Achtung Spitfire! Posted July 28, 2020 Posted July 28, 2020 Here's a nice example of a French 'Grenade Contre fil Barbele'.This is a 1916 version which was larger than its predecessor containing 800g of Chedite. It's smaller brother contained 400g of Chedite It was basically a sheet metal cylinder with a wooden plug and a stick with a hollowed out centre containing a traction igniter. Its main use was for blowing up barbed wire. Pictured next to an M16 stick grenade for scale. 5 Quote
Gildwiller1918 Posted July 29, 2020 Posted July 29, 2020 Nice Barbele, I have this on my wish list, along with a P1 grenade, still looking. 3 Quote
Achtung Spitfire! Posted July 29, 2020 Author Posted July 29, 2020 (edited) This one just popped up on a site I keep my eye on and so I grabbed it. About $180 US. I've also found the smaller version on another site.Same price same kind of condition. Would make a nice pair.You come across P1s over here once in a while.There is a lot of inert ordinance over here in the UK. Thing is when you're a new collector like me you see things all the time that you don't have or didn't know existed. I've only been collecting WW1 grenades about 3 or 4 months. I have 29 with a few hard to find types. Top of my wish list is a Turkish ' Gallipoli' Grenade. They're pretty expensive over here and again you've hot to watch out for fakes. Edited July 29, 2020 by Achtung Spitfire! unfinished 4 Quote
Gildwiller1918 Posted July 29, 2020 Posted July 29, 2020 Grab them while you can, they will only get more scarce as time goes on. 4 Quote
Gildwiller1918 Posted January 14, 2021 Posted January 14, 2021 I did manage to find the smaller version of this grenade. It is a dug example, but these are getting really hard to find. 4 Quote
Achtung Spitfire! Posted January 14, 2021 Author Posted January 14, 2021 That's a nice original example Are the larger versions around Stateside? 4 Quote
Gildwiller1918 Posted January 15, 2021 Posted January 15, 2021 Honestly, I was not expecting to find this one, as European models are really rare here. But I will keep my eyes open. 4 Quote
Gildwiller1918 Posted January 15, 2021 Posted January 15, 2021 Typically what I see here the most are German M1917 egg grenades, Kugels and French F1 types. Sometimes others become available such as British No. 5's. Rod grenades are really rare here, especially British and French versions. 3 Quote
Achtung Spitfire! Posted January 15, 2021 Author Posted January 15, 2021 (edited) You have an extensive collection though so how'd come by them stateside? Edited January 15, 2021 by Achtung Spitfire! 4 Quote
Gildwiller1918 Posted January 15, 2021 Posted January 15, 2021 I imagine most of the items found here today are veteran bring backs or done by collectors before the weapons bans started. Some might be left over from training or display boards. I get most of mine through other collectors or vetted collector websites/companies. But still they don't come up often, the US ones are even hard to find. Most WW1 items were reused in WW2 or sold off to colonial interests, so not many are still around. 3 Quote
Achtung Spitfire! Posted January 15, 2021 Author Posted January 15, 2021 You do have that Shinkle though that's a love bit of kit. You do have one major dealer in the States who always has European grenades for sale. Can't mention the name of course but you'll probably know who I'm talking about. Top dollar prices though. 4 Quote
Gildwiller1918 Posted January 16, 2021 Posted January 16, 2021 There are several dealer's I know of that sometimes have the European ones, but like you said, the prices can be quite ridiculous sometimes. I do have quite a bit of vendors that I deal with and they have my want lists, which usually pay off better for me. 5 Quote
Gildwiller1918 Posted March 3, 2021 Posted March 3, 2021 Found this nice image of the longer Barbele being used at the front. 5 Quote
Achtung Spitfire! Posted July 11, 2021 Author Posted July 11, 2021 Just landed the smaller earlier version. Nice find and nice to have both versions in my collection. 5 Quote
Gildwiller1918 Posted July 11, 2021 Posted July 11, 2021 Very nice A.S. those are quite hard to find in the US, I am still missing the long version. 5 Quote
Gildwiller1918 Posted January 18, 2023 Posted January 18, 2023 Found another image of this grenade in use by Russian soldiers 5 Quote
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