- updated modern classic
Some knife models are more iconic than others. Al Mars S.E.R.E. Folder is one of them. It can even be argued that the original version of this knife was the first of its kind. The category often referred to as tactical folders and which in different variants completely dominates the folding knife market nowadays. Today we will take a look at the latest version of this modern classic. It has been named S.E.R.E. 2020.
Al Mar AMK2206 3.6" S.E.R.E. 2020 Night G
To make a long story short, Al Mar, with some help from a gentleman by the name of Nick Rowe, used his knowledge as a former Green Beret to create a folding knife that met the tough demands of the SERE school in Fort Bragg. The idea behind the model was that a sufficiently robust folding knife that was carried on one's own person would be something that was at hand even in emergency situations. The experience from the field said that the fixed-blade knives soldiers carried with them if they had any, often was stuck to the rest of the gear that was dumped on these occasions
The first model named 3001A came in 1979. It was a robust folding knife equipped with a modified back lock, bolster, and wooden scales. Basically a classic back lock knife but SERE was much sturdier than anything else at the time*. Since then, many variants of this knife have been released. Pretty soon after the introduction, for example, a version "B" with synthetic scales was released and also a smaller version with a three-inch blade called "Mini SERE".
About twenty years later it was time for a major overhaul with the S2K or SERE 2000. The overall lines were similar but the materials had been modernized with G10 in the grip and the blade had a thumb stud which made the knife easier to open with one hand. However, it should be said that weight in the 4 mm thick blade paired with a very smooth action and a lock placed far forward on the handle allowed even the first model to be opened with a flick of the wrist and closed with one hand. Besides, there were also automatic versions.
Another twenty years later, it is time again. Now SERE 2020 has been released. The handle looks familiar with its distinct appearance and very ergonomic shape. But the blade steel is new and the thumb stud has been replaced with a flipper tab.
SERE Folder, an updated modern classic
Twitter version: Al Mars S.E.R.E., one of the cornerstones in the tactical folders-building. Now in a new version for 2020.
Blade
The blade shape is one thing that hasn't changed much during all these years. The contours are almost dagger-like. The basic shape is a spear point with a distinctive swedge. There is no doubt that this blade was designed for penetration besides cutting. But it is also designed to be very strong. Therefore, the four millimeters thick blade has a flat saber grind. In comparison to a full flat grind, for instance, it leaves a lot of material along the center of the blade.
The blade shape, a sturdy spear point is one of the things that has changed the least
Through the years, the steel in SERE has been various Japanese staples such as AU6, AUS8, and VG10. That for the simple reason that the knives used to be made in Japan. As production has now moved to China, other alternatives are used.
This knife uses D2 which is tool steel that is strong, relatively tough, and takes a very good edge. Sometimes I am a bit negative towards the usage of D2 in EDC-knives. Since it's not stainless it has a tendency to corrode and develop surface rust. How fast and how much is often a result of which surface treatment is chosen.
In this application, the choice of steel is rather a strength than a weakness. This knife is built to handle significantly more than just minor everyday tasks and to reduce corrosion the blade is blackened. Which by the way, is what the addition "Night G" in the name stands for. The knife is also available with a satin finish if you so prefer.
The factory edge was decent but none of the sharpest I have encountered out of the box. Part of that is explained by the fact that the edge, like the rest of the knife, is made to be strong. Therefore, the blade is rather thick behind the edge, around a millimeter or so.
The material in the blackened blade is D2. The edge aims at being tough
The shape and geometry of the blade are of course reflected in how it behaves. As expected, this knife blade penetrates excellently in most materials such as cardboard, hard plastic, and rubber. And as expected, it is reasonably good to cut with as long as it is not deep cuts. If you try to cut, for example, an apple, the knife first bites into the fruit fairly well and then splits it. A bit like a scandigrind Moraknife does if you are familiar with them.
In the same way as a Mora, this knife is surprisingly good outdoors. Something important to me as I like to be surrounded by trees from time to time, I like hiking and camping or just take a walk in a nearby forest. This knife is excellent at cutting ropes, but even more important, it handles wood more than decent. Something that actually surprised me considering the blade shape. And in doing jobs like carving and the like, the very ergonomic handle is a big asset.
Handle
SERE 2020 is very consistently built. In the same way that the blade is designed for pronounced requirements, the handle has also been made to match it. This results in a very comfortable and ergonomic handle that will also prevent the hand from sliding forward when stabbing with the knife. It is also built to be exceptionally strong.
The handle shape has remained the same and is very ergonomic
As a result, this knife differs slightly from the prevailing norm. First, the frame is completely self-supporting. The sides are thus not needed for the sake of strength. But most striking is that the very strong, almost two millimeters thick, liners are not lightened at all. They are also not recessed in the sides which means that the handle is rather thick. The width is just under 15 mm.
