Often people ask “what is the knife Navy SEALs use?”. The short answer is- whatever knife they want/purchase to carry. Most of the time in the military this is a decision based on personal preference or choice.  However most military personal get issued a knife/bayonet/multi-tool based on their MOS (Military Occupational Specialty) or basically “job”. The Mk 3 MOD 0 Diving/Survival knife manufactured by Ontario Knife company happens to be the SEALs issue knife during BUD/S. This knife is also used by Reconnaissance Marines at the Combatant Divers Course in Panama City, Florida.

This particular knife comes from Uncle Sam’s Retail Outlet. We recently covered the USMC Survival Kit, also from Uncle Sam’s Retail Outlet. They offer some of the fairest prices on military issued gear that I’ve seen locally or on the web. They are a surplus retailer, so inventories often fluctuate. If your interested in an item, I suggest going ahead and ordering it before they run out.

The Mk 3 MOD 0 was designed primarily to be used as a tool and this is evident by the features of the knife. Their is a striking butt that can be used for hammering, a serrated saw edge on the the spine, as well the ability to pry with the thickness of the blade. The knife also features a clip point with a very up-swept tip. Since this is an issued knife used for diving; I believe they chose 440 Stainless Steel for two reasons. One being somewhat corrosive resistant and the other being its a cost effective metal to mass produce. Another benefit would be the simplicity of sharpening in the field.  The Black Oxide finish would also facilitate in protecting the blade from rusting.

Read more – Black Scout Survival

(Featured image courtesy of fusiongear.com.au)