Disclaimer: Most of what I learned about AK bayonets came from Martin Ivie’s AK bayonet book and the numerous other AK books I have for cross reference. The AK bayonet dedicated forum has also been extremely helpful because the members, including Mr. Ivie, truly have some amazing collections with many variations of different bayonet models to reference. I also have a fairly decent collection going myself, so I have something to draw on personally.
The post below is not complete by any stretch. The pics are of the bayonets I personally have, which has allowed me to use my own pictures, but limits the variations I can share. Let me know if you find any errors – I’m always learning – so I can correct this post. I may update this post later with more pictures, if I can figure out and give credit to the pic owner(s).


AK BAYONET TYPES
Collecting AK bayonets is mind boggling because of the number of variations from different countries. Breaking them down into the most common types, however, yields five basic versions:
AK47, 6X2 (or 6h2), also called Type 1 M1951. Note the “X” and “h” designations are used interchangeably. My Russian bayonet source writes the “X” when he writes the designations in Cyrillic and “h” when he converts them to English.
AKM Type 1, 6X3 (or 6h3), also called Type 2 M1959
AKM Type 2, 6X4 (or 6h4), also called Type 3 M1974
AK-74, 6X5 (or 6h5), also called Type 4 M1983
Folding, permanently attached bayonets


Here are the four basic types of detachable AK bayonets. Top to bottom: 6X5, 6X4, 6X3, and 6X2.


There are two more Russian AK bayonets which I won’t cover, the 6X9 (or 6h9), and the Shmel, both part of the Ratnik program – the Russian future infantry combat system. I’ve seen just a few pics of these and can’t confirm their issuance or use. But I’d like to get my hands on either one.

MANUFACTURERS (WHO MADE WHAT):
Each WARSAW PACT country made their own bayonets, some being one-offs, but not all countries made every version. AK bayonets were also made in Africa and the Far East. By country, here's who made what (and I'll include the Czechs with their VZ58 rifle bayonets):
Albania – The Albanians produced AK47s, but they were licensed, direct copies of the Chinese Type 56 with the folding bayonet. For this post, I won’t bother to mention them again since the Chinese section will cover them anyway. One very interesting sidenote about the Albanian AK47s is they do not have the dimples next to the mag opening (like the WASRs). This doesn’t mean that all non-dimple AK47s are Albanian or Romanian, since the Chinese and Iraqis have also made them minus the depressions. But I’m going off subject…
Bulgaria - M1951, M1974, M1983.
China - M1951, M1974ish, Type 81, Type 85. China also made unique bayonets permanently attached to the FSB which folded back and a retrofit kit folding bayonet that clamped onto the barrel and SFB.
Czechoslovakia (CZ58) – proprietary that could only be used on CZ58 rifles. While CZ58s look like AKs, that’s where the similarities end since none of the parts or magazines are interchangeable.
East Germany - M1951, M1959, M1974 and modified M1974 for the G36 rifle
Egypt - M1974
Finland – M1959, M60-1, Valmet M62, RK95
Hungary - M1959
India – M1974-based proprietary version for their INSAS rifle
Iraq – M1974 made in Iraq, plus a slew of WARSAW PACT bayonets pressed into service
North Korea - M1951, Model 58, Model 68
Poland - M1951, M1959, M1974
Romania - M1959, M1974
Russia - M1951, M1959, M1974, M1983. Russian bayonets were made at the Izhmash factory in Izhevsk (floating arrow in triangle stamp) and the Imperial Tula Arms Plant (TOZ) in Tula (star stamp). Tula did not make M1951 or M1983 bayonets, however.
Vietnam - Commercial M1974 variant
Yugoslavia - M1974

IDENTIFICATION
So how do you tell them apart? The most common methods of identifying AK bayonets are by clues such as blade and/or grip material or color or style, serial number stamping locations and style, arsenal marks (or lack of), etc. Here's the quick version of each, which applies 99% of the time. Well, I started with a “quick” reference, but I decided to include as many details as I could think of:

Bulgaria: The very first Bulgarian M1951s were actually made by Russia and feature the Izhmash arsenal stamp, but with the Bulgarian style serial number. Bulgaria later began making their own M1951 bayonets, identical to the Russians, except for the markings and serial number location. Bulgarian M1951s have the serial number machine etched on the left rear pommel area and perpendicular to the length of the bayonet, like the first bayonet in the picture below. The grips are a shade of dark orange/red/brown, but reworks have their scales (grips) replaced with black ones and may not have a serial number assigned.  Bulgaria also made sanitized M1951 bayonets for Poland, completely unmarked. Keep in mind the details on the Bulgarian scabbards versus the Russian scabbards (posted further down), including the use of dual rivets for securing the hanger and the direction of the flaps (opposite the Russians). Bulgarian scabbards also have the drain hole in the back, versus the front for the Russians - details, details, details.
Bulgarian M1974, M1983, and AR-M1 bayonets have a circle 10 stamp ((10)) molded onto one of the grips. The ((10)) stamp may be small or large on the M1974 bayonets. Bulgaria also made a unique M1983 bayonet called the AR-M1 that fits AK47 mounting systems. According to the Finnish Bayonet museum, there were only 200 of these made in 2007. http://www.nirvi.fi/nnbm/page252.html


Bulgarian bayonets - At the top is an unissued M1951, below that is a rework with black scales and below that a Russian-made-Bulgarian issued M1951. That one has the Russian Izhmash stamp but Bulgarian style serial number. The two M1974 are essentially the same, except one is a reissue and has an off-center 10 within the circle ((  10)) and the ((10)) is on the opposite side of where they're normally stamped. Below those are an M1983 and an AR-M1. On the AR-M1, note the U-shaped feature on the pommel that wraps around the AK47 gas block. Also, right behind the blade is a square used to retract the locking mechanism from the AK47 FSB. On the M1983, the locking mechanism is in the pommel.



