My dad wants to know what the SEAL underwater issue is...

YC-

I think the consensus is that SeALs, and for that matter most of the Special Ops Command (SOCOM) units (i.e. Delta, PJ's, etc.) have very wide lattitude to selecting their equipment to suit their individual unit's missions.

Therefore, contrary to what many manufacturers want you to think, there is no "standard issue" SeAL knife. However, it appears that occasional collaborations between certain SeAL teams and knife makers does occur--consequently these knife makers bill the resultant product as "SeAL knives"...true enough, though in reality by no means does this mean that particular knife has been adopted across-the-board in the SeAL community, nor "issued" to each and every BUD/S candidate.

Now after I've gone to all the trouble to write this up, someone will almost assuredly chime in to tell me that this has all changed and the standard issue knife is "brand-X". Oh well...

Ron (guncollector)
 
Guncollector is right. SEALs use what they want. Mad Dog knives are still popular. the SOG SEAL Pups are issues, or atle ast have been. Cold Steel blades too, like the Recon Tanto. Mission MPKs are used for EOD. There is no official issue.
 
Originally posted by guncollector
However, it appears that occasional collaborations between certain SeAL teams and knife makers does occur--consequently these knife makers bill the resultant product as "SeAL knives"...true enough, though in reality by no means does this mean that particular knife has been adopted across-the-board in the SeAL community, nor "issued" to each and every BUD/S candidate.[/B]
Click to expand...

Bingo! Very well and accurately stated.
 
If we're talking across the board issue, then I'm guessing the knives would be as follows:

1. Crappy chromium "jack" knife (folding knife consisting of one main blade and one can opener/bottle opener blade).

2. KaBar or similar.

3. Bayonet for the rifle if they are using M-16s. There is no bayonet for shotguns, sniper rifles or sub-machine guns (eg. HK MP3). The bayonet will probably be the M7 or M9.

Those high-end, expensive knives that have the lable "SEAL knife" are just a little too expensive to be issued across the board. Maybe only for special, select missions.
 
The father of my good friend John Moore owns Mission Knives and he confirmed over the summer that military sales were up. I was assuming that some of those were for the Navy but may also have been for other branches that probe for mines, etc.
 
Take a look at a book called Special Warfare Special Weapons: The Arms and Equipment of the UDT and SEALS from 1943 to the Present. by Kevin Dockery. It gives a good overview of various knives used by UDT/SEALS:

Mk 1 Ka-Bar
Mk 2 Ka-Bar
Nonmagnetic SCUBA Swimmer's Knife
Mark 3
Explorer SAK
SwissChamp SAK
Leatherman
SEAL Buckmaster
Phrobis Combat Utility Knife (CUK)
SOG ST2SS (SK2000)
Mission Knives MPK (Multi Purpose Knife)
Folding Demolition Knife
 
I can't believe nobody brought up the nonmagnetic thing up.
Well, check out www.missionknives for more info,
BUT For underwater use, Seals have disarmed mines, and this requires Nonmagnetic knives, which must meet rigorous testing.
 
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