Al Mar Green Berets 25th Anniversary marked "CINCS 1963" — not "SINCE" — serial 027

[swallowtail]

Hello all,

I'm a knife collector in Japan and I have an Al Mar Special Forces / MACV-SOG fixed blade (the 25th Anniversary Green Berets model, wood handle, brass guard and pommel, red/white/black spacers, bolt-through tang) that has markings I cannot account for.

WHAT'S DIFFERENT ABOUT THIS ONE:

1. The blade reads "CINCS 1963" — not "SINCE 1963".

Every example I can find, in dealer listings, auction records and collector sites, reads SINCE 1963. Mine reads CINCS. The lettering is engraved and ink-filled, same as the AL MAR name and the red chop mark next to it. It went through the engraving process and then the ink-fill process, so I don't believe this can be a misprint. Someone approved that text.

CINCS was of course the abbreviation for Commander in Chief in US military usage at the time.

2. Serial "027" on the ricasso, applied separately.

The number is stamped, not engraved and not ink-filled. Different typeface from the other markings, and oriented perpendicular to them (reading toward the handle rather than along the blade). Clearly a separate operation after the blade was finished.

I'm aware Al Mar typically ordered 200 pieces of a new model and numbered them, so 027 may simply be from a first run. But a first run piece should still carry the normal SINCE marking, which is what puzzles me.

3. No SEKI-JAPAN, no steel designation, no model number anywhere on the knife.

The reverse side carries only the gold-etched SF crest and MACV-SOG crest. Nothing else. No country of origin, no AUS-6A or 440C marking, no 4008/3009 model number.

WHAT CAME WITH IT:
Leather sheath with the Al Mar chop mark blind-stamped on the back, sharpening stone in the pocket, paracord tie-downs. No box or paperwork — long gone before it reached me.

MY QUESTIONS:

- Has anyone here seen or handled another CINCS-marked Al Mar?
- Does anyone know whether Al Mar produced a differently-marked batch for presentation to senior Special Forces or joint command officers around the 25th anniversary?
- Does the absence of SEKI-JAPAN indicate a specific period or lot, or was that simply variable across runs?

I've searched Japanese and English sources extensively and found no other example. Happy to post additional photos of any part of the knife if it would help. Any information, even partial, would be appreciated.

Thank you.