Al Mar Osprey series?

T

thetzar

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Dec 6, 2009
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Does anyone have any info about the Al mar Osprey series or about Al mar knives in general? This is my first post, so sorry if this question has been asked before.:)
 
Al Mar makes some nice stuff and the Sere is probably the most popular model. The Osprey blade is, I believe, an AUS 8 steel which is decent. Personally, I've never owned any Al Mars because I thought they were a little pricey. The fit and finish of the ones I've handled and sold have been really nice and felt like a pretty substantial knife.
 
I've owned a couple of Al Mar Ospreys because small knives are my true love of knives. They are very well made:thumbup: That said, the Osprey is VERY small. I used mine to open a small difficult to open sealed medication that I have to take everyday, but I find them of little use for much more than that. They are definately one of the classier of the small knives available, but keep the size and intended task in mind before buying.
 
They are NOT custom knives but well made production ones. The Sere is more of a tactical and the Osprey is a TINY gent's knife.

I like the older ones from the 80's better than the newer ones. The Hawk is more useful in my opinion than the Osprey.

Peter
 
I had an issue once with a blade-tech kydex sheath that Al Mar issued and their service was on it immediately as well as upgraded the replacement. I also have a SERE Operator VG-10. I had buyer's remorse after I ordered it, but when it arrived, the fit and finish are so amazing, that I got over the price tag. It is scalpel sharp, too. My next knife will be one of their folders, probably the SERE 2000, also in VG-10. I like them because they are big enough to eat costs to please their customers, yet small enough to still care. And their knives are awesome, too. If the Osprey is what you want, I wouldn't hesitate to buy one. You can always return it immediately if you don't like it and if something's wrong, Al Mar Inc. will take care of the problem. My .02.
 
great company. fit and finish is superb. however i would personally go to the next larger model in that series. the osprey is TINY. awesome knives and unlike most it seems, i like aus 8. more frequent sharpening for sure, but it gets razor sharp VERY quickly. good luck.
 
I've owned an Al Mar SLB for 5 years or so and still marvel at the fit & finish. I like it so much I got a Nomad for myself this Christmas. I love the size and blade/handle shape of it. IMO, they make very unique knives, excellent knives. I like the Osprey too and it's on my list.
 
I have a black micarta hawk. Here is a bit of my experience/impression:

The blade was not initially easy to open due to friction, but a little mineral oil and 10minutes of playing made it really smooth.

The blade came shaving sharp and is still so after ~7 months of use (occassional use only). Simple cutting chores, e.g. mail, strings, a few boxes/packages, injection molded clam packs, fruit, etc. It still shaves hair.

It is a thin knife so it doesn't bulge much in the pocket, but weighs a fair amount for its size, i.e. it feels well made.

I like clean lines, which al mar gents knives seem to have, but the (non cutting edges) are not super comfy to the touch. The lock feels about the same as the blade spine in that regard. The feel/preference of this varies from person to person. If you prefer a virtually invisible seam when the blade is open and like 'hard' edges, this is a great option, else, not so much.

I really love the general handle geometry and blade shape. It is big enough for a gents knife/office carry without being to cumbersome in the pocket. It is about the smallest knife I really want to carry. YMMV

blade is dead center when closed

I give this a 8/10 for a nice gents knife. To be a 10/10 (for me), increase the handle/bolster thickness a tad, soften the edges, and take off the logos. These are all personal preference for me though.

Note - I had a Kopa made moki which had similarly hard edges, so it is possible that many of the moki made knives all have hard edges, i.e. this isn't an Al Mar exclusive trait.
 
I really liked the look and the fit and finish, but the top back edge of the blade had such sharp corners that it would tear up my pockets. Yes, this is necessary for that "seamless" look when the blade is open, but it doesn't need to be so exposed when the blade is closed. Otherwise, a really nice knife.
 
They look very similar to the excellent Moki knives. Perhaps they are even made by Moki, I wonder?
 
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