China: Chinese M1951s have wood handles and no other markings at all - usually. Some may have “CHINA” stamped somewhere on the metal. The wood handles are usually made of Chu wood, but may be other types of wood. That, along with different finishes used, results in some variation in color. The Chinese M1951s were designed for the Type 56 rifles that featured an FSB with hooks. On the other hand, Chinese M1974 style bayonets were for made only for the civilian sales market, not the military. They have a unique grip shape, no hole in the blade for the scabbard wire cutter stud, plus a unique pointed scabbard. These bayonets came in one of three colors: orange, black, and dark green (rare). There are more, also rare, subtypes with a single brass rivet through the handle and modified pommels. Any of these that are numbered were once matched to the serial number of the rifle being sold. No standard hangers or straps came with these bayonets, although those that came with rifles may have a rare steel belt clip. Type 81 bayonets have a reddish-brown handle and are designed for the Type 81 rifle. The Type 81 rifle looks similar to an AK, but functions differently. The Type 81 bayonet doesn't fit on any AK. The Type 85 closely follows the style of the Russian M1983 and is designed for the QBZ-87 rifle, which was never adopted. So, why have this bayonet in an AK bayonet collection? Well, it's an evolution of the AK bayonet, with the blade based on the Russian 6X5. These last two in my collection (Type 81 and 85) are probably not authentic, but still cool. One last note...many Type 81s were modified to fit M1 carbines.


Chinese detachable bayonets - Top to bottom: Type 85, Type 81, M1951, rare M1974 in orange with a brass pin through the grip (serial numbered), standard orange (serial numbered), and black. Between the two orange is an original Chinese belt clip for the M1974 bayonets. Oddly enough, if the clip is attached to the scabbard, the bayonet is top heavy. The clips can be unfinished metal or with a shiny, chrome-like appearance.



Cuba: Cuban AK bayonets are North Korean Type 68s. All the Cuban AK bayonets I have seen that can be reliably traced back to direct US confrontation with Cuban troops (Grenada) have hangers that are shades of tan, whereas the Type 68s that were re-exported from Cuba (Colombia, Panama, Angola) or directly from North Korea tend to have the original North Korean green hangers.



Czechoslovakia: Czechoslovakian VZ58 bayonets feature their own mounting system that can only work on the VZ58. Early handles were made from wood, later ones and reworks from resin mixed with wood chips. Scabbards are leather or the rare NBC green or grey vinyl.

Czech bayonets - ETA: One of each type is now represented. The top one with the wood handle is a very early model Type 1. Below that is a Type 1 that was updated to a Type 2 handle during inspection/rework. Note the location of the securing hardware on the grips when the new grips were installed. Below that is a type three with the new cross piece that extends down to prevent the hand from sliding forward onto the blade. The bottom one is a type 3 that combines a tang that extends past the grip and the crosspiece extends further down compared to the Type 1.



Here is a top view to mostly show the difference in the extended tang from the Type 3.



And a bottom view. Here you can also see the cross piece differences between the Type 1s and the Type 2/3.

East German bayonets: EG M1951s have black handles and are exceptionally machined with the metal parts finished in a deep blue. Most are unmarked, but there are some with "Germany" stamped on them and some have serial numbers electro penciled on the metal. The more common variations are actually in the scabbards, specifically in the pin just next to the mouth opening. There are scabbards with a square pin, a small pin and a large pin. The example I have is a small pin.
M1959 and M1974 EG bayonets also have black handles. Early M1974 EG bayonets were orange though and had six-digit serial numbers in the 200,000 range, although one of my EG bayonets is #277,861 with a black grip so I cannot find at what number they stopped with the orange grips and went to black grip bayonets. Some East German M1974s were also converted for use with the HK G36 by having their mounting rings removed and new, larger mounting rings welded on.
East German bayonets that are serial numbered are done so by hand using an electro pencil and the serial number is inside the bayonet lug groove or on the handle.

East German bayonets - ETA: AKM Type 2 orange added to collection. Middle, top to bottom: M1951, M1959, M1959 Transitional (plastic scabbard).
Left side (L-R) Super rare modified pommel AKM Type 1s - M1959 modified pommel and steel scabbard, M1959 modified pommel & plastic scabbard. More details on these further down the page.
Right side (L-R) rare orange M1974 and more common black M1974. All my East German bayonet examples are serial numbers matching.


Here's my AKM Type 2 that was modified for use on the G-36 rifle. For this modification, the Germans removed the muzzle support ring and welded on a new one to fit the G-36, then provided a new frog compatible with modern infantry gear.



Egypt: Egyptian M1974 bayonets come in one of three colors, black, blue and brown. All are devoid of any arsenal markings with all the black ones I have ever seen exhibiting horrible workmanship throughout. Black samples typically have gaps between the blade and pommel, oozing glue, and protruding hardware. On the other hand, I recently added a brown Egyptian that is incredibly nice - no extra glue, no bad milling, nothing. A note on the blue Egyptians...it is possible the blue ones are not that color intentionally, but rather the result of an inconsistency in mixing the black dye.
The canvas used on the bayonets is a blue-green color, like on their slings, although my brown example is slightly different. A few late model Egyptian bayonets don’t have the teeth milled onto the blade or the blades may have been sourced from a communist country, perhaps Poland, and pressed into service minus the teeth. If numbered, the numbers may be in Arabic or English.