Besides the adjustable pivot screw, SERE has no less than three additional attachment points. Two screwed standoffs and at the very end of the handle, there is a small backspacer. There you also find a lanyard hole by the way. The blade stop is also oversized to make the knife stronger.
The frame is very strong with 1,7 mm thick liners
The handle material is black G10 and the sides are screwed to the outside of the frame. The shape of the handle shows that the handle is modeled after a fixed blade. It is spacious, wide, and very comfortable. It certainly happens at the expense of how easy the knife is to carry. The G10 is not very coarse but rather medium to fine. It provides some friction but nothing extreme. In this knife it is the handle shape itself that provides a secure grip.
SERE 2020 is an extremely ergonomic folding knife
The handle is rather large which means that most hands except really small ones can get a good grip. The available grip length between finger protection and "beak" is just under ten centimeters. The shape of the handle makes both hammer and saber grips work very well. It is possible to put a finger or thumb on the blade spine. But to do so you must reach over the thumb ramp which feels a bit awkward.
But this is undoubtedly one of the most comfortable folding knives handles you can grab if you need something for hard use.
Opening and Lock
One of the biggest differences between the generations in the SERE-series is how they are opened. From the two-handed/gravity-opened original via thumb studs on S2K to today's flipper. That it became a flipper is perhaps not that surprising. It's an extremely popular way of making knives these days and is also a fairly intuitive method of opening a knife and generally works well. Also, the flipper tab itself provides extra finger protection when the knife is open, which is well in line with the knife's intended use.
One choice that I don't completely understand is why Al Mar made this an assisted knife. Yes, you read that right, it is assisted and that may upset some "fidget fetishists" out there. But it should be said that nothing on this knife aims at satisfying them anyway. This knife is not very "fidget friendly" as it is usually called in English. The term does not even exist in Swedish and perhaps for a reason.
The reason for putting a spring into this knife, I think, can be found in the basic design. If you take a look at how the front of the handle is shaped, you can see that the flipper tab cannot sit much further forward because it would then be almost completely hidden behind the thumb ramp. As a result, the tab is actually placed a bit too far back on the handle to the pivot screw to be optimal. A problem that must be solved.
That said, the opening works very well. When adjusted, that is. This knife is almost as sensitive as a Benchmade Griptilian when it comes to the margin between fast opening and lateral blade play. Once you find the balance in between, the knife is reasonably quick. Not the fastest despite the assistance and much of it is because of the heavy blade and the absence of ball bearings.
The flipper tab feels a little as the afterthought it actually is even if it's working
Although I said earlier that the sides are not needed for the strength, at least one of them is needed to host the spring assist mechanism. By the way, it is not very strong so most of the power comes from the flipper tab itself anyway. The flipper tab is also a bit special which means that there are pros and cons to its design. One disadvantage is that it completely lacks grooves and that it does not protrude much in relation to the thumb ramp. You can tell that it is a post-construction and that the handle was not originally designed with that function in mind. It is thus possible to slip off the tab and miss the opening if you are not careful. But as soon as you learn to lean the knife a bit on the side, the problem is solved.
The advantage is, strangely enough, the same in that it does not rise above the handle. Which, of course, makes the knife easier to carry.
A lock bar that is hard to access and
could be rounded off
I have already come across comments on social media that say this is the "wrong" lock for this type of knife, as it is a liner lock. The detractors believe it is not strong enough. I do not agree with them! A chain is no stronger than its weakest link as you know and in the case of, for example, frame locks, this is the point where the lock bar is thinned out to be able to spring. The rest of the lock may look beefy, especially where the lock bar is in the contact with the blade, but that is not solely what lock strength relies on. How much that is actually in contact with the blade is another decisive factor and above all the right geometry is needed to prevent lock stick, lock slip, and other potential problems.
In these two areas, SERE is very good. The lock bar is 1.7 millimeters thick, fairly high, and has only a minor cut out that makes it spring. The bar itself is thus very strong and it locks with its entire surface against the blade. Besides the lock bar has been recessed into the handle in the same way that for instance Spyderco has done with its Bradley models. Thus, it cannot be loosened accidentally by twisting movements. Something that might otherwise be an Achilles heel of this type of lock. Also, this lock does not show any signs of lock slip so obviously, the correct angles between the blade and the lock have been obtained.
All of this makes the lock feel extremely reliable. However, it also makes it quite tough to disengage.
There is a very small indentation on the opposing handle side but it is still the soft parts of the thumb that needs to be jammed into the non-chamfered and strong lock bar to move it. But on this knife, I don't really mind. It is in line with the rest of the design and construction.
