This truly is the stuff of legends in our little world. Before getting into the knives themselves, it’s worth knowing the man behind them. Al Mar wasn’t just a designer; he was the real deal. He is the knifemaker's knifemaker. Born in the United States to Chinese immigrant parents, he served in a Special Forces Reserve unit and later volunteered for a Green Beret special operations group during the Vietnam War. After returning home, he went on to earn a master’s degree in industrial design from the prestigious Art Center College of Design in Los Angeles.
He was close friends with legends like James 'Nick' Rowe and other highly respected Green Berets. His combination of real-world combat experience and elite-level industrial design skill is exactly why his knives especially the Warrior are still held in such high regard today. Al was inducted into the Fighting Knives Magazine Hall of Fame in the late 1980s and later into the Blade Magazine Cutlery Hall of Fame in 2009. He was also a life member of both the Special Forces Association and the Special Operations Association. Simply put: the man had the résumé and the chops to design one of the greatest fighting knives ever built.
The Find — A Once-in-a-Lifetime Collector Score
If you’re the kind of collector who appreciates the weird, the rare, the “how the hell did these even survive?” sort of finds, then buckle up — because these Warriors are exactly that. I stumbled onto them in Japan, sitting in the same spot for over three decades like time just forgot about them. These aren’t modern production, they aren’t re-issues, and they definitely aren’t minty-fresh safe queens. What they are is pure, unfiltered history from the era when Al Mar and a handful of insanely skilled Japanese craftsmen were cranking out some of the toughest, coolest, most purpose-driven fighting knives ever made.
When Al passed in ’92, a lot of the behind-the-scenes workshop flow basically froze mid-stream. Finished inventory, half-done batches, spare parts everything just stopped where it was. These Warriors fall into that post-era drift: finished, but never pushed out into the world. This is old stock from the very factory that produced them, left untouched and forgotten as the years rolled by. Instead of being shipped or circulated, they sat in storage for decades, quietly aging with the kind of marks, scuffs, and handling scratches you only get from long-term storage. They’re not mint, and they’re not pretending to be, but that’s exactly why they’re cool as hell. They have stains and marks.
The Logo / Chop Situation — Full Transparency
The logo/chop on these was added many years after the blades were originally built, since the original shop that handled that process had long since retired and the craftsman responsible has passed away. Due to the age, a lot of the original story has been lost to history, but what we do know is that this is one of the most special knives ever built. They simply sat untouched until we were finally able to purchase the entire stash of old stock and bring them back into the light.
Mint Warriors from this era have sold anywhere from $800 to $1,500+, so for collectors who want the real deal Warrior without the mint-grade price tag, this is probably the only chance you’ll ever get.
Why the Warrior Still Hits Hard Today
Here’s the thing: real collectors will understand the moment they pick one up. The Warrior isn’t just some knife it’s THE knife. The balance, the curvature, the “holy crap, this was built for one thing and one thing only” energy hits instantly. There’s a reason people still call this one of the greatest fighting knives ever built. These blades have presence. They have life. They have that unmistakable OG Al Mar DNA that modern production simply cannot replicate, no matter how many CNC passes they brag about.
So yeah, these aren’t perfect. They’re better. They’re pieces of a chapter in knife history that’s gone forever never to return. And when you hold one? You’ll understand exactly why the Warrior is one of the greatest fighting knives ever built.
Specifications:
He was close friends with legends like James 'Nick' Rowe and other highly respected Green Berets. His combination of real-world combat experience and elite-level industrial design skill is exactly why his knives especially the Warrior are still held in such high regard today. Al was inducted into the Fighting Knives Magazine Hall of Fame in the late 1980s and later into the Blade Magazine Cutlery Hall of Fame in 2009. He was also a life member of both the Special Forces Association and the Special Operations Association. Simply put: the man had the résumé and the chops to design one of the greatest fighting knives ever built.
The Find — A Once-in-a-Lifetime Collector Score
If you’re the kind of collector who appreciates the weird, the rare, the “how the hell did these even survive?” sort of finds, then buckle up — because these Warriors are exactly that. I stumbled onto them in Japan, sitting in the same spot for over three decades like time just forgot about them. These aren’t modern production, they aren’t re-issues, and they definitely aren’t minty-fresh safe queens. What they are is pure, unfiltered history from the era when Al Mar and a handful of insanely skilled Japanese craftsmen were cranking out some of the toughest, coolest, most purpose-driven fighting knives ever made.
When Al passed in ’92, a lot of the behind-the-scenes workshop flow basically froze mid-stream. Finished inventory, half-done batches, spare parts everything just stopped where it was. These Warriors fall into that post-era drift: finished, but never pushed out into the world. This is old stock from the very factory that produced them, left untouched and forgotten as the years rolled by. Instead of being shipped or circulated, they sat in storage for decades, quietly aging with the kind of marks, scuffs, and handling scratches you only get from long-term storage. They’re not mint, and they’re not pretending to be, but that’s exactly why they’re cool as hell. They have stains and marks.
The Logo / Chop Situation — Full Transparency
The logo/chop on these was added many years after the blades were originally built, since the original shop that handled that process had long since retired and the craftsman responsible has passed away. Due to the age, a lot of the original story has been lost to history, but what we do know is that this is one of the most special knives ever built. They simply sat untouched until we were finally able to purchase the entire stash of old stock and bring them back into the light.
Mint Warriors from this era have sold anywhere from $800 to $1,500+, so for collectors who want the real deal Warrior without the mint-grade price tag, this is probably the only chance you’ll ever get.
Why the Warrior Still Hits Hard Today
Here’s the thing: real collectors will understand the moment they pick one up. The Warrior isn’t just some knife it’s THE knife. The balance, the curvature, the “holy crap, this was built for one thing and one thing only” energy hits instantly. There’s a reason people still call this one of the greatest fighting knives ever built. These blades have presence. They have life. They have that unmistakable OG Al Mar DNA that modern production simply cannot replicate, no matter how many CNC passes they brag about.
So yeah, these aren’t perfect. They’re better. They’re pieces of a chapter in knife history that’s gone forever never to return. And when you hold one? You’ll understand exactly why the Warrior is one of the greatest fighting knives ever built.
Specifications:
- Model Name: Warrior 3103 BN
- Overall Length: 13.40"
- Blade Length: 7.30"
- Blade thickness: 0.235"
- Blade Finish: Satin
- Blade Style: Trailing Point
- Steel Type: 6A
- Edge Type: Plain
- Handle Material: Rubber
- Handle Color: Black
- Guard and Pommel Material: Stainless Steel
- Features: Top bevel is sharpened with 4.75" of aggressive serrations
- Sheath: Leather
- Weight: 18.40 Ounces
- Country of Origin: Japan
