MPK

Overview

Mission Knives MPK -Original Bronze 12" MPK Titanium knife
Blade material – BetaC titanium alloy

Handle material - 80% Dupont Hytrel 5526, 20% Dupont Kevlar flock

This knife is from the personal collection of Rick Schultz, founder Mission Knives, and is the most perfect knife out of the second run of Mission Knives titanium MPK’s. The sheath was custom fit to the knife and everything is in as-new condition. Knife is still sharp from when I originally sharpened it decades ago. Knife has been in safe all if these years and has never been used.

Included in this auction is the BetaC titanium knife, updated 2^nd generation sheath, rubber snubber, ballistic nylon strap and original box. No rubber leg straps included.

Here is what Homer Brett wrote about this “updated” knife in Waffen Digest 1999…

The Updated MPK --- While Mission Knives and then Mission Knives & Tools, were developing the series of knives covered in this article, they were also experimenting with various prototype designs based on the U.S. Navy's MPK. This work was done in response to a variety of requests and suggestions from both the Navy and the Marine Corps, as well as other U.S. military units.

Of special historical note, are the standardized blade markings on the various MPK ricassos. The first Navy Seal contract specified sterile (unmarked) blades, however after some serious thought the navy later revised its policy, and decided that it is better to purchase "marked" knives as they will not attract quite as much unwanted attention. The first MPKs with "Mission" markings were laser engraved on the knives' left ricassos with:

MPK 
MISSION KNIVES

A short time later, this identical marking was permanently moved over to the MPK's right ricasso. When Mission Knives became Mission Knives & Tools, the blade marking was retained on the right ricasso, but was changed to:

MPK 
MISSION

and this marking is now used on all "Mission" designs, but in varying forms.

The MPK's current production scabbard has been redesigned to incorporate additional features requested by the Navy Seal Teams, and based on Mission's own field testing. Two sets of integral side slots are now part of the scabbard, in order to allow the Seals to attach flares or other items of equipment to the exterior face of the scabbard.

The rubber pull tab, of the hilt securing O-ring at the top of the scabbard has been redesigned to allow the user to get a better grip on it. This design change was compliments of the U. S. Marine Corps, 1st Force Reconnaissance Company, based at Camp Pendleton. The tip of web cross strap which secures the knife's hilt in the scabbard, has been lengthened to give the user more webbing to grasp on to, in order to more easily open the securing snap, especially when the user's hand is wet, cold or slippery.

Finally, it was found that the front corners of the scabbard's throat were so squared as to be almost sharp. Their abrasive effect was particularly noticeable when they scraped against the arms of swimmers who had been in water for a lengthy period of time (an experience shared by the author after parachuting into Lake Balaton with the Hungarian Airborne forces, in 1996). With this obvious proof, the scabbard mold was modified so that the corners of the scabbard are now much more rounded and less abrasive.