Forces of Valor

Fifteen years after it was first established, Forces of Valor’s product portfolio has grown exponentially, from a scant 10 models covering just a handful of vehicles to a huge catalog of over 160 items, spanning every conceivable topic and subject matter within the military collectible market.

Now, under the ownership of Walter & Sons Industries Group, who themselves has built a solid reputation in the fields of manufacturing as well as research and development, the brand is once again moving forward. Under the tutelage of Water & Sons, our aim is to once again stand at the forefront of the hobby and bring the very best product we can possibly create to our adoring public. The brand, if we can be so bold as to say, is now in very good hands and will soon be in your very good hands as well.

Forces of Valor was founded in Los Angeles in 2002 by Unimax, a well-known Hong Kong-based toy company. The founder, Arthur Chan, has always wanted to develop a series of hobby grade collectibles that would conform to his interest in both modern historical literature and antique collectibles.

During a visit to Harrods, a world famous department store based in Knightsbridge, London, Arthur noticed a beautiful replica of a sail boat sitting on a shelf. He was told by a salesperson that the boat was actually a model kit that required a good deal of painting and assembling to bring it up to its present state. A busy man, Arthur knew that finding the time to build and complete a model sail boat to the same standards and craftsmanship as the one on display wasn’t possible given his limited time and expertise. Dismayed, he left the store without the boat, but recognized that other collectors were likely facing the same issues as he. His answer was Forces of Valor.

With Forces of Valor, Arthur’s aim was to offer fully built and professionally painted models to the public straight out of the box, thereby skipping the time consuming process of actually putting together a model. After much debate and discussion with his design team in Hong Kong & Los Angles, Arthur decided to move forward with a range of 1:32 scale armored vehicles; a scale that had become one of the de facto standards in the modelling world for countless years.

Four months later, a mock up vehicle was brought to the team meeting for further discussion and analysis. The sample was beautiful, combining a hand painted finish with intricately detailed craftsmanship to produce a model worthy of being called a tribute to history.

Nevertheless, Arthur was still troubled by the look of the sample. A longtime history buff, Arthur recalled seeing pictures of armor that had emerged from the rigors of combat, where they had been battle damaged, riddled with bullet holes, covered in dirt, and streaked in oil. He decided that instead of offering freshly minted models right off of the factory floor, he would give his models a more battle hardened appearance, one that looked similar to the images that regularly adorned history books and military documentaries. Hence the trademarked phrase, “combat proven machines.”

In the ensuing years, Forces of Valor has become one of the most successful lines of military collectibles world over. From its earliest days of producing 1:32 scale military models, the line has continued to blossom, now including warships, aircraft, figurines and other historically-based products in a wide variety of scales, settings and epochs. Some of his creations have been elevated to a level all their own, such as his iconic 1:16 scale Extreme Metal military vehicles, which have gone on to become highly coveted collectibles that have appreciated in value several times their original asking price.

Having worked in the industry for over a half century, Arthur decided to retire and spend more time with his family and other personal interest. Enter Waltersons, a successful manufacturer of radio controlled military vehicles, which had quietly become one of Arthur’s most adoring fans. Deciding the time was right to move on, owner of Waltersons had acquired Forces of Valor brand name and its procession, which has led to the formation of a new company, Forces of Valor Hobbies Limited. Which brings us to the present day…