Two Tactical Brands Just Revived a Legendary WWII-Inspired Knife

During WWII, the British military developed a framework training program to help soldiers survive when evading or being captured. It was called SERE, short for Survival, Evasion, Resistance, and Escape.

SERE teaches that a fixed-blade knife is one of a soldier’s most valuable tools. It’s so vital that in the early 1980s, Al Mar and Colonel Nick Rowe designed their SERE Operator knife specifically for those applications. While that knife has seen numerous production runs (and iterations) since then, it has been defunct for some time now.

Thankfully, Al Mar and Tops are now reviving the SERE Operator in all its glory for 2025. Best of all, it remains largely true to the original in form and function.

Al Mar Knives

A fruitful partnership

This isn’t the first time that Al Mar and Tops have collaborated. In 2016, the brands created a mini version of the SERE Operator that was beloved in the knife and tactical worlds. Unfortunately, like its larger sibling, it has since gone out of production.

While you can still find versions of both the mini and standard SERE Operator knives, they’re typically either extremely expensive or secondhand (and sometimes both). So, this production revival is a major boon to anyone hoping to get their hands on this legendary military fixed blade.

Al Mar Knives

Maintain present heading

Perhaps the most important aspect of the SERE Operator fixed-blade knife revival is its adherence to the original. This knife is so beloved in the tactical and outdoor worlds that fans might think it’s perfect as-is. Al Mar and Tops appear to share this sentiment, as this revival stays almost entirely true to the previous versions.

It maintains its tough and serviceable 154CM steel spear-point blade — a shape that’s been virtually unchanged for decades. It also still has a signature G10 handle with a trio of hollow tube body pins (through which paracord can be threaded for further survival applications).

While most knives have something worth improving, the SERE Operator isn’t one of them (and I think fans of the knife would agree). This knife is a prime example of the mantra, “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.”

Al Mar Knives

Coming soon

Based on previous versions of the SERE Operator, I’d expect this new Al Mar x Tops version to cost somewhere in the ballpark of $100, which is plenty affordable for a knife of this caliber.

Though the release date is unclear, its announcement at SHOT suggests it will occur sometime this year. Until then, I recommend closely monitoring both brands’ sites and social media.

Al Mar Knives

Al Mar x Tops SERE Operator

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