NAVY SEAL KNIVES: Your thoughts?

[SpyderEdgeForever]

Over the years I have seen various hunting/combat/survival/etc knives sold with the claim that they were officially adopted by the US Navy Seals. SOG knives has some like the SOG SEAL 2000 and SOG SEAL Pup, and SOG SEAL and SEAL Pup Elites, and others. I have also seen knives made by Mission Knives listed as Navy Seal Knives, and even some lower price end of the scale United Cutlery knives with the "Official SEAL" claims. What is one to make of this?

Do any of you have a preferred Seal knife you like?

What do you think of the Seal Pup?

[demoncase]

My preferred SEaL knife is the classic Gerber Mk2- Well balanced, solidly made and robust (At least the 60s-80s models are- the remix current version is a pale shadow of the originals). For me, it's the perfect evolution of the original Fairbairn-Sykes daggers.
Mine's an early 1980s model in the black leather sheath with a 440C forged blade- used to live on my STABO rig for 'Nam Re-enactment

It's imbued With a certain amount of cachet going back to the Vietnam War, there is at least photographic evidence that this model of knife was in use and actually fielded on missions by SEaLs, MACV-SOG and other name-taking SOBs

On the subject of "Which knives are the SEAL's Knives?"
SOG Knives did design the SEAL range with direct input with the Teams- but does every SEAL carry a SOG?- I doubt it.
SEALs (and every other special forces unit ever) will have certainly have evaluated pretty much everything that is out there on the market, and probably tested them. So it's likely that small volumes of most every mid-high end 'tactical' or military focused blade will have seen some use with the SEALs.
Were they evaluated then dropped in favour of something else?
Were they fielded in the service of the country?
Did they ever leave base or are they being used for games of mumbly-peg around the barracks?
Did more than even 1 SEAL carry or use 'em?
Without photographic evidence- it's speculative....But it does mean that marketing departments out there can say "USED BY OUR NAVY SEALS!" on the box

[SpyderEdgeForever]

Wow great answer! Thank you :)

Regarding the Gerber Mk knives, I have wondered this: Why do you think the originals were of such high quality and the modern ones are a pale shadow of the originals? Other owners and users of the MK series have told me the same thing. Also, I had a MK2 and MK1 as well as a Command One in the late 1980s (And, lamentably, I lost them!) and they were very good. In looking over reviews and speaking with those who have the current ones, the main consensus is exactly what you said: They are nothing compared to the originals. Why is this? What happened?

[LC Kid]

Hi Folks!


AFAIK there isn't any 'Official' Navy Seal Knife out there. Neither hasn't ever been. It's just a market gimmick. And it certainly works. :rolleyes:

As Demoncase says, any Special Forces Unit must had tried and tested almost anything on the cutlery market. And usually go with whatever that simply gets the job done and is available at any given time.

In my personal experience with Navy Commandos the main importance about the equipment goes straight to the assault rifle & ammo, would say some solid 7 out of 10. Another 2.5 goes to communication, and the difference goes to the rest of the stuff, including edged devices. So it makes very clear why those guys will take anything sharp and that's it.

Can't close without mention Daniel Winkler Knives work related to Navy Seals. Really dedicated CQC blades and tomahawks. He even has price policies for active military personnel, giving their knives on the pricey side not many, if any, of those guys would be able to afford them. The WK II Belt and WK II Operator knives seems to be truly designed for them, such very well made blades.

[demoncase]

Wow great answer! Thank you :)

Regarding the Gerber Mk knives, I have wondered this: Why do you think the originals were of such high quality and the modern ones are a pale shadow of the originals? Other owners and users of the MK series have told me the same thing. Also, I had a MK2 and MK1 as well as a Command One in the late 1980s (And, lamentably, I lost them!) and they were very good. In looking over reviews and speaking with those who have the current ones, the main consensus is exactly what you said: They are nothing compared to the originals. Why is this? What happened?

That I can answer: :)

The original Mk2s from the 60s and 70s were L6 tool steel.
In '82 they switched to a drop-forged 440c- really well heat-treated in my experience too.

In the mid-80s the sheaths switched to nylon- and here the rot set in for me.
In the 90s, Mk2 went out of production....

Gerber changed to being owned by Fiskars and in the 2000s, they reissued the Mk2 as a 'remix' (their words), but with some significant changes- one key one being the use of 420HC as the blade material- stamped from sheet, rather than drop-forged...A real step down in my experience.

Then there's the build: The modern remix I'm uncertain of the source (I suspect China)- the blade is narrower edge to edge and thinner in section, making it feel flimsy....To the point where the original 80s model I have would not fit into the kydex lined remix sheath!

This reduction in weight of the blade changes the balance from the original (where it was over the pinch in the handle behind the guard- perfect for a ring grip with your index finger and thumb!) to half-way down the handle- this changes the feel from a 'lively' blade to a 'dead' lump.

The modern serrations are 'chisel cut' to make them easier to sharpen in the field....But makes them skip over rope or webbing more than the original toothy variants.

Like a classic recipe- just a few seemingly minor changes turn the really great original into the rather lacklustre remix.

Here's a great source of Gerber Mk2 material FYI- http://militarycarryknives.com/

[SpyderEdgeForever]

case, a question about the MK II. If a modern day knife maker were to take the time and effort and, say, hand forge a copy of the original Gerber MK2, using L6 carbon steel and other materials, could it or would it be equal to or possibly even better than the original Vietnam Era one?