Egyptian bayonet - ETA: I've added a second example of a brown-grip. Here is the original post pic with two samples. Note the glue and workmanship in the pictures of the black sample and how surprisingly nice the brown one is in comparison.  



Here is the third Egyptian bayonet added at the bottom, also a brown handle, but with the typical poor workmanship and glue overflow.



A top view of the three. The nice brown handle on the left.




Finland: Finnish M1951 bayonets (called M47) are identical to the Russian versions and even have the Russian Izhmash stamp, but won’t have the Russian “CB” (English “SV”) in a diamond on the right side of the pommel. Also, they feature tiny stamps indicating under which contract they were delivered by Russia. If a Finnish M47 set is intact as original, then another clue to set it apart from a Russian 6X2 would be the Finnish scabbards, which do not have a drain hole, unlike the Russians. Finnish M1951s were also supposedly never issued, so they should all be new.
The M60-1 bayonets were made by modifying Italian M38 folding bayonets. Finnish Valmet M62 bayonets look like steak knives and attach to a rail below the Valmet flash hider. They’re made by Fiskars (yes, the scissors people) and Hackman and will have the manufacturers name in the side, in most cases. Finnish RK95 bayonets (model M7) are actually made by Eickhorn Solingen using a universal design with the Finnish version adapted to fit the AK.

Hungary: Hungary only made M1959 bayonets that are very close to the Russian bayonets, but obviously won’t have any of the Russian stamps. The quickest way to tell them apart is the shape of the butt, which is more egg shaped than the Russian M1959s, although the lack of Russian stamps is the definitive way to verify their Hungarian origin.

Hungarian bayonets -Top bayonet is a military issue. Bottom one is for export – you can see the “Made In Hungary FEG” in the closeup. FEG stands for Fegyver- és Gépgyár of Budapest.





Iraqi: Iraqi AK bayonets fall into two categories, as far as I’m concerned. The first type are former communist retreads, usually with mismatched scabbards or hangers. I’ve seen some with both western and Arabic numbers but that proves nothing about them being from Iraqi. Be aware that just because a former Eastern European bayonet has Arabic numbers doesn't mean it was used by Iraq. Therefore, in reality, while there were indeed many European bayonets sent to Iraq and used by their military, proving so is a bit difficult since their origin is in Europe. Adding Arabic numbers or writing isn't an indication, so the only things left would be some sort of authentication (like a GI who can prove he brought it back himself), or atypical markings, or lack of.
The only true Iraqi-made AK bayonets I know of are the Tabuks, which are type M1974, with some unique features, and those are hard to come by. Tabuks have orange-ish handles similar in design to the Yugo bayonets. Aside from the color, Tabuks have a unique font for their 7-digit serial numbers to set them apart, and no foreign arsenal marks, so identification is more of a process of elimination – no arsenal marks (eliminates Russian, Bulgarian, Romanian), orangey color (eliminates Yugoslavia, Egypt, and most East German), stamped 7-digit serial number (eliminates early East German), saw teeth (eliminates Poland and China). I have seen one with no serial number, so they exist, and in that case, I used the rest of the criteria to identify it as Iraqi. There are also some with the Lion of Babylon stamped on the bayonet.

Iraqi bayonets - Top one is an original East German pressed into service with the Iraqi Army. It has “125” written in red paint on the scabbard and the reverse features an Iraqi Army roundel. Unlike normal East German issued bayonets, this one does not have any serial number electro-penciled on it, further solidifying it as Iraqi issue. The lower bayonet is an original Iraqi-manufactured Tabuk with the matching scabbard.


Closeup of Iraqi Army roundel and matching numbers on Tabuk. Note that although the Tabuk bayonet and scabbard are matching, their colors are different.

India: Indian INSAS bayonets are based on the M1974 AK bayonets, but the handles are much more rounded and very uniform in color. Unfortunately, they are uber hard to get and expensive because they haven’t been released by the Indian military.


Indonesia: Indonesia has/had M1951 bayonets, but they were imported from somewhere. The only common feature identifying the ones I have seen are the poorly molded, black, corrugated grips. Otherwise, no two are same, which has led to speculation about whether any bayonet was indigenous or just modified once they arrived. The last one I saw at auction sold for $400!


Lithuania ETA: I have added a second Lithuanian bayonet with a woodland camo pattern. Lithuanian AK bayonets are just Russian M1974 bayonets with Lithuanian frogs made from leather or nylon. The nylon frogs can be solid colors or various camouflage patters and colors.

Lithuanian bayonet - From my original post.


New one added with the woodland pattern on nylon frog. I believe there is one more basic camo pattern, a desert nylon version, but there may be more variations of the nylon frogs, with minor differences in the coloring.



A back view showing the slightly different belt mounts.




North Korea: North Korea's first AK47 bayonets (Type 58) were direct copies of the European models except for a tiny, circled star stamped in front of the release on the crosspiece. Grips can be orange plastic or wood. The second version is easy to identify because, while they kept the grip design the same, they changed the blade design to a bowie blade, although they still called it the Type 58. NK AKM Type 68 bayonets are nearly identical to the Type 58s, but with release button now in the back for attachment to AKMs.

