Knife .ppt

[Will P.]

I have been ordered to create a presentation about the history of knives in the military. So far I'm thinking I'm going to move up through history covering the following:

Blade shapes, grinds, and features of fixed blades.
Butterfly knives: An arbitrary starting point, and I can throw in a video.
WWII knives: Ka-bar and V-42
Vietnam era knives: Tomahawk, various special forces knives.
Modern day: Common folders, multitools, the Yarlborough, and the BM Nimravus.

Am I missing anything really obvious here?

 

[Elvislives]

Bayonets?

That and officers' swords would be the two that come to my mind.

 

[Merek]

Perhaps the transition from swords through long bayonettes to shorter fighting blades (and combo bayo-fighters).
If this is not about United States military 'Issue' blades it sounds like a tall order. There are a lot of military blades out there. Not just Western styles either. Archer's swords. Main gauche. Civil War non-issue blades.

 

[Esav Benyamin]

... the transition from swords through long bayonettes to shorter fighting blades ...

That sounds like a good main theme right there, down to current folding knives.

You can have a secondary theme of utility use as opposed to actual combat.

 

[Will P.]

Yeah, I began working on it and it seems like a bit much. Swords to bayonets also sounds like a tall order. I guess It's going to be bayonets, special forces knives, and a couple of the more prominant combat knives.

One of the Cadet Sergeants wants me to put a short movie in it. Obviously, I can get a whole lot of balisong video and auto video, but does anyone know of or have short videos about fixed blades?

 

[MelancholyMutt]

I've done similar presentations before and I think you're biting off more than you can chew if you try to encompass all the different knives, swords and bayonets. Pick a more specific theme... just bayonets, when and why they are used, and historically significant bayonet charges... swords seem to be a moot issue since they are no longer used... I know someone in ROTC that did a "this or that" presentation between issued sidearms and personal sidearms... if permitted, you could do one on personal fighting knives or issued fighting knives... the one pitfall about first year presentations is that many bite off more than they can chew...

 

[Will P.]

... if permitted, you could do one on personal fighting knives or issued fighting knives...

I think I'll tread lighty with this one. No need to go asking for trouble...

Here is my list, chosen purely on interest:
- The USMC Kabar et al. - still one of the most commonly used knives.
- The V-42 (Devil's Brigade) and F/S daggers (OSS)
- The Yarlborough
- The Nimravus - just and example of a well thought out modern combat knife
- A slide on multitools.
- A slide on folders - CRKT M16s seem to be in vogue here
- The new Camillus Bayonet

Thanks for the advice, all. Now I just got to get out there and find a video...

 

[Danzz]

Hi Will, good luck and all. Nice list (not going to mention your Greco knife?). Remember, the less flashy .ppt effects you use the more time you will have to talk.