New Knife - Al Mar Payara 32

Al Mar belongs to those great classic brands that are perhaps best known for what they did in the past. They then made a comeback with a series of new "old" knives a few years ago, more specifically in 2020. They then revived classic models such as the S.E.R.E. Folder, which is perhaps their most famous folding knife. But the bird family with Hawk, Falcon, and Eagle was also looked over and found in both classic designs and as an ultralight in two different variants.

But even if it was welcome, there was still something missing, and of course, it was news and not least fixed blades. The only thing in the assortment was a small keyring knife. At regular intervals, hints were dropped that new knives were on the way but not much happened.

Now, however, the wait is over! Several novelties have been launched, including some changes to the existing range but also completely new models. Some of them looked extremely nice and I felt they needed to be reviewed. First off, this knife is called Payara 32

Al Mar Payara 32

However, it should be pointed out that Payara is not completely new to the Al Mar family, but rather new-old if you can put it that way. There has previously been a knife with the same name and basic design. It was bigger, heavier, and equipped with a liner lock and blade in VG10. It, like all other Al Mars at the time, was made in Japan.

Therefore, it can quickly be established that this is a completely different type of knife. The handle material is now a fiber-reinforced plastic, which contributes to making the knife lighter. It weighs only 85g. The handle provides much more grip than the original as it is abundantly equipped with grooves for higher traction. Maybe it's even a little too much of that stuff. More on this later. Although it is a thin knife, there is plenty of handle to grip around as the length is 5 inches.

If the handle material can be seen as a simplification, the lock is, on the contrary, more advanced. Now an "Axis-type" lock is found, which in this version is called Max Lock. It has very strong springs and a distinct feel and holds the blade firmly in place as it should.

Payara is Al Mar's latest contribution to the category of lightweight EDC knives

Then, as I said, the knife is slightly smaller than the original. The number 32 in the name says something about the knife. In this case, that blade is 3.25 inches long. The same logic thankfully applies to all knives in the Al Mar range. The material used is D2. It is the most used steel in the current catalog but not the only one. The blade shape is the same fairly advanced tanto with a recurve as it used to be.

With these materials, the low weight, and the good traction, this is a knife that can be placed in the same category as some well-known models from, for example, Spyderco and Benchmade. A category that also includes newcomers like SRM and QSP just to name a few. It remains to be seen how Payara fares against the competition.

This was the first of five knives from Al Mar that I intend to test during the spring. The next knife presented will be a very interesting fixed blade.

Al Mar

/ J - looking for news