This bayonet also serves as a short sword in the Falcata and or Kukri style. That curve helps concentrate the strike force. Side note: the Spanish FR-8 bayonet has the Falcata pattern recurve.

Ian really looks like a french musketeer. All he needs is the clothes and stand at a castle.

the Yataghan is originally a Turkish sword, they were curved to make it easier to wear and to give more powerful cuts.

Can I mount one on a Webley revolver?

You are absolutely correct about the muzzle clearance. And the curve in the blade does give is a bit better slashing ability at the sweet spot. Along the same lines as the Kuhkri. Sir Richard Burton covers this in his seminal "The Book of the Sword"

I went to a museum a few years ago and I though these were warped or badly made. I feel like an idiot now.

This video was very on point.

You've just solved a major family mystery. We've had one of these in the family for 100+ years and never knew why it "wobbled". Ta!

Some Forgotten Weapons days are three minute days, and some are thirty. But all are good days. I really enjoy the shorts! It brings bits of knowledge into focus that might not be substantive enough to warrant a longer video.

Ian is an original. He speaks in complete sentences, he's knowledgeable and he's a model of clarity.

Thank you I learn all the time with your videos Ian.I learned with books and thought I knew my weapons,nowadays with your videos I keep learning.

Thanks for yet another interesting video, one of my favourite KZfaq channels, better than anything on mainstream broadcasting too

Thanks Ian, I really enjoy your channel

isn't the yataghan traditionally a balkan or ottoman style of knife with a similar curve?

Nice, The french 1842 pattern Yatagan bayonet was used with the RIFLED 1842 muzzleloader carbine "carabine de chasseur modèle 1842". The standard 1842 pattern SMOOTHBORE muzzleloaders had a spike baionette.

I liked the concept of short vídeos

A very knowledgeable weapons collector I knew when I was a kid told me the curve was made to allow the blade to slide under a charging horse's breastbone when the butt of the rifle was planted into the ground, like a pike. Made sense at the time!

Matt Easton of Scholagladiatoria just did a video on these blades. The two of y'all really need to do a video together.

This was a really interesting to look at, I'm a person who really enjoys bladed weaponry and of you were to cover more bayonets I'd really like that

Great short video.

Cool explanation. Never even thought about the reloading problem.

I dispute that it doesn't make for a good sword, as the original Yataghan is actually a Turkish sword en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yatagan The curve also helps with slashing, especially drawcuts, since now, unlike mode curved blades that curve away from the victim, this just bites extra deep

I'm Turkish and I didn't know this existed. Fascinating. Thanks Ian!

Thanks for that explanation, Most informative and Most interesting!

Short and to the point, nice.

I actually have one of these and knew very little about it. Thanks!

I fully agree with you! As usual, the serious need made the new innovation, and always that the first step in the process of deduction "why?" and "for what?"

Never knew these existed. Thank you

I thought you did a video on this already ? Still a good video , Thank you .

I have one of these and have often wondered "why?" the tip was offset like it is - now I know!! Thank you!

I'm so glad you made this video, I inherited two of these from my grandfather :D

My uncle has one of this from one of my Ancestors. Now I know where it's from! Thanks!!!

Based on a traditional Turkish sword design. The bayonet makes a wicked-looking short sword. The French bayonets have good steel that takes a good edge.

I just bought one for my 1879 Argentine RRB last month. I also have 2 Toledo, Spain Artillery Swords from the late 1800s that used this type of blade but heavier and without the "T" rib at the top.

I always learn something when I watch Forgotten weapons . Thanks Ian & Team.

the fuller down the middle is what strengthens the blade. it has a cross section like an i-beam. this is necessary when you have such a long thin blade, otherwise the blade would be to heavy to use effectively.

I think you nailed it

Never would have thought of that, good lesson

Holy footbally, that's a fucking sword at this length.

Can't help thinking that a committee was involved with this bayonet design. It would've been much easier just to offset the bayonet lugs by a couple of inches. Thank you Ian for another Forgotten Weapons accessory video. I like these as much as the actual gun videos as they record some of the forgotten aspects of guns. :>)

I like this style, as well as the bolo.

Yataghan's are all shaped that way, some more prominent than others. The reason for this with the swords was to aid in the cutting capacity. I do bet that not stabbing yourself when reloading was a major selling point into its adoption as a bayonet.

with the curve at the end, used as a sword theres alot of cutting power in that bend also.

Thank you for the history lesson

Makes sense. Oh and it looks cool too. I am not sure what word they used for "cool" back then, but I am sure it was relevant when it came to weapon designing. At least as relevant as today.

I always wondered. Thanks.

I own one of these bayonets, they handle pretty nice when you put your index finger over the cross guard like you would with a side sword.

Damn that looks brutal

The point of these bayonets was to miss the point. So, they weren't pointless.

Ian really made a lot of good points on this one! *runs*

I don't believe you're correct on the reasoning for the curve. The Yataghan bayonet is clearly styled after the Yataghan sword. The purpose of what is called an incurved blade is for cutting. This would still be effective as a bayonet. As a matter of fact, I would suggest that it loses almost nothing for thrusting and gains quite a lot for the purposes of cutting. Using the Incurve design and attaching it to a long lever (the rifle) would significantly aid cuts and chops.

That is fascinating.

