- Joined
- Jan 23, 2013
- Messages
- 145
The original maker of Al Mar knives was G.Sakai in Seki. Al Mar visited them back in the mid 70s as the design head for Gerber who contracted the Silver Knight folder. The relationship continued all throughout Al Mar Knives' history until Fadden took control. He tried to renegotiate the contract that Al Mar had with the Sakai family for decades. When they refused Fadden terminated the agreement and turned to Moki, also in Seki.
This is a bit of a complicated story but I will try to sum it up here:
1979: Creation of Al Mar Knives with Al Mar making the designs and G.Sakai manufacturing the knives. The deal was that Al Mar would have the rights to sell in the US and G.Sakai would have the rights to sell to the rest of the world.
1979 - 1992: Overtime the business relationship with G.Sakai degraded as they would stamp Al Mar's name on product not designed by him or with inferior quality than what was offered in the US
1992: Al Mar passes from brain aneurysm
1992 - 1997: The company is run by Al's widow Ann Mar. Unfortunately the business is not going well during that time period
1997: Gary Fadden buys 60% of Al Mar knives and runs the company. He cancels the contract with G.Sakai and manufacturing is switched solely to Moki
1997 - 2017: The relationship between Gary Fadden and Ann Mar becomes acrimonious as Gary Fadden doesn't give Ann her rightful share of profits. Furthermore as per faddenmarlawsuit.com Gary Fadden was renting parts of his home to the company as well as his car and so forth. Ann Mar wins the lawsuit and Gary Fadden is ordered by the court to pay about $90k-$95k
2017: Ann Mar passes away
2018 - 2020: Al Mar Knives is sold to ETE. Manufacturing is switched to China. The whole line is revamped by by turning all folders into flippers with a choice of D2 still or 8cr13mov exception for a line of Eagle/Falcon/Hawk in Honey Jigged Bone and AUS-8.
This should be a good summary but please correct me if I made a mistake somewhere.