North Korean Type 68 - Note the olive green canvas material.



Poland: Polish AK47 bayonets have the number 11 in an oval on the crosspiece (same as their AKs) and have one of three date stamps - 1957, 1958, and 1970. The 1958s are the most common, followed by the 1970s and then by the 1957s (rare). The M-1959s are usually in one of three colors because of the material from which they’re made. The earliest were black or near black with different color specs mixed in and made from Duroplast. Next came brown and finally orange made from AG-4w. Polish M1974s look like Russian M1974s, except they have no teeth on the blade and lack any Russian markings, obviously. Polish M1959s and M1974s are easy to identify because they do not have saw teeth on the blade.

Polish bayonets - ETA: New pics of the 6x2s only. Top to bottom: Original, early Polish M1951 with black Duroplast scales (grips), Bulgarian-made but Polish Issued M1951, three M1959s in the most recognized colors (black Duroplast, brown, and orange AG-4w), two M1974s, one with an original metal scabbard and hanger, the other with an updated webbing hanger.


Updated pic of the 6x2s. Just added two more recently to the Polish 6X2s. At the top is my original 1958 with the Duroplast scales for comparison. Below that one is a Bulgarian-made, but Polish issued 6x2. This one has no markings at all, but was issued with the Polish style scabbard/unique hanger. Third from the top is a 1970 6x2. Note that for 1970, the year was switched to the left side. Finally, the bottom 6x2 is probably a factory reworked 1958. While it has the Polish (11) stamp on the one side, there is no date stamp on the other side, but those who know much more than I do say it's a rework that probably had most of the date nicely ground off before the whole thing was refinished. This one also has the older frog with the rivets.


Here is the reverse side of the bayonets and scabbards showing the 1970 version with the oval 11 (11) switched. You can also see the dead giveaway for identifying the unique, leather Polish hangers and how they mount through a set of two loops on the scabbard.


Here's a comparison picture of a Polish AKM bayonet (no teeth) and a non-Polish AKM bayonet with the teeth milled onto the blade. This is the easiest way to spot a Polish AKM/AK74 bayonet.



Romania: Romanian M1959 bayonets are probably the most common and cheapest AK bayonets available in the US, often advertised as “Russian” to get more money from the uneducated. These bayonets have their serial number on the crosspiece, with a matching number on the scabbard, and most use unique hangers/frogs in leather or canvas webbing in a variety of colors. Only the very early bayonets featured regular hangers in one and two pieces. Another common feature of most Romanian M1959s is the large, bulbous pommel area, although a few very early Romanian M1959s had a flat pommel, but they’re very rare. Grip color has infinite variations, although most are shades of dark brown, and a few are a nice orange with wood shavings in the material.
The M1974 bayonets are hard to come by and nearly identical to the Russians except for the arsenal marking, which is an arrow in a triangle, just like the Russian, but the arrow has a subtle difference. The Romanian arrow points and fletching are outlined, like a line drawing. The Russian Izhevsk arrow points and fletching are raised and filled in.
 
Romanian bayonets - ETA: New thin grip added. Two left bayonets are rare thin grip examples with old hangers. The one on top wears the single loop ganger, while the one below it has the two piece hanger. Their serial numbers, ST0567 and UV1102 are consecutive (alphabetical "ST" followed by "UV") batches, and indicate they were both made in 1966. Down the middle, from top to bottom, are examples of the more common various grip colors and frog material and colors. The bayonet on the right is an uncommon M1974.


The very rare Romanian thin pommel compared to a standard, bulbous Romanian pommel.


Here's a new pic of the two thin grips compared to their fat grip brothers. The question then becomes how can you identify the thin grip versions as Romanian if they look like other eastern European? The telltale sign is in the markings where the Romanian bayonet serial numbers are machine marked with easily identifiable font and pattern. This serial numbers appears on both the bottom of the scabbard and the cross piece side.


Here’s a pic comparing the Romanian arrow-in-triangle (top), with the Russian arrow-in-triangle (bottom). While the Romanian stamp is worn, you can still see the arrow is outlined, while the Russian arrow is filled in. There are also obvious differences in the shapes and arrow locations within the triangle.

Russia: Russian M1951 bayonets are stamped with the Izhmash arrow-in-triangle on the left side of the crosspiece and the serial numbers are stamped or etched following around the curve on the rear hanger. Typically, they are on the same side as the arsenal stamp but may be etched on the opposite side. If issued, the right side of the pommel will also have a “CB” inside a diamond. The serial number uniqueness combined with the diamond are the only true way to tell them apart from the Finnish M1951s.
Russian M1959s are stamped with either the Izhmash stamp (an arrow in a triangle) or Tula stamp (a star) on the “mortise” (square block) immediately behind the muzzle ring.

Russian bayonets -First up in pics are my M1951s that include -top to bottom- a late model with black-painted metal in excellent condition, an early model with a blued finish, and an ugly duckling, also with blued metal, which is probably one of my more interesting samples. I purchased the ugly duckling from a shop owner in Hawaii who specializes in Cambodian items. He personally bought the bayonet in Ban Lung, Ratanakiri, Cambodia, a former stop on the Ho Chi Minh trail. The original serial number was 2791, but then was overstamped with Cyrillic “G”s (probably not in Cambodia?) and renumbered 6423. Note the use of a single rivet on the hangers, the direction of the scabbard snaps versus the Bulgarian snaps, and the drain holes in the front tips.


