Lainhart SEAL Team 2 Knife

Bladewolf

Bladewolf

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Jun 16, 2005
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After retiring my Hibben Tanto, I used this as a working knife, until I heard
George wasn't making them anymore either, so I retired this one too. Although it is one of the best handlers I have.

It came originally with a Kydex dive sheath, but when I told George where
I was using it, he sent along the nice leather one pictured.

Does anyone know if/why he stopped making? If so, what a shame.
 

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Howdy,

Great knife, you don't see many custom Lainhart's around. My understanding is that most of George's knives were sent out to active military, and he only sold off a small amount to civilian market.

I don't believe he is very active in the business now, quite a few people have tried to contact him with no results.
 
I remember reading somewhere that his knives we designed to throw from the lanyard with the lanyard somehow acting like a tail to stabilize the knife in flight.
 
You have some real nice old school survival blades. These are some of the models that got me interested in big blades way back in the day. ANy more sleepers you have laying around? :)
 
That was the knife design as used in the movie "The Abyss" by the looks....

Nice knife!
 
tknife said:
You have some real nice old school survival blades. These are some of the models that got me interested in big blades way back in the day. ANy more sleepers you have laying around? :)
Click to expand...

Thanks guys. No tknife, the rest of my large blades are mid-level productions, S&W's, Hen & Rooster, Esparcia, Schrade, etc...

The only reason I have the Hibben and the Lainhart was that at the time, I was CO. of the Security Op. at an explosives production plant. We couldn't carry firearms on-site (even made the local PD surrender theirs before they came in, which means of course, they wouldn't). Most of the facility was pretty remote, and we still had to deal with everything from drunken hunters to a wannabe satanic cult, so I figured I'd have the best blade I could get my hands on. Retired the Hibben when I realised it was one of two of a kind. Retired the Lainhart when I moved on jobwise. I do have a new Dusty Moulton I'll post a pic of in this forum. I wish I got more Hibben's though, can't afford his big blades now. :(
 
gundy said:
That was the knife design as used in the movie "The Abyss" by the looks....
Click to expand...


Nope… I knew George back then. The knife in the Abyss was designed by a former SEAL team member that was the technical advisor on the film. He had George make the knife for him. While working on the film the director said something about the need for a knife and Gene showed him the knife. IIRC George had three days to make and deliver 12 knives to the set. (Some edged and some dull.)

The knife in the movie did not have a saw back and was more of a modified clip point (not so much of a turn-up as this knife), with a small guard and a square ricasso large enough for a finger behind the edge. I don’t remember finger grooves on the handle.

The last thing I know about George he was working for a local, to Atlanta metro area, city.

George did make a very nice knife.

Wish I could have afforded one back then, but that original knife cost what I made in a week.
 
AHHH, that makes me very sad that George isn't makeing knives for the public anymore. I have wanted one of his seal knives for a long time. Some where in my house I have an old magazine with the Abyss knife on the cover, and a small article. If I can find it I will scan the pics and post them.
 
This thread has been dorment for a while but I thought I'd chime in with what I know about George's SEAL knives.

The knife that appeared in the Abyss also appeared on the cover of an issue of FK around 1988. The cover was a deep see blue with a rubber glove holding the knife. Kinda dorky photo but interesting article. IIRC a former SEAL named Randy Storm(?) wrote the article.

The knife has a severe bowie style clip point that was serrated.

Anyway I spoke with George at length regarding the deisgn around 1992. He told me that after Desert Storm he had requests from SEALs who asked for a knife with a point that could be used to penetrate body armor.

Around that same time he had experimented with a titanium coating that was gold in color.

He had talked me into one but alas I never ordered it.

Shame!
 
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