[demoncase]

case, a question about the MK II. If a modern day knife maker were to take the time and effort and, say, hand forge a copy of the original Gerber MK2, using L6 carbon steel and other materials, could it or would it be equal to or possibly even better than the original Vietnam Era one?

For sure- if the heat-treat and build quality were there- I'd be first in line
:)

[v8r]

The Microtech navy Scarabs are supposed to be legit. They have rubber seals on the opening for the blade and civilian models do not.

[demoncase]

The Microtech navy Scarabs are supposed to be legit. They have rubber seals on the opening for the blade and civilian models do not.

While they almost certainly are 'legit', as you say: it's how does one measure the value of that 'legit-ness'?

Like I said in my first post: If it has a cutting edge, costs decent money, comes from a decent manufacturer and has even vaguely 'martial' use prospects it WILL have been evaluated for use by most every Special Forces team out there....Whether it remains in use or indeed ever saw combat deployment is speculative without photographic evidence

I'm pretty certain that every Navy SEAL is not carrying a OTF automatic as their one and only cutting tool....

Conversely, I'm also pretty certain that every SEAL offered one 'to test' snaffled the thing like it was free candy :D

There simply won't be ONE Navy Seal knife....- There will be a smattering of all the major and minor makes at various points in time and for differing missions....Heck, I'm willing to wager a good few quid that at least one member of the teams never leaves home without his Swiss Army Knife- Funny how I don't see Victorinox marketing their 'Special Forces' model, do you?

[Ankerson]

Dunno, most of the SEALS I delt with carried Ka-Bars back in the 80's.

Same with Force Recon.

[TomAiello]

I have a friend who is an active duty seal, and he gave me a Pacific Salt that he'd been issued at work.

So I know, for certain, at least one SEAL who was issued a Spyderco knife.

[Ankerson]

Rarely ever saw anything other than KA-BAR, BUCK or Gerber back in the 80's, fixed blades....

I kept a Buck 110 in my pack while on deployments and Carried a KA-BAR...

Back in the States it was only the KA-BAR.

Pretty much the same here or take for the other Marines and SF guys I ran into.

[SpyderEdgeForever]

Ankerson, would you personally say, from your experience, that the Kabar (the actual brand name made in the USA, not the fake copies) is a great general purpose field knife and combat knife, and is tough and rugged enough to stand up to almost anything that it can be used for? I ask because I have read and heard complaints by some that because it uses the leather washer type grip as opposed to a full tang handle, it is not as strong in their opinion.

[Ankerson]

Ankerson, would you personally say, from your experience, that the Kabar (the actual brand name made in the USA, not the fake copies) is a great general purpose field knife and combat knife, and is tough and rugged enough to stand up to almost anything that it can be used for? I ask because I have read and heard complaints by some that because it uses the leather washer type grip as opposed to a full tang handle, it is not as strong in their opinion.

I carried one for 4 years when I was in the USMC and didn't see any issues.

But then that was long before YT etc..... Early to mind 80's..... Way before the current generation of take a 7" blade and try and pound it through a 6" piece of wood and then complain when something happens.

[SpyderEdgeForever]

YT means?

Cool, thank you Ankerson. Have you felt the Kraton rubber handled ones? That one feels great in the hand, but the leather one is good, too.

[Ankerson]

YT means?

Cool, thank you Ankerson. Have you felt the Kraton rubber handled ones? That one feels great in the hand, but the leather one is good, too.

You Tube, social media etc....

Nope, never seen one of those.

We just used our knives for cutting and stuff...

For the really heavy stuff we had that wonderful thing called the Entrenching tool....... But then we also has access to axes if we needed them in the field. And if in the Jungle we had machetes....

[demoncase]

Nope, never seen one of those.

We just used our knives for cutting and stuff...

For the really heavy stuff we had that wonderful thing called the Entrenching tool....... But then we also has access to axes if we needed them in the field. And if in the Jungle we had machetes....

Question for you sir if I may be so bold: In your experience in the 80s, did your Kabar come with the back swedge at the front sharpened?

Did you sharpen it (if it didn't)?

I've seen alleged 'Period Vietnam' Kabars with the sharpened swedge a couple of times, and I wondered if it was common practice (or indeed standard issue) for genuine issued Kabars. All of civilian purchased variants I've handled have (conversely) had an unsharpened back portion.

Apologies all for the drift off topic.

[Surfingringo]

I have a few buddies who are "team guys". None of them carry fixed blades. All of them carry various Spyderco folders.

[Ankerson]

Nope, never seen one of those.

We just used our knives for cutting and stuff...

For the really heavy stuff we had that wonderful thing called the Entrenching tool....... But then we also has access to axes if we needed them in the field. And if in the Jungle we had machetes....

Question for you sir if I may be so bold: In your experience in the 80s, did your Kabar come with the back swedge at the front sharpened?

Did you sharpen it (if it didn't)?

I've seen alleged 'Period Vietnam' Kabars with the sharpened swedge a couple of times, and I wondered if it was common practice (or indeed standard issue) for genuine issued Kabars. All of civilian purchased variants I've handled have (conversely) had an unsharpened back portion.

Apologies all for the drift off topic.

Mine was sharp. :)