What knives do Special Forces use?

As a former Marine, I carried a few different knives. My favorite fixed blade for the money is the Gerber Strongarm, but there are better knives if you're willing to pony up the money. Here are some combat knives you'll see guys carrying. https://www.marineapproved.com/best-combat-knives-review/
Someone also said that multitools are carried and that is correct. Leatherman Wave Plus is really nice and Gerber MP600 was a required item on the Ranger training gear list, but I'm not sure if it still is.
 
Last edited:
Kevin Wabiszewski said:
As a former Marine, I carried a few different knives. My favorite fixed blade for the money is the Gerber Strongarm, but there are better knives if you're willing to pony up the money. Here are some combat knives you'll see guys carrying. https://www.marineapproved.com/best-combat-knives-review/
Someone also said that multitools are carried and that is correct. Leatherman Wave Plus is really nice and Gerber MP600 was a required item on the Ranger training gear list, but I'm not sure if it still is.
Click to expand...

I believe Leatherman Waves are the best, most useful and reliable, compact multitool for the mid price range, I would highly recommend anyone having one, regardless of occupation, as they will come in handy one day, when you least expect it!
 
As long as some necromancer brought this old thread back to life I'll tell you the same thing I always do on these discussions. At least when I was assigned to SF units in the '90s most halo scuba ninja killers were not knife guys at all really. The knives I saw most were the brands sold at the PX, so think Gerber and SOG type knives. The only knife enthusiast I can remember wasn't even an 18 series guy, he was a rigger who had a lot of different folders. Even deployed I rarely saw fixed blades and when I did they were usually quite small. People with action movie fantasies would have been sorely disappointed.

The number one most common knife I saw carried and used, though, by about a mile, was the old school original Leatherman multitool. To the point that someone would ask "hey, can I borrow your Leatherman" when they meant "can I borrow your knife".
 
evilgreg said:
As long as some necromancer brought this old thread back to life I'll tell you the same thing I always do on these discussions. At least when I was assigned to SF units in the '90s most halo scuba ninja killers were not knife guys at all really. The knives I saw most were the brands sold at the PX, so think Gerber and SOG type knives. The only knife enthusiast I can remember wasn't even an 18 series guy, he was a rigger who had a lot of different folders. Even deployed I rarely saw fixed blades and when I did they were usually quite small. People with action movie fantasies would have been sorely disappointed.

The number one most common knife I saw carried and used, though, by about a mile, was the old school original Leatherman multitool. To the point that someone would ask "hey, can I borrow your Leatherman" when they meant "can I borrow your knife".
Click to expand...
^this.
I have been in several different spec ops units and this question is like asking what car they drive. It depends on the person. I carried a black Delica combo edge most of the time, sometimes a multi tool if I was in the mood. There’s also a distinction between use in the field/combat vs. just walking around but most of us weren’t strapped with massive fixed blades... in fact I don’t recall seeing many at all, everyone is so focused on putting rounds down range and working on their shooting skills/fitness/unit tactics. If you have to stab the enemy something has gone seriously wrong.. it just isn’t common.
So there’s my answer, and for the rest of those around me the “whatever tickled their fancy at clothing & sales” would suffice... although most military personnel just don’t really care that much about knives honestly.
 
Last edited:
Kenpo149 said:
^this.
I have been in several different spec ops units and this question is like asking what car they drive. It depends on the person. I carried a black Delica combo edge most of the time, sometimes a multi tool if I was in the mood. There’s also a distinction between use in the field/combat vs. just walking around but most of us weren’t strapped with massive fixed blades... in fact I don’t recall seeing many at all, everyone is so focused on putting rounds down range and working on their shooting skills/fitness/unit tactics. If you have to stab the enemy something has gone seriously wrong.. it just isn’t common.
So there’s my answer, and for the rest of those around me the “whatever tickled their fancy at clothing & sales” would suffice... although most military personnel just don’t really care that much about knives honestly.
Click to expand...

I always hate that phrase "something has gone seriously wrong." If you are in combat something is always going seriously wrong. Murphy was an optimist and all that. Better to have a knife adequate for emergencies and not need it than not having one when you do. And don't ask to borrow mine. I learned that the hard way after a team mate lost mine somehow in a firefight. There are plenty of light but adequate knives out these day so weight really isn't a good accuse.
 
Sidehill Gouger said:
I always hate that phrase "something has gone seriously wrong." If you are in combat something is always going seriously wrong. Murphy was an optimist and all that. Better to have a knife adequate for emergencies and not need it than not having one when you do. And don't ask to borrow mine. I learned that the hard way after a team mate lost mine somehow in a firefight. There are plenty of light but adequate knives out these day so weight really isn't a good accuse.
Click to expand...
I’m not saying “don’t carry a knife”, but the fact of the matter is that if you had to pull out your knife, you’re in a statistically rare situation and you’d better hope to god someone on your side shows up with a gun and soon if all you have is a knife in your hand. Sure, things go wrong but there’s a reason we weren’t all carrying cold steel SRKs or USMC ka bar type knifes.
 
The knife in the center of this group is one of the only knives built under contract to the Navy and issued specifically to UDT / SEALS. It was made by the Imperial Knife Company. About 1156 were made in the early 1960's and I think a second run was made later. The prototypes were made at the Naval Surface Weapons Center in White Oak, Maryland where my Father worked. NOL invented Nitinol and the prototypes were made from it. These knives are made from Haynes Alloy no. 25; and are non-magnetic. Cobalt, Nickel, Chromium, Silicon, Iron and Sulphur make up the blade material. They were tested for magnetic signature prior to being issued and marked so if they passed. It is an amazing knife.

i-BFjhRs3-XL.jpg


I modified some of these MOD Mark I's for some guys in SF Group #1 back in the 1990's.
i-7xQ2P58-M.jpg
 
Last edited:
Horrigan from TCT
 
Kenpo149 said:
^this.
I have been in several different spec ops units and this question is like asking what car they drive. It depends on the person. I carried a black Delica combo edge most of the time, sometimes a multi tool if I was in the mood. There’s also a distinction between use in the field/combat vs. just walking around but most of us weren’t strapped with massive fixed blades... in fact I don’t recall seeing many at all, everyone is so focused on putting rounds down range and working on their shooting skills/fitness/unit tactics. If you have to stab the enemy something has gone seriously wrong.. it just isn’t common.
So there’s my answer, and for the rest of those around me the “whatever tickled their fancy at clothing & sales” would suffice... although most military personnel just don’t really care that much about knives honestly.
Click to expand...

What did the other folks in the several spec ops units use for knives?
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top