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Nemesis Knives Unveils Second Mar Private Reserve Folder

January 10, 2018

Nemesis Knives is rolling out the MPR-2, the second release in their Mar Private Reserve series. The new knife emphasizes bold looks and a beefier build compared to the first MPR release.

The MPR-2 brings a 3.4” VG-10 blade to the table, which deploys via flipper tab and rides on caged bearings. Although the MPR-2 has the same blade length as the MPR-1, its predecessor, its blade is much wider, and the overall feel much beefier. “This design was chosen as MPR-2 because it was so different from the sleek and slender MPR-1 titanium lockback,” says Jeff Hall, Founder of Nemesis Knives and the man who inherited a stack of never-before-seen Al Mar designs last year.

Nemesis Knives MPR-2

This beefier look may surprise some fans. Mar’s designs often emphasize slim, slender blades like MPR-1. But Hall says Mar was anything but a one-note designer. The MPR-2, drawn up in 1989, showcases a different side of Mar at the height of his powers. “I was a sales rep for the Mars on the West Coast in the late 80s and I fondly remember this period as the peak for both sales and creativity,” Hall tells us. “The DNA of this knife is obvious and the shape is all Al.”

MPR-2 Tanto Version

Given its vintage, the original drawing of the MPR-2 did not have a pocket clip, so Hall added a deep carry one himself. “I also took a little design license with, and am excited about, the aggressive tanto version arriving later in January,” he adds. Given that the MPR-2 is the first flipper knife from the Private Reserve, the pressure to add a frame lock was strong, but Hall resisted. “There was, of course, a great temptation to introduce the MPR-2 folder as a frame lock. It was decided, though, that the MPR-2 would debut with beefier than normal (.080 thick) skeletonized liners to give the knife both added strength and a more classic material symmetry front to back.”

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Hall will continue to work through his treasure trove of Al Mar designs this year. Multiple projects are on the horizon for the Mar Private Reserve including American-made fixed blades and another folder. That knife, the MPR-3, is expected to release by March. “Nemesis Knives has a lot of new MPR models scheduled for 2018 and fans of the designer will be excited by the variety of unseen designs we have in the works,” Hall says.

The MPR-2 will be available this month and retail for $115.

Knife featured in image: Nemesis Knives MPR-2

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