An MPK knife with the insignias of the U.S. Marine Corps Camp Pendleton Explosive Ordnance Disposal team, Seal Team 8 and Naval Special Warfare Seal Delivery Team Two.

Also shown are the senior EOD badge and the SCUBA proficiency badge.

On 2 March 1994, the U. S. Department of the Navy approved a Table of Organic Allowance (TOA) Change Request for the Navy's Special Warfare Command. This TOA change authorized the Navy SEAL Teams to purchase the new, non-magnetic, titanium bladed, Multi Purpose Knife (MPK).

The MPK had arrived at its final design stage in the last year, and it had only been in production for a very short-time. This new and distinctive knife was a result of the cooperative efforts of Missions Knives of San Juan Capistrano, California, and the west coast Navy SEAL Teams. The MPK was a timely and necessary addition to the Navy's new package of mission-specialized, non-magnetic underwater equipment.

It only takes a quick glance to tell that the silhouette and shape of the MPK is very similar to that of the MDK-MD Labs SEAL Advanced Tactical Assault Knife (ATAK). This similarity is not a matter of chance. When Mission Knives was consulting with the SEAL Teams on the design of the new non-magnetic knife, team members made it very clear that they quite pleased with the design of the SEAL ATAK, and that they wanted the new titanium addition to their armory to have a similar shape and design.

Titanium is a metal renowned for its light weight and tremendous strength. It is, however, extremely hard to machine and there have always been problems with using it for cutting instruments, as it does not hold a sharp edge very well. In the processes of creating the MPK, Mission Knives has finally found a hi-tech solution to this problem by using its own proprietary Beta-Titanium alloy. With this unique alloy the company is able to produce a knife that takes advantage of titanium's best characteristics, while immensely improving the ability of the metal to take and hold a sharp cutting edge.

Mission Knives is headed by two very capable men. Mr. Richard A. Schultz is an experienced knife designer, and his partner Mr. William W. Love is an expert in the field of titanium applications and alloys. Together, these two gentlemen developed the titanium alloy for the knife's blade, as well as the distinctive design of the knife's hilt, scabbard and blade. Complimenting their long hours of work was the eminent expertise of Mr. Shaun Cavanaugh, owner and designer of CTECH Plastics. Mr. Cavanaugh designed the molds for most of the prototype work, as well as building all the injection molds for the production knife's scabbard and hilt. In addition he also assisted in the final design of the MPK "production" scabbard, which was a joint effort of Mission Knives, the SEALs, and CTECH Plastics.

The MPK, with its non-magnetic signature, now fills a very important and specialized niche among the Navy's edged weapons resources. It has a high -magnetic, titanium alloy blade, with a hardness on the Rockwell C scale strength, non -46. The titanium alloy of the blade has a tremendous resistance to abrasion and of 44 also a very low sparking signature. The blade also has a minimum tensile strength of 200,000 PSI. The MPK's cutting edge is purposely V-ground to increase its strength. This style of grind was chosen over the more popular hollow grind, as hollow ground blades have often proved to be more prone to chipping along their edges, especially 9 when used for prying. The MPK's 7.125-inch long blade is equipped with an unsharpened false edge, and an extremely efficient set of serrated teeth. These teeth extend 2-inches along the blade's cutting edge, and are located just in front of the ricasso.

The hilt of the MPK is an ergonomic design created by Rick Schultz. He first produced a prototype model of the pattern he wanted, and then had it converted into an in injection mold which could mold the hilts directly on to the scalloped MPK blade tangs. The tangs are purposely scalloped along both edges in order to create a much stronger blade-to-hilt bond. The material composition of the knife's hilt is a mixture of Kevlar fibers in a Hytrel base. This mixture of materials gives the hilt great strength, as well as a high resistance to heat , flame, and chemicals. Also of great importance is the fact that the MPK's hilt is electrically non-conductive.

Complimenting the knife's design is its very efficient and ambidextrous scabbard, which is also composed of a mix of Kevlar fibers and black textured Hytrel. The scabbard is molded in two separate pieces ( the body and the belt loop section), which are then ultrasonically welded together. The strength of this weld joint is such that, as the author watched in the CTECH Plastics molding room, two men repeatedly tried and failed to pull the two halves of a scabbard apart. This on-the-spot test was executed by simultaneously pulling on both ends of the scabbard, while also twisting the two halves in opposite directions.

At the specific request of the SEALs, the production model of the MPK scabbard has one unusual feature. The wide, single belt loop that supports the nylon cross- is purposely molded with an opening at its lower end. This allows the scabbard to be worn in such a manner that it can be easily removed from the SEAL's equipment belt, but without the necessity of removing any of the other equipment already on the belt. The SEAL's requested this feature as they consider their knives to be both weapons and tools. Depending on the equipment load they are carrying, or how their immediate mission may suddenly change, they wanted to be able to move their knives around to keep them easily and instantly within reach. It should be kept in mind that in combat, the seconds it takes to locate a weapon can be an eternity ------ during which the very thread of life hangs in the balance.