To Carry
The S.E.R.E folder is intended to be able to replace a fixed-blade knife temporarily in emergencies. Al Mar has managed to implement that thought pretty well. But with this way of thinking there are also downsides. One of them is "carryability", how the knife behaves in a pocket. The handle is very ergonomic and it also means it is long, wide, and solid or translated into figures: 12.2 cm long, 1.5 cm wide, and 2.8 cm high. Add to that the weight of 189 grams.
The weight comes from not only the size but the fact that nothing is weight relieved on this knife. The blade stock is sturdy and so is the frame.
The clip, which is attached to the end of the handle, is reversible
One advantage of the flipper tab placement is that it barely protrudes over the front of the handle. So despite having fairly sharp edges, it is still not an aggressive pocket terrorist.
The "deep carry" clip makes sure that you don't drop your knife
The clip itself is very good. The tension is adequate and it is completely ambidextrous in that it can be moved or rather turned from right to left. It is also a deep carry clip that is in line with everything else in the design. The idea, of course, is that the knife should not fall out of the pocket no matter what. A back-up knife is not much help if you lost it somewhere.
The clip is attached to the end of the handle with two screws. The material is steel and it's painted black. It is probably one of the few drawbacks to it. Painted clips always tend to get scuffed after a while and so does this.
The length of the handle saves the ergonomics in this case. Deep carry clips have a built-in problem, the bend of the clip has a tendency to hurt your hand when using the knife. But on this knife, this potential hot spot ends up outside the hand in most grips.
To Conclude
It's hard not to look in the rearview mirror when testing a knife with this huge pedigree. Few modern folding knives have this historical importance.
This knife is also a bit polarizing as it is in a way a dated design even though it comes with modern features. But the shape oozes vintage tactical folder in the same way as knives like Emerson CQC 7, Benchmade AFCK, and Spyderco Police for example. For me, however, it is something positive, a clear example of a design that has survived the test of time and is good enough to live on in a trend-sensitive time.
The question is whether this updated version has something to offer in today's knife market? Some things have been done to adapt the model to new times. They are found in a couple of different areas. Moving production to China is a way of keeping costs down and thereby prices lower. Pricing has often been something held against Al Mar.
The move also included some adaptation in materials, although not for all models. D2-steel is not always my favorite but for this model, it feels pretty adequate. I would have preferred to keep the thumb studs at least in an alternative model but can accept the flipper tab as it provides extra finger protection. The problem that arises is that because of the design of the handle, the knife was more or less forced to be assisted. That is not ideal for a "hard use" knife since it is, even if not very likely, something that can break.
S.E.R.E Folder, the model that withstood the test of time
It is immediately noticeable that this knife is not built to be a flattering and lightweight EDC knife. It is too sturdy and heavy for that application. The blade is thick with a low grind to be as strong as possible. However, it is thinned towards the tip to be able to penetrate better. The frame is solid and the lock as well. The same goes for the blade stop, thick and overbuilt. Nothing is weight relieved, everything is focused on being durable.
Steel is being used instead of titanium and lots of it. The handle is large and generous and accommodates all hand sizes including those with gloves on. But the knife is not easily hidden in a pocket. And I must mention the weight. This folding knife is closing in on 0,2 kg, 189 grams to be exact. Those numbers are not a joke.
Al Mar S.E.R.E 2020, a heavyweight in the "tactical folding knives" segment
Overall, it can be said that
SERE 2020 is significantly better for harder, rougher work than finer more detailed tasks. Therefore, I find it difficult to wholeheartedly recommend it as an EDC knife. At the same time, I would like to add that I certainly carry it as one anyway. But if the knife is to be used in that role I think it needs a little companionship. And
Al Mar has several suitable candidates in their catalog that fulfill that purpose. I will return to some of these in later texts.
But even though this is certainly not an EDC knife for everyone, I think Al Mar has succeeded fairly well in updating this classic to meet today's competition. They have in large retained the soul and expression of the original knife or perhaps rather managed the legacy of the SERE 2000. The comfortable handle remains as well as the sturdy blade. SERE is still as tough as nails.
So for all those who are interested in a powerful tank of a knife, likes the design and can overlook that it is assisted, this is a must-have!
Specification:
Length Overall: 211 mm
Length Folded: 122 mm
Weight: 189 g (weighed by me, stated 133 g)
Blade Length: 89 mm
Blade Thickness: 4 mm (measured by me, stated 3,7 mm)
Blade Steel: D2
Handle: G10 on a steel frame
Lock: Liner lock
Produced by: Al Mar, made in China
/ J - tacticalpractical
* Buck 110 was used by many soldiers during the Vietnam War, but its focus on hunting meant that the blades often broke. The steel was hardened for maximum edge retention and not strength. The blade stock was not very thick and the grind thin for these contexts. The tip was also quite delicate.
