Finally got an Al Mar SERE 2000...first impressions...

[Flood]

...and I just have to say WOW! This knife really feels like a quality piece! The handle is very beefy, with comfortable G-10 slabs rounded around the edges, the thickest steel liners I have ever seen, an super-low tip-up carry (lowest you can get, really), and an extremely sharp VG-10 spearpoint blade.

The handle-shape reminds me quite a bit of the Spyderco Starmate. Although much beefier on the SERE, this handle shape is extremely comfortable for me when doing a traditional hammer-grip or a side-grip (putting thumb over side of handle).

One of my worries when purchasing this knife consisted in its supposedly disproportionate blade-to-handle ratio. Although the handle is a bit bigger, I really think that the knife does not suffer at all from this aesthetically or functionally. In fact, it looks great to me, and I'm usually picky about such things. When you close the blade, you can tell that it would be very difficult to add more blade length.

My only complaint deals with the thumbstuds. Why on earth did Al Mar make these so sharp? They are very uncomfortable on the thumb, and really dig a bit so you can feel a "sting" when opening the blade. Still, this is easily fixable, and should not discourage anybody to purchase this wonderful piece.

I'm sure glad I purchased mine! It looks like it will make an excellent utility/survival piece. It also looks like a great tactical piece!

-Flood

 

[KAJNIN]

Um Flood, I don't know if you know this but Al Mar past away years ago.

 

[Peter Atwood]

Flood,

The SERE is by far my favorite everyday carry. I am never without it during the working day though sometimes I'll switch off to something slim and classy if I'm going out in the evening.

Put a piece of heat shrink tubing over that thumbstud and hit it with a hair dryer. Trim excess with a razor blade. It really makes that stud easy on the thumb and gives positive traction.

 

[Cosmic Superchunk]

I've been thinking of buying one myself, but I've been trying to choose between the SERE and the Buck Strider. It seems by your post, that the SERE is a much sharper knife. Thanks for the info.

 

[Lenny]

Yeah, I love my SERE too. It's virtually replaced my large Sebenza as my EDC. The action is so smooth that I can just flick the thumbstud with my thumb and the blade jumps open and locks like a vault. The only thing I would like to do is cut some thumb ridges on the top of the thumb rest.
Anyone do this yet? I was wondering if I could hand cut them in with jewelers files. However, since I would do this without disassembling the knife to keep things lined up, I wonder how the filing would go cutting through 2 very dissimilar materials.
Help anyone?
Lenny

 

[CH]

If you want a knife for cutting, get a SERE 2000 or a BM 710, if you want a folding tire tool and tent stake, get a Buck Strider

.

 

[shootist16]

<font face="Verdana, Arial" size="2">Originally posted by Clayton Hufford:
If you want a knife for cutting, get a SERE 2000 or a BM 710, if you want a folding tire tool and tent stake, get a Buck Strider

.</font>

Amen! I would like to add the Spyderco Wegner to the list of knives for cutting. The SERE 2000 is one of my all time favs. I just wish the thumb studs weren't so sharp.

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Dennis Bible

....Coming soon, The Leading Edge....

[This message has been edited by shootist16 (edited 03-06-2001).]

 

[Double Edge Dave]

I blew my chance to pick up a SERE at a show a couple of months ago. Both Chris Raymond(CPR) and I spotted it at the same time. The nice dealer lady said she only had one. Chris and I, being the gallant gentlemen we are, didn't want to buy it out from under each other's noses and somebody else got it.
I am gonna get the next one I spot, hopefully at the show this weekend in Charlotte, NC. I am also going to move this thread to knife reviews, where it is more appropriate.
David

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AKTI# A000150
NC Custom Knifemakers Guild member
NC Knife Knuts member