I was able to purchase a pair of older Al Mar knives today at the guns show.
An excellent condition Al Mar SERE fixed blade with, the real treasure, a good condition SERE backlock folder. :D
The knives date from the '80's and have purportedly been "all over the world".
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ArfinGreebly
September 13, 2009, 11:09 PM
Uh, I dunno.
I've heard of those things. But then, I've heard of unicorns, too.
Got any photographic evidence?
:D
hso
September 13, 2009, 11:16 PM
Nawwww. I figure you guys can fidget until tomorrow.
conwict
September 13, 2009, 11:35 PM
Tease
hso
September 14, 2009, 06:25 PM
As requested.
ArfinGreebly
September 14, 2009, 06:38 PM
Them's one fine unicorn.
What are the dimensions? Just at a SWAG, I'd estimate the larger one at 4.5" of handle and 6" of blade, and the smaller at 4" of handle with 3.5" of blade.
Gads.
I wonder a) what would those have retailed for new, and b) what would a fair price be for them today?
content
September 14, 2009, 06:43 PM
Hello friends and neighbors //\\ I see what you mean ... good eye /knowledge
The folder is outstandingly solid looking.
Are those 3 lanyard holes in hilt of fixed blade?
hso
September 14, 2009, 07:21 PM
content,
They're tubing used as scale pins and they could be used as lanyard holes, but Al was a great designer and would have incorporated tubing as pins to keep the looks balanced.
AG,
Ask Fred to find out from the SF guys what a pair like that would have originally cost. Today? Depends on the collector. If I had gotten them directly from the original owner instead of a friend of his AND I had a hand written provenance as having been carried during a long SF career they would be worth a mint. If the original sheathes were with them the price would have gone up another 20%. As they are I conservatively place their value around $500.
messerist
September 14, 2009, 09:23 PM
Great Find! Seems a shame that the owner had to sell such memories. My Al Mar looks a lot rougher than those. Of course I am a troglodyte when it come to tools. Once again, great find and great knives. Al left us much too soon.
LAK
September 15, 2009, 08:26 AM
I have one of the small SERE folders I bought in the early 1980s. I think when they first came out the smallest of the folders was about $35 or so. A year or two later it was $80+ due to a climbing yen.
Over the last few years once in a awhile I have seen one of the BIG folders at a gunshow, usually in the $250+ range.
bikerdoc
September 15, 2009, 08:39 AM
Good find. Ya, provenance wold have been great.
Just a speck jelious. (wink)
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