Al Mar

biggerjon

biggerjon

Joined
Nov 10, 2006
Messages
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i am think of getting my first al mar knife, possibly the falcon.

what is the general consensus of their knives? fit and finish, etc.?

if you have a pick of one that you own, post it up. i haven't been able to see too many good pictures of al mar knives.

thanks in advance... :D
 
I have the Ultralight Hawk Talon. It's very light but it is sturdy. Nice knife. It was a little stiff when I got it, but I put a little graphite on the pivot, and now it is smooth.
 
I like Al Mar knives - sort of. They're very nicely built and look great, but I find them to be a bit overpriced considering the blade steel they use (AUS-8 for most models). Their better models made of VG-10 are even higher in price. I've said it before and I'll say it again: they're very nice, but no way I'm spending $80 on a piece of AUS-8.
 
They are one of the best in my opinion. I have a Mini Sere, and a Nomad. Great lock-up, finish, and fit. Top of the line knives. You will not go wrong.
 
Al Mar has excellent quality. My Sere 2000 is the smoothest and nicest of any G10/linerlock/tactical out there, and that's saying a lot!

The only strange thing about Al Mar knives is that some are tip-up carry and some are tip-down and Al Mar doesn't have the courtesy of drilling them in multiple places like Spyderco and Benchmade does with most of theirs. I'd own more if they were.

I have also seen many where the blade is off-center in the handle when it's closed which is a big pet-peeve of mine with folders.

Other than that, you can't go wrong with Al Mar. They're a WAY under-rated company. (Not that they're rated bad - they're not - they just don't have very much "buzz" around them.)

I don't believe you can't find photos. Do a google image search for particular models. Also, www.1sks.com has great photos of everything they carry.

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Oh, and to your point, I had a falcon once (and one other ultralight that I don't remember). It's an efficient cutter. All those "ultralight" knives named after birds have thin, flat-ground blades that are just a little flexible like a fillet knife. They're not what I would call a "hard use" knife because the blades are a bit thin, but they all cut like crazy!

They're also comfortable in the hand and in the pocket.

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The Al Mar Ultralights are super knives, the Falcon is a great EDC. Weighs nothing, locks up solid, and is very sharp out of the box.
 
Al Mar company makes excellent and fine folders for sure. I have a Shrike and can say only good things about the materials and craftsmanship.I`ve used SERE 2000 and Eagle Ultra light too - awesome folders both.Friends of mine borrowed them to me for a while.These are in my future "must have" list of that brand.IMHO their VG-10 heat treat is better than that of Spyderco what concerns edge retention. But I must agree with two of the abovementioned statements - these items have high prices first and at the same time Al mar company is a bit under-rated company.
 
I obtained Falcon about 20 years ago and it used to be my EDC,
still serving on my table for various jobs like sharpening pencils and opening packages.
I love this knife, it's beautifully designed and built.

20 years ago, Al Mar was more popular than today I suppose.
 
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I really like my Falcon the f&f is about as good as it gets in a factory knife really well heat treated 8A, and a full size knife that weighs just 1.3 onces! As Gmountain mentioned AMs are tight especeally lock back models and take a lot of break in. My Falcon is 5 yrs. old and is just now getting really good and smooth! Get one you'll really like it.
 
There is a SERE 2000 sitting in my front pocket. It's the only Al Mar I own. Very sturdy knife. Good fit/finish. Very sharp. No blade play. I'm happy with mine.
 
Al Mar Auto SERE. This knife has the best fit and finish I have yet encountered on a production piece. It is actually made by Benchmade, but I really like Al Mar's design enhancements that they added to the Benchmade auto platform like the larger safety switch, larger button and deep pocket clip.

sere1lp8.jpg
 
i own a shrike and id have to agree that their vg-10 heat treat does beat spyderco when it comes to edge holding. the large sere is a BAMF and al mar has the best liner lock of any ive ever seen.

now i agree that al mar seems a little higher priced than other similar knives. BUT IMO if you find a design you really like its worth the 10-20$ more than to get a cheaper blade that you dont wanna carry anymore after the 1st week.
 
thanks for all of the replies everyone. excellent fit and finish is a big deal to me. the last many knives have been a wide variety of crk folders. i sold the last of my crk's to buy an hdtv. i plan on buying more crk in the future, but i want something nice in the meantime.

currently, i have a spyderco caly3 with zdp-189 and carbon fiber. good knife, but not great. obviously i am tainted by crk quality. how will al mar compare with higher end spydercos. i have owned my fair share of spydercos in the past, so i am familiar with their quality too.
 
My Scoutmaster got me hooked on Al Mars after he showed off one of his pearl-handled models at a meeting when I was a wee Tenderfoot. Now I own several different models, my personal favorite being the Ultralight Eagle---a big blade in a solid-locking, efficient-cutting, ultralightweight package. The fit and finish is good---about that you'd expect of a high-end Seki City Spyderco. They're excellent knives and inherently reliable.

:thumbup:
 
IMHO the overall quality of Al Mar folders by no means is not worse than that of Spyderco`s high end folders. I should say even a tad better but that`s only my personal opinion.What I want to see in the future of that brand production is more high end steels like ZDP-189,90 V or at least 30 V in their folders.
 
How are their fixed blades? I'm interested in the SERE Operator in S30V. Good knife??
 
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