Al Mar Shrike mini review.

kgriggs8

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Jan 28, 2002
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I recently got an Al Mar Shrike. I handled one in a store and after that, I was hooked. I had looked at a few dozen Benchmades before seeing the Al Mar. The only quality knife I have owned until recently has been a Benchmade and that is what I had planned on getting. When I saw the Shrike, it was like a light was turned on.

The Shrike is a large knife that feels great in your hand because of the smooth fit of parts and the way the grip is shaped. It feels good in any position as well. The blade is VG-10 and scary sharp! It easily shaves hairs right out of the box. It is flat ground and has a moderate upswept tip. I generally like more point close close to the edge like a drop point or a Warncliff type blade so I am not sure what to think about the tip just yet. it has not posed any problems so far but I have not carried or used it much.

It opens and closes so smoothly that it is a pure joy! It just feels like quality. The blade is well polsihed and ground. The parts fit together well and the Micarta has a slightly rough surface like it was sanded instead of polished. The double thumb stud is easy to locate and use and the liner lock is quick and sure. There is almost no blade play and the blade is centered when closed. I can find no flaw in the function or fit/finish of this knife. The only few problems are design related and they are not really problems, just points I would have changed.

Now to the things I don't like about the knife.
1. It is a little large for EDC but that is the way it was made. A 3/4 size version would be perfect.

The handle seems much larger than it needs to be to hold the blade. it isn't really much larger than it needs to be but the blade is not that large, yet the handle is.

3. The upswept tip would be better in a Warncliff or drop point design. Just my opinion.

The area around the top part of the knife when folded is wide and uncomfortable in the pocket. It is tip down carry, which is what I like but the place where it sits in my pocket seems too large and I have a hard time getting my hand in my pocket when this is clipped on. I also feel it more than I would like. I want a knife to dissappear until I need it.

Most of the grips I have with this knife are that it is just too large for me but that is not Al Mar's fault. They designed a knife and I bought it. I would have prefered somethings to be a little different but I have yet to find the perfect knife that makes me 100% happy 100% of the time.

My opinion is this knife is an outstanding knife that is well worth the money. For Fit, finish and quality, I give it a 9. For design and ergos, I give it an 8. Those are very high scores if you consider that I consider a score of 5 to be a good knife that has no issues but isn't fantastic either. I would consider a Kershaw a good "5" knife. Most Benchmades would rank 7-8 so an 8.5 for the Shrike says alot.
 
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