I bought a made in china Al Mar

Dergyll

Dergyll

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I just picked up a made in china al mar eagle, more out of curiosity than anything.

I dont see that many reviews/articles on these so I thought I'd tell you my thoughts on this big guy.
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TLDR: for 60$...its not bad!

First impressions were okay, the handle is flawless but the blade had some tiny scratches on it. The grind, while good, is a little short towards the tip on the right side. I've had other al Mars in the past, and this guy definitely continues the tradition of good slicer/poker.
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The eagle does not come with a pocket clip but has a leather slip which is nicely made. Presentation of the knife is good, and simple. Action out the box is superb, it's one you can flick open and drop on your index finger (like a well worn spyderco backlock). Centering is A-, 0 play with rock solid lock. Lock actuation is easy and painless (not like some cold steels).

The handle is well made, running my finger down the spine, lock, bolster yielded very smooth sensation. The fit and finish is on par with *gasp* GECs.
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This knife itself is rather long and thin, with a very thin stock (teensy bit thinner than the emdura). Its heavy, but feels nimble.
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I am genuinely surprised by how good this is for 60ish. I understand you pay 200+ for the Japanese craftsmanship and "China" label-delete, but if you dont want to pay for overpriced AUS8, this is really hard to beat. The hawk and falcon are even cheaper and smaller and more carreable... these are superb "gentlemen" party/steak knives.

I'll attach a long lanyard to it and carry it for a bit, but so far so good.

Thanks for taking the time to read this, hope you have a good weekend!
 
Thanks for the review. What's the steel and its hardness? Did it come sharp all the way to the tip and hold its edge? Thanks!
 
Hey friend, this is the exact one I bought:
www.almarknives.com

4 in. Honey Jigged Bone — AL MAR Knives

The Classic Collection, Honey Jigged Bone Series features a front lock design with stainless bolster and natural jigged bone handle. These knives share the original blade configuration found on all of our Classic Series knives. The AUS-8 blade sharpens easily to a razors edge. This is a knife built
www.almarknives.com www.almarknives.com

Looks like 57-58 HRC AUS8.

It came very sharp, able to shave easily. The grind was good, but towards the right side tip the bevel was a tiny bit short. The tip is very pokey, mine has the swedge on top.

First day I had it I took it to a winery and made a (big) charcuterie board with it. When I came back, I see no edge damage/roll. It will still cut paper, but had a hard time shaving. I think it's pretty typical of AUS8.

Hope this helps!
 
I reviewed it a while ago.
It wears in smooth, but it doesn't take long for it to develop unacceptable wiggle. I won't use it any more.
 
Ourorboros said:
I reviewed it a while ago.
It wears in smooth, but it doesn't take long for it to develop unacceptable wiggle. I won't use it any more.
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Interesting, I will definitely keep this in mind and let you guys know.
 
At $60 you can run it into the ground if it's got no long term chops, or discover that it's still quite awesome if it does!
 
Hey great review!

I have bought one of the first China Made that came out and F&F was below par at the time.

Furthermore the lock was stiff and painful to use.

Your pictures show a real improvement!

I still use mine as my EDC knife.

In one way, it is an improvement 9ver the original Al Mar 1005HJBT as the bone scales are much thinner making as thin as the 1005BMT and 1005CT making it easier to carry in a front pocket (the leather sheath does a lot of wonder to prevent printing in your pockets).
 
There was a time when everyone snubbed “Made in Japan” products (and German to a lesser degree). Even when they were producing high quality items like cars, radios, cameras and even knives. Now Japanese products are highly coveted and Chinese “junk” is frowned upon. Setting aside any political objections (similar to the Japanese hate sentiment held over from WWII) some of the Chinese knives being produced today are actually excellent quality. I recently picked up a Ruike multi-tool knife that is impressive in all aspects. While I do try to buy American or other friendly allied countries products, I have nothing against the people of China working at these factories and turning out a decent product for the price.
 
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