The Dutch military knew better than to try to reinvent the wheel, this tried and tested knee pad model is a sure bet, you can´t go wrong with these. The hard plastic cup is attached to a padded base, two wide elastic bands with velcro are used to secure the pads onto the knees.
Soldiers take a knee quite often for various reasons. In MOUT business it's rather unpleasant to have small rocks on pavement under your knee with 44 pounds of combat gear in addition to your own weight pressing on. Knee pads to the rescue!
This pile of surplus is a mix of "actual" Dutch knee pads by Seyntex as well as a similar model made by Hatch. The DNA of these items is the same and the Dutch quite simply based theirs off the classic and proven Hatch. Digging deep enough into history could reveal the very first manufacturer of this kind of protective gear but it would probably be a suspicious skateboarding company so let's not bother.
Pro tip: Tighten the lower strap above your calf and leave the top strap ever so slightly loose. This helps keep the pad in place and reduces chafing.
Dutch surplus
These are used and it shows. We hope these end up in proper use so your dirt should soon replace the previous owner's markings. All hardware is intact so these are good to go.
Nicholas L.
Erik M.