Closeup of Ishevsk arrow-in-triangle stamp.


Reverse side of pommel with “CB in the diamond stamp.


My ugly duckling with the original 2791 overstamped and the new 6423 stamp


Next up are M1959s, two made by Tula (one in each color), two by Izhmash (one in each color). I also have an orange transitional made by Izhmash. There is another, very rare, Russian, AKM Type 1 with a squared pommel, but I have not been able to find one yet. My Russian source has one and is shipping it to me as of 7/10/24. If it makes through customs, I'll post it.


Closeup of the Izhmash triangle (top) and Tula star (bottom) factory stamps on the mortises.

Next are my M1974s, which include one of every issued Izhmash and Tula type. All but one of my Russian 6X4s have come from overseas (Latvia or the Russian Federation). Ironically, my only unnumbered/unissued Russian 6X4 was from a source in the US.
The Russian M1974s can be categorized by either manufacturer, Tula or Izhmash, or by variation. Officially, the Russians only recognized three issued variations based on material and machining, regardless of manufacturer. Their recognized first variation had a milled steel crosspiece and pommel with the crosspiece rivets ground flush. The second variation had a cast steel crosspiece and pommel, and the rivets were left visible. The third variation had the cast steel crosspiece and pommel, but the pommel was significantly narrowed below the release button to make a lighter bayonet. Tula only made the first two types, Izhmash made all three. There is also a super rare green version, but I can't see myself handing over $2000 for it or any bayonet.

That’s the official version, but collectors generally recognize five different issued variations, subdividing the first two official versions by arsenal logo location:
1. The first variation – let’s call it 1a – was produced from 1965 to 1971 and had the arsenal stamp on the flat mortise immediately behind the muzzle ring.
2. Variation 1b was also made from 1965 to 1971, but the arsenal stamp was moved to the front of the cross guard, facing forward, toward the blade.
3. Variation 2a was made from 1972 to 1974 and featured the arsenal logo on the grip. Tula's 2a could have the star on the grip or front of cross guard, or both.
4. Variation 2b was made from 1975 to 1982 and had the logo on the grip slope between the grip and cross piece. Tula did not make a 2b.  
5. Variation 3, also only made by Izhevsk, had the arsenal logo either on the grip or grip swell and is significant and very rare because of the reduced pommel.

All my Russian M1974s. Top three are Tula, the rest Izhmash, all different. You can see the difference between the first official versions of the bayonets from both arsenals by looking at the crosspieces. The first bayonets had milled crosspieces with the rivets ground flush and are invisible. The later versions all had cast crosspieces and the two rivets are obvious.
Note the difference in scabbard markings between the Tula and Izhmash scabbards, each featuring their arsenal stamps (star or arrow-in-triangle). Another, more subtle difference is in the rivets used on the scabbards...the Tula scabbard rivets are dome shaped, while the Izhmash scabbard rivets are flat.


Izhmash with the factory stamps on the mortise (left) and the front, on the crosspiece next to the blade (right)


Izhmash factory stamps behind the crosspiece (top) and on the grip (bottom). This also clearly shows the rivets in the crosspieces from the later production bayonets with the cast steel crosspieces.


A rare, reduced pommel Izhmash next to a normal one for comparison. As of 7/10/24, I have another on the way and will post it when it arrives.


A better pic of the reduced pommel and a normal pommel Russian.


The three types of Tula stamps, on the mortise (left), on the cross piece facing the blade (middle), and on the grip (right). The one with the grip star also has the stamp on the crosspiece, a “double star”.

The M1983 is the newest AK74 bayonet, with handles made from polyamide PA-6 (Russia’s version of Nylon-6). Incidentally, this style has only been made by Russia and Bulgaria, with Russia making three versions, or Options. The original Russian M1983 (Option 1, 1986), extremely rare version, didn’t have the typical blade hole and scabbard post for wire cutting. Instead, the scabbard had a slit and hook on the end through which the blade was inserted and pinched the wire to cut it. The next version (Option 2, 1987) brought back the familiar hole in blade and scabbard post to cut wire, but the handle had a thin crosspiece. The next, and final version (Option 3, 1988 to present), is the type you see most often today with the wider cross piece and deeper finger grooves. The first of these came in a dark brown, usually called plum, with the rest in black.

Below is my M1983 (Option 3) with the “OTK” stamp on the blade and on the scabbard, which stands for “Otdiel Technicheskovo Kontrolya" (Отдел Технического Контроля) or "Bureau of Technical Control". It is the premier stamp of quality meaning it’s good enough for the military.



South Africa: South Africa imported Romanian M1974 bayonets, but with plastic scabbards. The four-digit serial numbers start with “A”. Both the bayonet and scabbard have the outlined Romanian version of the arrow in triangle. These are super rare, but they’re out there, and I would guess some have been mistakenly identified and sold as coming from Izhevsk.


Vietnam: Vietnamese AK bayonets are an odd story. According to the Finnish Bayonet Museum, the bayonets were designed and made in Vietnam by the German company, CDS-Ehrenreich. At the same time, the newly unified Germany had a huge surplus of metal AKM and plastic AK74 type scabbards, which were then sold to Vietnam for use with the new bayonets. The bayonets feature a unique grip shape in either black or orange with a star-in-a-circle and one of four known stamps (21, 25, 27, 35), although they don’t seem to correspond to anything. I have seen the orange bayonets with either the metal or plastic scabbard, but the black handled bayonets with only the plastic scabbard. Unfortunately, the contract never worked out, so of the only 2000 of the brown and black grips versions made, all were sold commercially in Germany. CDS-Ehrenreich went on to produce a further 4000 of the same bayonets in Korea before production stopped.