The MPK scabbard also has a pair of belt loops that are closed at both ends, thus giving the user a choice of belt securing methods. To keep the knife safely encased within its scabbard, the scabbard is equipped with both a nylon on web cross strap (which snaps shut), and a rubber hilt-retaining loop with an integral pull-tab. These mutually supporting securing mechanisms assure that the MPK's blade will remain safely locked inside its scabbard, regardless of any external stresses. They also offer the SEAL a choice of securing systems, as it is extremely difficult to close a conventional button type snap underwater. When both securing methods are used together they give the MPK's user a great deal of confidence, especially when parachuting into rough winds and waves in the blackness of night.

The weight of the MPK and its scabbard are a light 14 1/2 ounces, with the knife itself weighing only 9 1/2 ounces. The entire MPK system is also highly resistant to corrosion and sea water, as the materials it is made of were carefully selected to insure this. The Kevlar-Hytrel hilt and scabbard, combined with the highly corrosion resistant titanium blade makes for a very tough knife.

Mission Knives has previously supplied a commercial EZE-LAP, rod-shaped, diamond coated sharpening stone with each knife it delivered to the Navy. This is necessary as it is virtually impossible to sharpen the MPK by more conventional means, such as with metal files, carbide sharpening stones, or on rocks (a useful field expedient). The EZE-LAP sharpener, while excellent for its purpose, has one major drawback--it is not non-magnetic. For this reason Mission Knives is in the process of replacing it with a new in-house designed sharpener. This proprietary design will be certified by the U.S. Navy as non-magnetic.

This is the U.S. non-magnetic military knife that was made by the Imperial Knife Company.

These were designed and manufactured in the 1960's and are being replaced by the new titanium bladed MPK non-magnetic knife.

The MPK is replacing an old veteran in the Navy's inventory. This is the Imperial Knife Company's original "non-magnetic " knife, which was first manufactured and issued in the 1960's. These knives are now considered obsolete and are gradually being phased out of the service, and then destroyed. The Imperial non-magnetic knife saw action all during the Vietnam war and continued in service through the end of the Cold War. It is a design easily recognized by its distinctively checkered gray plastic hilt and by its similarly colored, smooth plastic scabbard. All Imperial non-magnetic knives are dated, serial numbered and maker marked on the face of their crossguards.

With non-magnetic signatures becoming more and more important in the aquatic and beach environment of the SEAL Teams (as well as with other Special Operations units), the MPK joins a entirely new series of special tools and equipment which are being designed for the Navy's Special Warfare Command. This new equipment package will take the SEALs and the other Special Operations units well into the 21st century. There is a great deal more to be said on the recent innovations in non-magnetic technology and magnetic signatures, but much of the information is currently classified. However, this area of research and experimentation is one of the more interesting of the new frontiers of military technology.

The MPK's non-magnetic signature has also made it of extreme interest to the personnel of another often unrecognized, but very elite unit. These are the members of the U. S. military's Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) teams.

All of the five U.S. military services have active duty groups of these patient and dedicated personnel. It is these men and women who are called upon to remove live booby traps, land mines, malfunctioned bombs, unexploded ordnance, and a variety of deadly weapons found on today's battlefields. These types of ordnance can even include nuclear, biological and chemical (NBC) weapons. Sadly there is also a growing threat from these types of weapons in the hands of political terrorists.

An excellent example of EOD work was the clearing of the beaches and the lines of attack into Kuwait during Desert Storm. Then, while the rest of the Coalition forces were on their way back home, many of these same EOD personnel remained behind to clear out the endless numbers of mines and explosives left in the ground. Explosive Ordnance Disposal is an extremely dangerous profession and one which can reward its members with death, disintegration or crippling for the slightest mistake (and some times even when none are made). These risks, and the sophistication of much of the ordnance in use today, means that the non-magnetic MPK is a very welcome ally.

In this day of political and military terrorism EOD personnel often go unnoticed, however, they are constantly on call throughout the world. EOD trained people currently protect both military and civilian targets, and these can include everything from presidents and prime ministers to research buildings and historical institutions. Units as diverse as the local police bomb squad and the U.S. Secret Service have welcomed the unique qualities and features of the non-magnetic MPK.

One of Rick Schultz's hand-made custom knives, made in 1993.

It has an ATS 38 stainless steel blade with saw teeth, a one-piece brass crossguard and a pair of grips made from African ziracote wood. Note its similarity to his MPK design.

At this point a short history of the development of the titanium bladed, Multi Purpose Knife is in order. Rick Schultz first presented his knife design concepts (on paper) to Naval Special Warfare Group 1, and the Coronado, California SEAL Teams in January of 1993. From these discussions and the feed back he received from the Team members and officers, Rick was able to better understand what the SEALs wanted in a nonmagnetic knife. He was then able to work into this equation the materials and designs he thought would best serve them. It was from this cooperative effort that he was able to physically configure the first prototype MPK.

After many months of work Mission Knives was finally able to deliver ten prototype knives to the west coast Seal Teams, in May of 1993. Although the basic design of all ten knives was identical, five were purposely made with high grade stainless steel blades (these were called "SCUs"), and five were made with the beta-titanium alloy blades. Other than their blade material differences, all ten of these prototype knives were identical, and had rough hand-made hilts, composed of yellow colored Kevlar. The crossguards of all ten knives were also made from the same color Kevlar, but were made of a Kevlar-polycarbonate sandwich material.