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USN MK3Mod0 Knives


thorin6
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Here are two versions of what is often sold on Ebay as "Navy Seal Knife." The earlier MK3 has a much slender point, but the point was susceptible to breaking so the second version was shaped more like the M9 bayonet (although I don't know if that was the actual model used). I'm not sure of the date the change was made. These are not hard to find, and shouldn't cost more than $50 or so in good condition (although on Ebay you can see them for $75 or more). I'm curious if these were really issued to Seal Teams, so if anyone can confirm, it would be appreciated.

 

post-11546-0-92257400-1449013883.jpg

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According to an excellent article by Frank Trzaska on these knives, the modification to the point was made in 1994, but not sent to the maker (Ontario Knife) until 2000 and not actually made until 2001.

 

Here are some comments that I have found on this knife:

 

Although this knife was adopted for general use in the Navy, it is most commonly associated with the SEAL (Sea, Air and Land) teams, the Navy Special Operations Force. The Mk 3 MOD 0 (sometimes called the Diving/Survival Knife) is the SEALs issue knife during BUD/S (Basic Underwater Demolition / SEAL). This knife is also used by Reconnaissance Marines (FMF Recon and MarDiv Recon) at the Combatant Divers Course in Panama City, Florida.

 

One website quotes a SEAL stating: There are two knives and ONLY two knives that the SEALs are officially issued from the Navy. One is a ceremonial Ka-Bar that has the trident stamped on the blade, and his SQT class # and the name of a fallen SEAL on the other side. These are ceremonial and not used in battle. The second is a US Navy MK3 mod 0 diving/survival knife. This knife is rarely if ever carried into battle. It is heavy and cumbersome and unneeded dead weight to a SEAL. Most SEALs carry knives of their own choice that they purchase, and used more like a tool such as cutting para-cord, etc than for combat. I've seen SEALs carry, Gerber, CRKT, and even Leatherman's as their knife of choice. Most of the time it's a small cheap tactical folder.

 

Other uses include the survival vests in the Aviation Life support equipment, and have been issued as part of the USMC EOD kits.

 

And just for those who just have to have every variation (this one with the early style point):

 

post-66-0-23502500-1449016292.jpg

 

 

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  • 4 weeks later...

I like these knives and have one of the older style pointed blade. I have always wondered why the modified newer and beefier blade was still marked "MK3 MOD 0" ?

 

Wouldn't a completely different blade be marked "MK3 MOD 1"

 

Just wondering.

 

Chris

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  • 4 years later...

I'm a retired Army Special Forces guy and when I was on a scout swim team in Okinawa in the early '90's we had the MK3's as team inventory. I recall them always being attached to our BC's. 

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I collect US bayonets, but I have a few military  knives.  I have always loved the look of this knife, great cool factor.  I don't think you'll find them too often for $50 anymore.

Marv

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38 minutes ago, Misfit 45 said:

I collect US bayonets, but I have a few military  knives.  I have always loved the look of this knife, great cool factor.  I don't think you'll find them too often for $50 anymore.

Marv

 

Occasionally, but usually $60-70 (often without the scabbard however) except for the ebay folks that over price everything.

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My brother in law was issued one of the early narrow point version when he was a USCG rescue swimmer in the early-mid 1980's. He gave me that knife when he retired a few years ago. I still have it in my collection. Since the commercially sold Mk 3 Mod 0 knives were marked exactly the same as the issue knives, you need provenance to establish a particular example was in fact a military issued knife.

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  • 2 months later...

Here's probably the only pic I have showing me wearing an Mk3 Mod 0 ... early 1990's. For an exercise, we had swam into shore, did a little snooping around and did what we had to do, then swam a back out a long ways and met up with our Zodiac's (you can barely see the Zodiac's being towed in the background in the upper left) that took us the rest of the way to link up with a ship from the Malaysian Navy. If I remember right, this is a pic of me (In the US BDU's) immediately after getting onboard with one of the PASKAL Navy guy's that was 'in the drink' with us. Circled in yellow, you can see the Mk3 Mod 0. I don't think I appreciated that knife as much as I do now; currently, I've picked up three OKC variations, the old style tip with the correctly oriented markings; the old style tip with the upside-down markings; the improved OKC with the re-profiled reinforced tip. Prices for Mk3 Mod 0's in very good condition have certainly gone up nowadays from what some of the previous threads mentioned.  

2110804175_OKCMk3Mod0Malaysia.png

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I have one that belonged to an US Navy EOD diver and has a rigger made belt and hanger. The belt is named and the blade has the original pointy end. 

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551905E8-C939-4DED-9C3F-65A4C0372EBB.jpeg

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  • 11 months later...

Some old school Mk3 MOD 0's ... One has the reversed markings mentioned above by 'bayonetman.'  I'm not sure why the photos load in the wrong orientation the forum won't let me load the photos right-side-up for some reason. lol

 

Mk3 Mod 0 b.jpg

Mk3 Mod 0.jpg

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I have one of the early MK3 MOD 0 knives that was given to me by my brother in law. He used it while serving as a Coast Guard rescue swimmer in the early 1980's. These knives are hard to prove as original military issue without GI packaging or other provenance, since Ontario sold identical knives to the commercial market for a number of years.

 

edit: LOL, I see I made basically the same post last year. It would be interesting to know how many of these knives were bought by the military versus how many were sold on the commercial market.

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  • 8 months later...

Towards the end of the nineties I saw this knife exhibited in the window of a local arms store. The first version. I just had started sports diving and still was acquiring dive equipment. Though I had hesitated getting a standard dive knife from a dive shop. I didn't consider any of them "heavy duty" enough for underwater work, really. And I wanted quality that would last a life time. So I waited a long time. Then I saw this one in the window. I didn't identify it as a combat knife. It shows all characteristics of a really good dive knife. And the sheath, too, is a dive knife's sheath. So I knew on the spot, this is my dive knife. And it still is 25 years later. Though it's too big and heavy to attach to the leg as divers often do. So I attached it to the belt of the harness of my wing jacket as I would attach it to any other outdoor belt. It blended in well with the black of the harness and the other dive equipment, so it was discretely visible attached to the belt. I wore it in lakes and in the sea. I can't remember ever drying it after use. Yet, it hardly fetched any corrosion. It looks used, of course. I'm really happy with it. Since 25 years. 

When I went into the store to buy it, I didn't know it's a USN knife. I only found out when I examined it closely at home. And I didn't know it was Navy Seals until recently (I thought it was generally the US Navy's dive knife). I certainly would recommend it to anyone as a dive knife. 

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