How popular is Al Mar nowdays?

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I have held a few and they seem nicely made, but they're just so dated in design. I have to confess, I wanted a SERE 2000 something fierce until I held one at the Al Mar table at BLADE. It seemed nice...but then the guy was like "Yep, $425" (or around there). I said, "No, really, how much is this?" He wasn't joking, so I just chuckled, said "Yeah, good luck with everything" put it down and walked.
 
Hackenslash said:
Jeff Hall at Nemesis Knives picked up a bunch of un-released Al Mar designs from his widow before she passed away. He’s been releasing them under the “Mar Private Reserve” line. So far I think they’ve put out three. The most recent is kind of a take on the classic Sere. They’re unmistakably Al Mar designs done in modern materials at a reasonable price.
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I never knew I needed an MPR-3 until now. Thanks a lot :mad:
 
Al Mar knives aren't even on my radar. Never even consider buying one. That is not likely to change.
 
I have an Al Mar Sere Attack 3001 that I bought new in 1987 (Seki made). It was probably my first purchase of a high quality production knife.
 
I like the SERE folder but never in a million years am I going to pay $250 for a VG10 folder! The pricing/materials make Emersons look like they're worth the money.

Didn't know Al Mar wasn't around anymore, he was one of the original "tactical" knife designers, even if they weren't called that back then....he was a legit badass and basically like a real life version of Mick Strider's lies!
 
I believe there was a lot of internal strife within the company. At one point, Al Mar's widow Ann Mar filed a lawsuit against the others involved in the company for basically locking her out of Al Mar Knives. She started trying to make a new company called Mar Cutlery with fresh designs honoring Mar's legacy. I think Nemesis Knives picked up some. Unfortunately, she died. I don't know the full ins and outs of the story (though you can read the lawsuit online), but I imagine had Ann Mar stayed involved with the company, it might have adapted a little more with the times. It's sad really.
 
SpySmasher said:
I think that he's got a great reputation but he is deceased and can't compete with the new instagram ringy dingy. Some of his knives, like an old Warrior, will break the bank but one of the current production models being built under "his" brand, for all their charm, are not going to blow anyone away.
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Precisely. If Al Mar put out a comedically overbuilt titanium framelock flipper and put a fob with a skull bead on it, people would buy them as fast as they could make them.

But they, and Randall, Puma, etc aren't going to do that. (Or haven't.) It's not what they make.

So they have fallen out of popularity. But when the folks eventually realize that they can't do anything but flip their XTreme Rebel Monkey Blockinatrix, the classics will still be there.
 
I had this all steel 80’s Al Mar Quicksilver for a while. Nice to look at, but an ergonomic nightmare and a scratch magnet. No way to disassemble and maintain it either.



 
I have one of the sabre grind Ultralite Eagles and it is a well built and functioning formidable tool that carries and conceals easily in a back pocket. I usually carry it in situations that I can't CCW.--KV
 
John_0917 said:
I like the SERE folder but never in a million years am I going to pay $250 for a VG10 folder! The pricing/materials make Emersons look like they're worth the money.

Didn't know Al Mar wasn't around anymore, he was one of the original "tactical" knife designers, even if they weren't called that back then....he was a legit badass and basically like a real life version of Mick Strider's lies!
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Al passed away almost 30 years ago. i was at the funeral.
 
Quiet said:
I have held a few and they seem nicely made, but they're just so dated in design. I have to confess, I wanted a SERE 2000 something fierce until I held one at the Al Mar table at BLADE. It seemed nice...but then the guy was like "Yep, $425" (or around there). I said, "No, really, how much is this?" He wasn't joking, so I just chuckled, said "Yeah, good luck with everything" put it down and walked.
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You know, it's funny how some comments don't age well at all. I eventually picked up a SERE 2000, and it's become one of my favorite knives. I'm carrying it today in fact. In the last several months, I've really come to enjoy "dated" knives, because they are usually pretty honest and handle 100% of my cutting needs 100% of the time.
 
Al Mar is one of my favourite brands. Unfortunantly I get the feeling it is in a bit of a death spiral and the current management is running it into the ground .

The last two I have purchased have had serious quality control issues .No response from Al Mar when I emailed their 'customer service'. Now most of the line is made in china or designs sold off to other brands .

Shame really, I'll always have an ultra light falcon on me regardless of where I am . My original 80s sere was a beast .and I love the sere 2000 - a real hard use folder .

I always hoped spyderco would buy them and treat them right given the history between Al and Sal in the early days.
 
Al Mar is as dead as Sheffield Bowie making. The original ones command high premiums and are high quality. The current stuff are just cheap Chinese knockoffs.

n2s
 
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