Vietnamese (commercial)



Yugoslavia: Yugoslavian M1974 bayonets are nearly identical to East German M1974 because the grips are also black. The best way to tell them apart is in the pommels. Yugo pommels are more squared off and the wrist strap holes are oval, versus the circular EG holes. The release buttons are also checkered, versus the EG concentric circles. Yugo bayonets typically have their serial numbers stamped versus the East German electro penciled numbers.




SCABBARDS
Scabbards for AK bayonets are mostly standard with the AK47 bayonets using only the AK47 style scabbards. Steel scabbards were designed for use with the M1959 bayonets and are not compatible with the AK47 bayonets. If you're wondering what  purpose is for the thick rubber piece on the steel scabbards, it's an electrical insulator so the soldier could grip the scabbard in one hand, holding it by the insulator, and the bayonet (with the plastic handle) in the other hand, then insert the scabbard stud through the hole in the bayonet knife. The soldier could then cut electrified fence or wire without frying himself.
To improve on this design, the Russians later decided to develop the plastic scabbard, which was easier to manufacture, less prone to rust, and didn't require an insulator because the whole thing was plastic. The plastic scabbards were designed for use with the new M1974 bayonets, but were available before the bayonets, so there are some instances where the new scabbard was paired with the M1959 bayonet. These are called transitional pieces. There are also some instances where the M1974 bayonet was paired with the older steel scabbard, although much less often, and these are also called transitional bayonets. The Russians, and others, have kept the plastic scabbard since it is compatible with the M1983, M1974, and M1959 bayonets.
Of course, there are exceptions. Some countries issued specific bayonets with specific scabbards, regardless. For example, Romanian and Polish M1974s were only issued with the steel scabbards. Chinese detachable bayonets use specific bayonets for each model. North Korean bayonets used a shortened AK47 scabbard after they switched to the bowie blade design.



COMPATABILITY
Which bayonet goes with which AK? That depends on the mounting system. AK47 types can only use AK47 bayonets or the AR-M1 bayonet. This is because the bayonets have a lock system that engages teeth under the front of the FSB. Nearly all M1959 bayonets can only be used on AKMs because the locking system is moved the gas block where it secures to a gas block lug. The reason most M1959s can't go on AK-74s is because the pommel won't clear the AK-74 FSB/muzzle brake. M1974 and M1983 bayonets can go on either AKMs or AK-74 (where the lug is moved below the FSB or immediately behind it). East German Wiegers that could mount a bayonet had a separate bayonet lug mounted on the barrel, away from the gas block and could use M1959, M1974, or M1983 bayonets. Standardization ensured bayonets from one country will fit on another country's rifles, usually.

AK-47 --> M1951, AR-M1, NoKo Type 58
AKM ----> standard M1959, modified pommel M1959, M1974, M1983, NoKo Type 68, Vietnamese AKM
AK74 ---> modified pommel M1959, M1974, M1983, NoKo Type 68, Vietnamese AKM



AK47 bayonet teeth. These engage hooks under the FSB.


M1959 bayonets have a lock at the rear which engage a lug on the gas block.


M1974 bayonets also have the lock at the back which also engages the lug on the gas block, so they can be used on AKMs. However, there is enough clearance that they can also be attached to the lug under the FSBs of AK74s.


M1983 bayonets attach the same way as the M1974s and can be used on AKMs and AK74s.


The East German STG-940s had a separate, pinned-on bayonet lug attached just before the gas block/front sight.

There are some M1959 bayonets from East Germany and Hungary that were modified to fit either AKMs or AK-74s by having part of the pommel milled flat. Here’s one from a foreign book on bayonets, written in Cyrillic. I did my best to translate Cyrillic to English and here's what I came up with for the picture below:
Bayonet for Kalashnikov Assault Rifle
German Democratic Republic
Bayonet mod. 1959, revised for AK-74
Total Length: 326mm
Blade Length: 150mm
Blade Width: 30mm
Inner diameter of the ring in the cross: 17.5mm

Blade: steel, straight, single-edged. The combat end is double-edged, with a concave blade on the butt side. On the butt of the blade there is a notch in the form of teeth, which allows using the bayonet as a saw. In the front part of the blade there is a rectangular hole, which allows the bayonet to be attached to the scabbard and use the structure as nippers.

Handle: formed by two plastic pieces of black color, glued together with the blade held by two screws. In the handle head there is a T-shaped groove and a spring latch with an internal coil spring.

Crosspiece: steel, blued, with a ring on the side of the blade.

Scabbard: steel. The upper part of the scabbard is covered with a rubber insulator, designed to be wrapped around by the hand when cutting wires under tension. The hanging strap is made of tarpaulin.



...and the two East German examples in my collection. My two were acquired from a source who lives in what was once East Germany, a friend of my former German landlord’s son, whom I know from when I was stationed in Germany in the 80s. Very circuitous method to get a bayonet, but it works. I’m still looking for a genuine Hungarian sample (not homemade). Speaking of homemade, while it is possible to recreate one of these rare East German subtypes with a milling machine, most of the copies I have seen are crude hacksaw jobs where you can spot the cut marks on the flat - beware. Also, there were two types of these bayonets originally modified; the type I have with the pommel milled flat, and one other where a tip was left on the pommel, presumably to act as a stop.


