Bowie Knife Bayonet and Bolo Bayonet for the US Krag

When the US adopted the Krag rifle in 1892, a remarkably efficient and simple decision was made regarding its bayonet. The old spike socket bayonet was clearly obsolete; all the modern European armies were adopting knife bayonets; the Swiss knife bayonet was a really good example; so the US would simply copy the Swiss M1889 pattern bayonet for the Krag. They did, and it was a very good bayonet - clearly this decision could not last without a challenge!

In 1900, the Good Idea Fairy suggested that perhaps a combination bayonet and entrenching tool could be devised to reduce the amount of of gear issued to troops. Ignoring the failures of this idea in 1873 and 1880, Springfield Armory went ahead and designed a Bowie knife style bayonet and made 2,000 of them for field trial in 1900. It was a dismal failure; inefficient and awkward as a bayonet and nearly useless as a digging tool. In response, a US Captian named Hugh Long in the Philippines crafted his own concept of a useful bayonet for that theater, patterned after the local bolo knifes. This would at least be good for hacking through thick vegetation, which was a major issue for US soldiers on the islands. Captain Long sent his sample back to Springfield, where it 56 more were made for testing (50 in 1902 and 6 in 1903).

Development of the Krag bolo style bayonet was cut short by the adoption of the new 1903 Springfield rifle, which abandoned the detachable bayonet altogether in favor of a return to a rod bayonet. However, the bolo would make a brief comeback on the Springfield in 1915…but that’s a story for another video.

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[Voimakas]

"Yes Mr. Wick, we have some old surplus available...."

[davidgreen]

Do not issue to the soldier two items that serve four functions when it is possible to issue to them one item that serves no purposes and weighs three times as much. US Army Ordnance Corps General Order #87.

[AsbestosMuffins]

its like the ordinance guys sat around a table going "That's notta knife!" while pulling out increasingly dumber bayonets until one accidentally got stamped off for approval

[lukaszpokoju]

Proof that "nonsense accessories" isn't the exclusive preserve of modern Shot Show.

[douglasgault]

The Bowie knife would be great as a sod cutter. For stacking sod earth works and a lot less digging. Just cut and stack it up. As the military had last completed the Indian campaign on the High Plains, where sod was a common building material. I'll bet this was their intention as a trenching tool. Being a gardener I'm using a knife all the time to clear out the sod.

[JAB]

I think I can hear the battle cries of my Filipino ancestors seeing that bolo knife

Mabuhay, Ian! Thanks for showing a piece of history from my country!

[rotwang]

Lucky the Russians didn't know about it. "Did you hear Nicholas, Amerikanski put glaives on their rifles !" "Well then Grigori, we shall put a bardiche on our mosins !!!"

[walrusgumbootable]

Thank you for Forgotten Weapons’ diligent research and your clear presentations.

[RobinP]

When I was in the Army we referred to this as “tools designed to do more than one thing very badly”.

[IceWolfLoki]

"What was really practical was the natives bolo knife" ... I can already see where this is going.

[colbunkmust]

Are you a US soldier who always dreamed of being a French voulgier during the Hundred Years War? Then boy do we have the bayonet for you!

[ArifRWinandar]

The US army sounded like that guy who spends too much time optimizing a task and ended up spending more effort than if he just did that task.

[odinvik]

I was at a antique store today, there they had a Krag-Jørgensen carbine, and a saber bayonet for same, I've never wanted to buy anything more in my life

[HariGtt]

"It was a good idea, so it couldn't last without being challenged". The science mayor in me sees this as natural. The former History mayor and programmer in me sees this as tragic.

[nonamesplease]

The US looked at what the Europeans were doing, and decided it was time for an old fashioned bayonet measuring contest. The US was obviously going for width....

[ОлегКозлов-ют]

"we don't want to issue two things to a soldier when we can issue one thing that would suck at both jobs"

[stevenm]

US military good idea fairy: "wouldn't it cool if...."
Literally everyone else: *how many times to we have to beat you old man*

[gregorstamejcic]

the bolo turns the rifle not into a spear, but a glaive!

Honestly, i imagine those would be quite effective, as the main purpose of bayonet is not stabbing, but intimidation. couple that with actual utility, and you're getting something.

[JamesThomas-ggil]

Very nice Ian, especially for those of us who collect baypnets and knives. The style of the bolo bladed krag bayonet lived on the in the 1910/ 1917 type bolos as just a utility knife/machete. Even the handle kept the same shape. Id love to find either of those that you have there.

[GreatgoatonFire]

Something about the way these blades looks make me think they belong in Warhammer 40K not reality. The Blades just looks wildly out of proportion to the handle.