AL MAR Fairbairn–Sykes style Dagger

**Australia** · 01-08-2014, 03:33 AM

Got this today , these are pretty rare as they are numbered and only made under 400 pieces circa 1993.
Very nice weight and feel , I have a first pattern FS and it's on par with quality.

Extremely rare to see one for sale. Enjoy.

Al Mar Knives - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

**rbminis** · 01-08-2014, 03:42 AM

Very nice!

I like the quality of Al Mar knives. I only have two small folders made by this maker. They are not cheap!

Ralph.

**Australia** · 01-08-2014, 04:02 AM

Thanks Ralph , there original catalogue 1993 Retail price - $200 ,
grip was listed as 24 Karat gold plated.
Would like to know if any members have this al mar dagger.

**Wagriff** · 01-08-2014, 04:36 AM

Al Mar was always top of the line. He learned well from working for Gerber. This FS is no exception-beautifully made and absolutely fully functional. No ornamental knife here!

**Chopperman** · 01-08-2014, 04:40 AM

Al Mar made some really nice knives.

**Wagriff** · 01-08-2014, 04:44 AM

Still do.

**Chopperman** · 01-08-2014, 04:48 AM

I did not realize that. It's been a long time sense
I have heard his name.

**rbminis** · 01-08-2014, 05:02 AM

by Chopperman

I did not realize that. It's been a long time sense
I have heard his name.

He is gone but I believe the company is still owned by the family.
Ralph.

**Australia** · 01-08-2014, 05:12 AM

That's right they still make knives .
The ones made before the 1990s command high prices .

They don't make the FS dagger Model anymore.

**Australia** · 01-08-2014, 07:07 AM

"from wikipeadia

Al Mar was born in the US, a son of Chinese immigrants. Mar served in a Special Forces Reserve unit and in the late 1950s volunteered to serve in Vietnam with a special project using all-Asian Special Forces soldiers. The project was run from Okinawa where the 1st SFGA had a forward deployed battalion stationed and support assets.
Mar was a non-commissioned officer. After serving in the Army, Mar earned a Masters Degree in Industrial Design from Art Center College of Design in Pasadena, California. His masters thesis was building and launching a working 2 man submarine, upon graduating he went to work for an industrial design firm in Los Angeles in 1967.

Mar went on to become a packaging designer and eventually the head of knife design for Gerber Legendary Blades in 1968. Gerber's head designer had retired and Pete Gerber gave Mar the task of coming up with an aluminum handle for a kitchen knife. Gerber thought the project was very successful and offered Mar the position of design chief.

In 1979, Mar left Gerber to form his own company: Al Mar Knives. The knives were manufactured in Seki City, Japan in a 1000 year-old sword making facility; Al Mar knives have been made by the firms of Mitsubishi, Sakai, Fujita, Fukuta and Hattori.

Al Mar died in 1992 from an aneurysm. The color guard provided for his memorial service was drawn from the reserve Special Forces company then stationed at the Portland Air National Guard base. Mar had supported the unit for some time and was an honorary member of the company.
Today the company is headed by Gary Fadden who purchased a controlling interest. In the late 1980s Mar was inducted into the Fighting Knives Magazine Hall of Fame. Then in 2009, he was inducted in the Blade Magazine Cutlery Hall of Fame.

Mar was a close friend of Colonel James "Nick" Rowe and other well known and respected Special Forces ("Green Berets") luminaries. He was a Life member of the Special Forces Assocation as well as the Special Operations Association.