Description
Al Mar Bio:
Al Mar was a remarkable man, whose background as a Green Beret and passion for design led him to create a renowned brand of knives. In this article, we will explore the history of Al Mar Knives and the influence of Al Mar's personal experiences on his creations. Additionally, we will incorporate insights from a 1985 interview with Al Mar in Soldier of Fortune magazine and personal anecdotes from a close friend who knew him well, offering a rare glimpse into his thoughts on the specialty cutlery market and the factors that contributed to the success of Al Mar Knives.
Early Life and Education
Al Mar, the son of Chinese immigrants, was born in the United States. He had an impressive military background, serving in a Special Forces Reserve Unit and volunteering for a Green Beret special operations group during the Vietnam War. After his time in Vietnam, Al completed his education by earning a master's degree in industrial design from the prestigious Art Center College of Design in Los Angeles.
Career at Gerber Legendary Blades
Upon graduating, Al Mar joined Gerber® Legendary Blades, working under Pete Gerber. He eventually rose through the ranks to become the Head of Knife Design. In 1979, Mar left Gerber to form his own company: Al Mar Knives.
Founding AL MAR® Knives
Al Mar Knives were initially manufactured in Seki City, Japan, a 1,000-year-old sword-making city, with nearly all the knives produced by G.Sakai. Al Mar's relationship with G.Sakai began in 1976/77 when he worked for Gerber, and G.Sakai was awarded the contract to manufacture the "Gerber Silver Knight" folders.
In the Soldier of Fortune interview, Al Mar credited the success of his company to three key factors: his superb education in industrial design, real-world input from knife users, and his broad background, particularly in the military. This combination allowed Al Mar Knives to build products based on experience rather than conjecture or fantasy.
Al Mar's Achievements and Legacy
Al Mar was inducted into the Fighting Knives Magazine Hall of Fame in the late 1980s and the Blade Magazine Cutlery Hall of Fame in 2009. Al was a life member of the Special Forces Association as well as the Special Operations Association (Al Mar Knives, n.d.). He was a close friend of Colonel James "Nick" Rowe and other well-known and respected Special Forces ("Green Berets") luminaries.
Colonel Row & Al’s friendship led to a collaboration between the two that resulted in the creation of the very popular SERE folding knife in 1985. This knife was designed to serve soldiers in the field as both a survival tool and, if necessary, a weapon. The collaboration was inspired by Col. Rowe's personal experiences as a prisoner of war in Vietnam and his subsequent establishment of the U.S. Army's SERE (Survival, Evasion, Resistance, Escape) training program. The SERE knife remains a lasting symbol of their combined expertise and the enduring impact they had on the military, law enforcement, martial arts, and knife-making communities.
More Al Mar Knife Resources
AAPK Forum Thread With Some Great Looking Al Mar Knife Pictures
Informative Forum Thread With Posts from Dale Vincent that also includes Al Mar's Full Soldier of Fortune Interview
Al Mar Knives For Sale at AAPK
Archived Al Mar Knife AAPK Store Sales
Article References
Al Mar Knives. (n.d.). Knives. https://www.almarknives.com/knives
SGB Media. (2019, January 17). Edge Technologies Acquires Al Mar Knife Brand. https://sgbonline.com/edge-technologies-acquires-al-mar-knife-brand/
Soldier of Fortune. (1985, December). Interview with Al Mar.
Wikipedia. (n.d.). Al Mar Knives. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Al_Mar_Knives
All About Pocket Knives. (n.d.). Al Mar Knives. https://www.allaboutpocketknives.com/knife_forum/viewtopic.php?t=3304
https://www.tellknives.ch/1693-al-mar