Blade of the Brown Water War: A SEAL’s Mk2 Fighting Knife
Wrapped in tape, scarred with rust, and strapped with flares, this Mk2 knife isn’t just an artifact—it’s a survivor of the Mekong. Carried by a U.S. Navy SEAL in Vietnam, it speaks to the brutal, close-quarters fight waged in the rivers and jungles.
August 29, 2025
US Navy Mk2 Fighting Knife – Vietnam War
This is no parade-ground piece—it is a knife that lived the war.
Our collection now includes a heavily modified US Navy Mk2 fighting knife carried by a Navy SEAL during combat operations in Vietnam. The Mk2 was already a proven blade, issued widely across the Navy and Marine Corps, but this example tells a deeper story. Its handle is tightly wrapped in field tape for grip under sweat and mud, the scabbard strapped with emergency pencil flares for quick access in the darkness of the Mekong, and its steel bears the marks of age—rust, dirt, and the unmistakable wear of combat service.
This knife was there. It was carried in country, in the riverine jungles of South Vietnam, where the SEALs and their brothers in the Brown Water Navy fought some of the most grueling and close-quarters engagements of the war.
The U.S. Navy SEALs were still a relatively new unit during Vietnam, born out of President Kennedy’s call for elite unconventional forces capable of counterinsurgency and special operations. In Vietnam, they found their proving ground. SEAL platoons operated in the deltas and coastal regions, launching small-unit raids, ambushes, and reconnaissance missions often deep behind enemy lines. Moving by boat at night or slipping silently into enemy-held territory, they struck hard and vanished before the enemy could respond.
Tools like this Mk2 knife were more than just weapons—they were survival gear, carried by men who lived on stealth, speed, and aggression. Each modification on this blade reflects the SEAL ethos: adapting equipment for the mission, innovating in the field, and always prepared to fight in the most hostile environments.
Soon, this piece will join our new Brown Water Navy display, standing alongside other artifacts to honor the SEALs and the sailors of Task Force 116, 117, and 118, who fought an unforgiving war in the rivers, canals, and swamps of South Vietnam. Together, they forged a legacy of valor in one of the most dangerous theaters of the war.
