There are two types of people who will read this: those familiar with the legacy of Al Mar knives and those who only know the brand as it stands today.
Al Mar, the man behind the name, was the son of Chinese immigrants and a Green Beret who served in Vietnam. After the war, he joined Gerber Knives, eventually leading their knife design division before founding his own company. His knives quickly gained a reputation for offering production-level availability with custom-level quality. Among his designs, the SERE (Survival-Evasion-Resistance-Escape) knife became the first officially approved for use at the Special Forces SERE Instructor School at Camp Mackall, North Carolina, thanks to Special Forces Colonel Nick Rowe. Today, old-school Al Mar knives have a devoted following, prized by both users and collectors.
The Al Mar SERE 2000 was an outstanding folding knife. Back in the early 2000s, while working as a patrol officer, I purchased one. Simply put, it was the best-built, best-feeling production folder I’d ever held—stout, smooth, and fired like an automatic. Unfortunately, it was stolen from my checked luggage while flying, and I’ve mourned its loss ever since. The SERE 2000 was made in Seki City, Japan, and while they’re still out there, they command a hefty premium.
Enter the Al Mar SERE 2020
Recently, I picked up an Al Mar SERE 2020. Unlike the original, production has moved to mainland China—a point of contention for many American buyers and knife purists. That aside, the 2020 is an assisted opener that deploys with authority. My version has a combo edge (half plain, half serrated), and while I’m usually not a fan of assisted openers or combo edges, I genuinely like this knife. They make it in plain edge, they were out of stock, and I enjoy immediate gratification.
Since I can only compare it to the SERE 2000 from memory, here are my initial thoughts:
- It’s a beast. The official weight is listed as 3.1 ounces, but that seems off—it feels significantly heavier. My Strider SMF weighs 6 ounces, and the SERE 2020 feels comparable. I’ll need a scale to confirm, but it has some real heft.
- Blade steel: D2. The original used VG-10. I’m not a steel snob, so D2 works just fine for me.
- Top-mounted pocket clip. Just like the original, it rides deep in the pocket—love that.
- Finish & build quality. I don’t recall the original being drastically better in terms of fit and finish. The scales meet up cleanly, and it locks up like a vault. No complaints here.
- Price point. At around $40, this knife feels 2-3 times more expensive in hand. If you want a SERE 2000, expect to drop around $300.
For most users, this knife will handle cutting boxes and halving sandwiches without breaking a sweat. That said, I plan to put it through some torture testing once the weather clears—think batoning, shelter-building, and other bushcraft tasks. I don’t expect it to fail. Lets put it this way, if you were to gift it to someone, especially someone that is not a knife nut, they would be very appreciative and be immediately aware of the quality of the gift.
If you’re looking for a stout folding fighter that inspires confidence and pride in ownership, the Al Mar SERE 2020 is a solid choice.