Chinese AKs can be milled or stamped and can have the AK47 bayonet mounting system under the FSB, or the one mounted under the gas block or a folding bayonet. The most common folding bayonets were integrally mounted to the FSB on an extension behind the FSB. These folding bayonets locked onto a notch on the hinge and a chin platform under the barrel. The other type of folding bayonet is a retrofit - made in China - for their AKs that didn’t originally have the ability to attach any bayonet. I say for their AKs because Chinese AKs use the thicker AK47 barrel. On these, the clamp-on mount was secured to the barrel with two clamp screws and a pin through the rear opening of the FSB. The clamp-on bayonets operated by locking onto a shelf on the hinge and around the muzzle with a loop. This necessitated the barrel be threaded, which was uncommon on Chinese AKs, and a barrel nut installed. A slant brake could not be used because the bayonet loop could not clear the end of the brake. Although these clamp on bayonets may be used on non-Chinese AKs, they will probably be loose or not fit correctly – yes, I tried it.

Top pic is my de-banned MAK-90 that has retrofitted with an original-type Chinese spike bayonet/FSB assembly from Polytech in GA. I believe Polytech either made these themselves here in the US after the Chinese supply dried up, or had them made by someone else here in the US. Regardless, you can faintly see the "Made in USA" laser etched underneath in the third picture.


This is the other type of Chinese spike bayonet that was manufactured as a retrofit to Chinese AKs that didn’t originally have the ability to mount a folding spiker assembly. This type was clamped to the barrel and pinned to the FSB. I purchased this one long ago and came in a bag with all Chinese writing on it. I sold it off to buy the correct spiker assembly, but I think in retrospect, I should have kept it. One of the downsides to this design is the fact the cleaning rod tends to "walk" forward when the gun is fired. Originally, I had made a thin steel tab that fit around the muzzle, like a washer, and hung down to prevent the rod from moving. I didn't like it so I just decided to use a piece of vacuum tubing (you can see it in the picture) to secure the rod.


Compare that to the mounting of the factory spiker…


And both bayonets deployed for comparison. Notice how the retrofit encircles the muzzle for stability, while the factory uses a ledge for stability.



And that’s it. Be sure to let me know if you spot any mistakes.

OP is a cool cat!

<removed> please leave memes in GD. dryflash3

Nice work!

Wow. Thank you for compiling all this information.

very nice. thank you for doing this.

You're all quite welcome. I started this months ago as a  project for a couple of reasons. First, my motivation started after seeing some intentionally misleading eBay adds for AK bayonets and buyers unwittingly paying for something other than what was advertised. I hate seeing people get ripped off. Typically, the sellers would state they were selling an expensive Russian bayonet, when in fact they were selling a cheap Romanian. Some didn't honestly know the difference, but the majority knew, then would then change the ads to say "Russian style", "Russian type" or something like that.

I also wanted to share some knowledge so if you have an AK bayonet and want to identify its origin, know if it's rare, or know what it can be mounted on, I could help with that using the post. You can also see what hangers or frogs are supposed to go with your bayonet.

ETA: I'll be editing the original posts as I grammar and spell check them repeatedly - yes, I'm one of those. I also see some places where I can make small changes to make things clearer.

Really awesome details and the collection is outstanding!

I spent a little time researching some of this last year, though mostly around Romanian/Polish/Bulgarian/Russian ones to see what was "correct" for some of my rifles.  I think my head exploded partway in.

I did get one of those Russian plum-ish 6x5 bayonets many years ago for $50.  I should have bought every last one they had.  

Yeah, the variety of AK bayonets can make anyone's head spin. And just when I think I have them all figured out, I find an anomaly somewhere and have to add to my database as an exception. Case in point are Russian bayonets etched with the Izhmash logo - I didn't know they even existed, but they're real.

Then there are the never-ending fakes...If you look on GB right now, there's a dude selling reddish handle Yugo bayonets. I thought initially they were some new or rare version and repeated asked the seller if the handles were dyed, painted or not and never got a straight answer or he ignored me. Others asked and eventually someone found out the handles were dyed, so a fake. Very unfortunate. $80 asking price for a $40 bayonet. Buyer beware.

If you're interested in parting with any of the plum Russians, I'd be interested since I do not have one for my collection.

CarlosC: Badass post!


Did all of the early 6x5's come with a purple-ish OTK stamp on the blade portion after they went to arsenal? I could swear I've seen black and white OTK stamps on these as well. It looks like yours is purple-ish. Curious if you knew, its not hugely important, but I am curious.

Here is a picture of mine for reference: http://vepr.org/plum-6x5-izhmash-bayonet/

(Anyway, as I said, this is really good stuff, thanks for posting).

To the best of my knowledge, all the OTK stamps on the blades were in purple, regardless of when they were made. Actually, they look purple to me, but they're supposed to be blue. The blades were marked at the Izhmash arsenal with the "OTK" proof and an inspector's stamp on the other side, a letter or number in a box. If you find one with a different color, pass it on so I can add to my database. The OTK stamps on the scabbards are done in silver ink (look white to me).

Interesting. I am not obsessing over stamp color, but I wonder if this was for a reason other than viability against the blade? I could have sworn a guy was selling one with black and white stamps at one point, but I lost track of the thread (hell, even which forum it was posted on at this point).  I'll see if I can dredge it up.

thank you for doing this.

I hope this gets archived for life.

