Developed in the early 20th century, the 1915 Bolo Bayonet was one of the U.S. Army's attempts at a hybrid weapon that could reduce the loadout an individual soldier had to carry into the field. Intended for use in jungle environments, the bolo could serve as both a bayonet and a brush clearing tool. Though the daylight bayonet charge was becoming a thing of the past, observers of World War I and the Russo-Japanese War noted the rise of the night attack and it's resultantly brutal hand-to-hand combat; the determination was made that a bayonet should be a fighting weapon and nothing more, and all the odd ducks and promising experiments were pulled from the field. Either destroyed or discarded as surplus it is believed that only about fifty 1915 bolos remain. 20 1/4 inches overall, with a 15 inch blade dated 1916 on the left ricasso and marked "US/3284" on the right. Smooth wood grips, with an "eagle beak" pommel and standard 1905-style locking hardware.

Very good. The blade shows evidence of scattered dark spotting, pitting concentrated near the tip and mild handling marks. The grips show a few dings and dents, with a dark brown patina on the hilt hardware. A very rare example of a short-lived and very interesting American edged weapon, scarce in any condition. Very few of these survived and this is one of only a few known to writer!