Great video ian, but rather than it being to avoid the pointy end would the curve not be to accommodate a clenched fist on the ram rod? I'm in the uk so I'm not sure how much force you would need to load a muzzle loader!

Great info, the “ahh haa” moment. Thanks for posting!👍🏼

this design is also reminiscent of the Greek kopis, which was a very good cutting sword.

the curve makes a slashing stroke when hand held more effective

Yataghans were excellent swords

Nice video, keep it up

Cool video though. Never knew this about them, very interesting.

A large, utilitarian space, lots of blades, and Ian in black ninja gear; is this his secret underground dojo?

wearing form-fitting black because he's adding to his collection later … about 2am when the guards change at the Rock Island Auction Company.

Also adds a little more mass. Beneficial if you find yourself needing to hack away at shrubs, ropes, enemy soldiers etc.

I like this format of video. Not everything needs a 20 minute long history lesson. Don't get me wrong, I love the 20 minute history lessons but this is cool too.

very good

It is shaped similarly to the ancient Kopis design of short sword/large knife, and probably has similarly devastating properties

My failure to recognise the presence of a colon in the title, caused me substantial confusion initially. Because bro, there ain't no such thing as a Short Yataghan Bayonet. Awesome vid though, as always.

Ah, so it does have a purpose. In the heat and excitement of battle it would certainly be possible to shove your hand down on tbe bayonet point. Glad the designers and engineers were keeping the common soldier in mind. They so often don't. Great video as always. Thank you

It's also just an efficiency issue in reloading, that the bayonet isn't getting in the way of trying to ram the charge - skinned knuckles were a common complaint of troopers quick-loading weapons with bayonets fixed.

I've never seen Ian wear a shirt that fits well

Yay for Ian!

I really need a sheath for my chassepot bayonet. Also a rifle would be cool to go with it.

Hey Ian, can you do a video on shashkas? Thank you

A curve helps deepen a pushed or drawn cut, it's why Arabic swords are curved. I guess maybe the slashing cut was replaced with just a stab.

I noticed the british wartime diet did not hurt your silhouette.

God damn Ian you got me. Pretty interesting

Short, sweet, effective.

Bayonet Jesus? John the Stabber? Ian of the cutty clan?

I have one of those!

Reminds me of when I go out to a seafood restaurant, and somebody orders mussels. They'll usually eschew eating the mussels that are closed, saying they're "bad" or were dead when cooked. And it all comes from some 1970's cookbook where some lady took a wild guess, and then the myth became repeated as "common knowledge." Yet, even when you tell people this, they'll say the mussels taste bad and are "rotten," totally neglecting the obvious-- because the shell remained closed during cooking, the sauce didn't enter the meat, and so a more seawatery taste is prevalent... easily solved by dunking the mussel in the sauce. I've seen people throw out up to a third of their food because the mythology mesmerization is so strong and "just makes sense" to them. So, despite Ian pointing out an incredibly obvious and practical truth, I am sure I will continue to read all kinds of weird suppositions for bayonet curvatures. Anyhoo, thanks for a dose of sanity in an insane world, Ian! Be safe.

Hey I have one of those somewhere. No scabbard but still... pretty schweet.

neat info packet

My grandparents have a bayonet like this hanging in their house. I don't know how they got it, but it has some latin script on the blade and I always assumed it was curved like some sort of Civil War era cavalry sabre. Really informative video

Also it looks pretty cool. Like osman-turkish conqueror's blade. Yalla!

That made sense!

Why would leaders wanted that their soldiers shoot and reload while their bayonets are attached to the bore? Until now I tought after the "fix bayonets" command there was only melee fighting. I mean way back then, in the era of muzzle loading muskets/rifles...you know what I mean.

That black was very slimming

it's pronounced yataaan. great short as always.

Psst, Ian, at 1:07 you forgot to add "Yet" to your declaration! :)

curved blades also give a better cutting ability. after that first volley you may not have time to reload on a charge, then the gun becomes essentially a poll arm and a club

Man I love a long rifle with a long bayonet

That's a bloody short-sword that happens to fit on a rifle!

Thanks Ian, now I feel I need one. Trouble is there are Ottoman blades too. A real rabbit hole.

I've got 2 of these (One Chassepot bayonet, and a one for a Swedish Remington Rolling Block). I was always under the impression that the French adopted the yataghan style because they thought it looked cool, and then everyone copied them because they figured France, a perennial powerhouse, knew what it was doing when it came to weapons design.

I had guessed machete. I learned something I would have never guessed.

....now, wait a minute. I just picked up an Enfield 1961 musketoon and was wondering about this bayonet, and how I didn't like this design. Small world.

i have a long one of these from 1868!!

Any reason why there would be a M1A under the serial number on a French 1866 one

As soon as you said for a muzzle loader I put 2 and 2 together then sent it to my scientists and came back with 4. :)

that's an interesting theory but I fear the French muzzleloaders used all a spike bayonet and the yataghan bayonets started to be used only with the 1st breechloaders

Totally logical, but maybe you still get the "sabre" slashing dynamics from the blade when used as a sword? (In addition to the "thrust"). Also does the bayonet blade (on any rifle) impinge on the balistics of the bulet as it leaves the barrel? personally I love the Yataghan "aesthetic" and it still lives on (in a more subtle form) in the French Opinel pen knife. (thanks for reading :-)