Happy with the Hungarian m59s I have but now I know that the earlier milled one is Polish for mines. Good to know.

Excellent write up!

Unbelievable! Thank you so much for doing this. If you do a book, I will definitely get a copy and would happily sell it for you in our stores.

Excellent post. Very interesting.

Great write up and excellent photography.

One of these days, I need to unbox and display all of my AK bayos.

You should.

It was a pain in the ass for me, but I had said I'd do it in a post months ago, so I figured I had to just hunker down and just get it done. I think the thing I dreaded the most was trying to put most of them back in the exact order on the safe door.

Some have to be slightly turned to clear the shelves and must be spaced like you see so they can clear the vertical shelf support. There's also practically zero vertical room between each row so they must be organized the way you see. My long term project, which I really hate thinking about, is shortening the inside shelves by 1 inch so I can face all the bayonets forward.

So a M1951 bayonet would not work on the later AKM pattern rifles?

No.

I can't believe I missed this entire writeup and am just now seeing it for the first time

Amazing effort Carlos (insert forbidden cheers meme here)

I am the first to admit I know less than zero about AK bayonets but in 5 minutes of reading the first post I had a decent framework of understanding. I always thought there were 74 million variants and the subject was too hopelessly confusing to really learn, but just now I learned that while there are indeed 74 million variants ... they are divided into 5 main types. That actually makes a ton of sense to me having it broken out by type and era and makes it much quicker to get focused on whatever particulary bayonet I am looking at. I also confess that I only own one bayonet to look at, which obviously makes it pretty easy to figure out what it is. All I knew before was that it was Bulgarian, and newer

Thanks for such a great writeup. When guys like you put this kind of effort into a subject it makes it easy for guys like me to learn it, so again thanks very much

Thank you...FYI, I'll be updating the original post (Polish and Czechoslovakian sections) in the coming days with new acquisitions.

Thanks Carlos for the effort you put into this.  Nice collection too!

Thank you CarlosC..!!

Your time and efforts are most appreciated!

Agreed.

Not sure how I missed this thread either.

Nice job CarlosC, I really enjoyed reading this thread.

Great thread, tagged

OK - this is cool - I admit I did get bayonets for just about about everything but the FALs.  Well done sir!

Great thread. Thanks for posting.

Great write up.  I now have the urge to go through my AK parts bin to see which ones I have.  I did not buy many, only one per AK.  

One suggestion.  It would be helpful to put rarity next to each type and/or country of origin.

Rarity would be tough because, with few exceptions, it varies and it's subjective. One way to look at it would be for me to look at what I have and offer what I believe are the rarest ones from each country, although they're probably not the rarest when looked at among all AK bayonets.  

If you look at the entire AK bayonet world, I'd say the rarest include (in country order): Bulgarian AR-M1 (somewhat), Chinese NDM-86 6X4 (very), Chinese brass pin 6X4 (somewhat) - especially in a color other than orange (very), authentic East German 6X3 with the modified pommel (very), East German orange 6X4, East German KM87(extremely), Egyptian brown 6X4, Egyptian blue 6X4, Finnish 6X2 (very), Hungarian 6X3 with the modified pommel (very), Indian INSAS, Indonesian 6X2, Iraqi Tabuk and Tabuk with lion's head (very), Lithuanian canvas frogs, North Korean AK47 model 58 with the straight blade (very) and bowie blade (very), North Korean Model 68 (somewhat), Polish Beryl black 6X4, Polish 6X4 training bayonets, Romanian thin grip 6X3 (somewhat), Romanian 6X4, Russian Border Guards green 6X4s (extremely), Russian 6X5 plum, Russian thin crossguard 6X5, Russian 6X9 (extremely), Russian square pommel 6X3 (very), and South African 6X4 (from Romania) (very).

Great write-up, OP!

I ran out of room with my recent purchases, so I redid the mounting system on the safe door. They're much more organized and fit better, but it pretty much took two days to do this and I couldn't fit my Russian or Bulgarian 6X5s, nor did I solve the capacity issue. On the plus side, I can remove any bayonet much easier, by just pulling it up; the old way required sliding out all the bayonets in a row until I got to the one I wanted. Also, by not suspending them from the hangers, I hope to preserve the leather longer since some of them are 60 years old.

I use steel rods laid horizontally and suspended by zip ties (allows flexibility) from the vertical mounts. But I had to cut all the inner shelves and supports 1" to allow the bayonets to stand they way they do. That required removing the carpeting, cutting the shelves, and regluing the carpet. No project ever seems to be quick.

Very cool thread!

How common is titanium for the blade? I picked up one of these assuming the listing was correct. It’s long yet light with a balance point at the forward edge of the grip side plate. Also magnetic. At least it looks like titanium.

Titanium? 6H2

Unfortunately, it's not titanium and none have ever been titanium. That link has it wrong, it's just carbon steel left in the white. If you read the comments from other buyers, you'll see they find out the blade can be magnetized, so it's not titanium. The ad also says they're Finnish bayonets, but it would be impossible to verify that without examining one. Finnish 6X2s would be nearly identical to the Russian ones - even including Russian arsenal stamps - but would have a contract stamp as well, plus the scabbard would not have a drain hole. Finally, the ad says they're all from different Russian factories, but only one factory made those.

Updated with Czech VZ-58 type 3 bayonet, East German orange AKM Type 2 bayonet, and a brown Egyptian. Have a look!

This should be pinned to the top of this forum.

Just as good! Thank you sir, good knowledge being shared here.