if I am not mistaken). Ground razor sharp, I keep it in my car for "general purposes" (one never knows ...). As it proves to be a damned good thing, I wonder which steel it is made from. My guess is D 2. Does anyone out ther have a precise information?

Thanks,
razoredge

 

[amywilkerson]

Here's a picture of 2 early production AK bayonets. Which style do you have? The AK-47 was introduced to Russian troops first in 1949. The bayonet at the top of the picture came out in 1959, the bottom one came out in 1949. Unless the bayonet you have is Chinese, which would be a Cruciform folding spike which was attached to the barrel and folded back toward the magazine for storage. If you have the 1959 bayonet, it may be made of stainless steel. It is doubtful that your bayonet is made of D2, since that is a fairly modern steel. The bayonets are most likely made from melted down farm machinery confiscated by the communist government at the time!

 

[littleknife]

Amywilkerson, the top bayonet is the exact type which was issued in the Hungarian Army until the collapse of the communism. Russian, Bulgarian and Czeh bayonets from the 1980's are with different handle and scabbard construction.
I don't know what type of steel they were made of, but I was told that the sharpened edge was rusting quite easily. They might have been chrome plated, but I am not sure about this either.
They are more or less sharpened prybars. They are poor as cutting tools, poor as sawing tools, and poor as barb-wire cutters too. As bayonets they might be efficient, I don't know.

 

[Spydie Man]

The one on the top is the Hungarian copy of the Russsian one in my collection If we could have gotten a better picture you could see made in Hungary on the guard. If you call that an edge or sharp I hope you do so in jest, because it is neither an edge or sharp. However I have no rust on mine It seems to have a form of parkerization on the alleged edge. That may be mistaken for rust. I am not sure exactley what steel the blades are made of but I imagine that they are not a quality steel. Remember that these are just sharp pointy things to put into another man. As you said not a good tool of any kind.

 

[littleknife]

Spydie Man, you are absolutely right. These are not sharp at all. The blades are too thick and have a chisel "edge", which is absolutely dull when new.
I have seen some new and some sharpened as well. I was told they have been from army surpluses.
It was interesting to compare the different materials used in the different bayonets. To me the Russian ones appeared to be the most solidly built. They had also a slightly better edge geometry, but still, those were not cutting tools.
The blade steel on the Russian ones seemed to be different, not so shiny too, compared to the Hungarian one. I have seen those in a store in Hungary a few years ago. The information about the rusting was given to me by the store owner, so it is not a firsthand experience or a highly credible information.

 

[Aendil]

I am trying to find the same information. I am familiar with one in the army, and it is a very very hard steel. You are correct, edge is not a cutting one, very dull, probably for a good reason, and it is almost impossible to sharpen. Just wondering what if someone has specs on the steel.