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- Jan 25, 2000
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I am sure by now that we have all heard the reports concerning the changes at Marbles. These include such topics as warranty issues, QC problems, reduction of handle options and perhaps the most noteworthy of all, the change from the widely accepted 52-100 to the new stain resistant mystery steel known as Alchemite MC.
As a long time Marbles fan, I was obligated to voice my opinion of these recent changes to the powers that be. What I received back from them was a cordial reply that attempted to answer all my questions and put my fears to rest. I was still skeptical and told them so. They replied that I should not be so quick to judge the steel until I had a chance to use it. As a result, they agreed to send me a trial blade using the new steel for evaluation. That was very gracious of them and it did show me that they at least have confidence in the new steel. Which brings us to the meat of this review, comparing the Marbles Plainsman in 52-100 to the new Plainsman in Alchemite MC.
While I am far from being an experienced knife tester, I did attempt to standardize the tests performed the best that I could. These are most likely not repeatable by anyone other than myself as everyone has their own style
. The blades were sharpened in the same manner as I routinely sharpen my convex edges. I simply use a Styrofoam backer board and strop the blade with firm pressure from spine to edge using 400 grit and then 800 grit Silicon Carbide paper. I then finish by stropping on a leather strop loaded with chrome rouge. The edges were touched up in this manner preceding each test. Here are my results!
Edge Holding cardboard slicing
The first test that I performed was the slicing of corrugated cardboard. I simply started with 12 wide sections, placed them edge up (overhanging my bench so as to not contact it when slicing) and counted the number of slices cut before the edge would no longer shave. I tried to judge each stroke so that the entire blade passed through before the cut was completed. The results were as follows;
52-100 96 cuts
Alchemite MC 75 cuts
Both knives sliced through the cardboard very easily with a slight edge going to the Alchemite MC model. I believe that this is a direct result of my 52-100 blade being made from 7/32 stock whereas the new blade was much thinner at 5/32.
Edge Holding ½ manila rope
After the blades were touched up, the next test was simple rope slicing on a slab of seasoned cherry. The profile of this blade made the rope cutting a little more difficult than some previous knives I have tested due to the long, gradual upswept blade. I kept slicing rope until the edge lost its bite and started to slide. It would not even scrape hair at this point. The results were as follows;
52-100 88 cuts
Alchemite MC 70 cuts
Both knives started out cutting very easily with the 52-100 blade seeming to be a little more aggressive on this medium.
Chopping knotty, pine 2 x 2
Next I attempted to test the edge retention when chopping through knots in a couple of 2 x 2s. The reason I used a 2 x 2 is the fact that these knives are small, light knives and I would have been quite a while whacking through a 4 x 4
Anyway, each knife eventually chopped its way through a knot approx. 2/3 the size of the wood. The knife edge was basically unaffected and remained razor sharp and with no rolling. This is not surprising given the light weight of these knives and the relatively low level of impact. The older model with the thicker bar stock proved to be a much better chopper but was still out of its element.
Stain Resistance lime slicing
The next test was nothing more than to verify the increased stain resistance of the new steel. I sliced ½ a lime very thinly and then allowed the blade to sit for approx. 10 minutes or so. First up was the 52-100 blade. I routinely coat my carbon blades with Tuff-cloth and this blade was no exception. It passed this test with no obvious discoloration whatsoever. Surprisingly, the same could not be said for the new steel. The blade was heavily colored a very light shade of brown. It was not permanent however, as it cleaned up nicely with some Metal-Glo.
Edge quality
As far as sharpness goes, the 52-100 blade just seemed to take a more refined edge. Both sharpened up easily, but the new steel just didnt seem to get to the next level of sharpness. They were pretty equal coming off the 800 grit paper, but I guess that the 52-100 just responded to the strop a little better.
Conclusion
After this brief and very unscientific comparison, it is my opinion that the new steel is not quite to the same level as the 52-100. While it still performed pretty well, it was surpassed in my testing by the 52-100. Judging from the figures it would appear that the 52-100 blade outcut the Alchemite blade by approx. 25%. Needless to say, I feel that the Marbles 52-100 performs very well and can more than hold it's own against a majority of the factory offerings. In order to put my numbers for these two blades into perspective, I plan on testing the Fallkniven F1 this week to see how it stacks up to the Marbles. I will update this thread and post my results when they are available. While I am not confident enough in my own test results to judge the new steel on my own, or for you to judge it, I have enlisted the services and expertise of another one of our Forumites. His results are sure to add a valuable perspective into the overall evaluation of this knife. While I focused on hard, fast numbers generated under planned testing, he will be sure to add findings resulting from real world use. The knife is enroute to him now and he will post his findings here as well. It should be interesting so stay tuned.
As a long time Marbles fan, I was obligated to voice my opinion of these recent changes to the powers that be. What I received back from them was a cordial reply that attempted to answer all my questions and put my fears to rest. I was still skeptical and told them so. They replied that I should not be so quick to judge the steel until I had a chance to use it. As a result, they agreed to send me a trial blade using the new steel for evaluation. That was very gracious of them and it did show me that they at least have confidence in the new steel. Which brings us to the meat of this review, comparing the Marbles Plainsman in 52-100 to the new Plainsman in Alchemite MC.
While I am far from being an experienced knife tester, I did attempt to standardize the tests performed the best that I could. These are most likely not repeatable by anyone other than myself as everyone has their own style

Edge Holding cardboard slicing
The first test that I performed was the slicing of corrugated cardboard. I simply started with 12 wide sections, placed them edge up (overhanging my bench so as to not contact it when slicing) and counted the number of slices cut before the edge would no longer shave. I tried to judge each stroke so that the entire blade passed through before the cut was completed. The results were as follows;
52-100 96 cuts
Alchemite MC 75 cuts
Both knives sliced through the cardboard very easily with a slight edge going to the Alchemite MC model. I believe that this is a direct result of my 52-100 blade being made from 7/32 stock whereas the new blade was much thinner at 5/32.
Edge Holding ½ manila rope
After the blades were touched up, the next test was simple rope slicing on a slab of seasoned cherry. The profile of this blade made the rope cutting a little more difficult than some previous knives I have tested due to the long, gradual upswept blade. I kept slicing rope until the edge lost its bite and started to slide. It would not even scrape hair at this point. The results were as follows;
52-100 88 cuts
Alchemite MC 70 cuts
Both knives started out cutting very easily with the 52-100 blade seeming to be a little more aggressive on this medium.
Chopping knotty, pine 2 x 2
Next I attempted to test the edge retention when chopping through knots in a couple of 2 x 2s. The reason I used a 2 x 2 is the fact that these knives are small, light knives and I would have been quite a while whacking through a 4 x 4

Stain Resistance lime slicing
The next test was nothing more than to verify the increased stain resistance of the new steel. I sliced ½ a lime very thinly and then allowed the blade to sit for approx. 10 minutes or so. First up was the 52-100 blade. I routinely coat my carbon blades with Tuff-cloth and this blade was no exception. It passed this test with no obvious discoloration whatsoever. Surprisingly, the same could not be said for the new steel. The blade was heavily colored a very light shade of brown. It was not permanent however, as it cleaned up nicely with some Metal-Glo.
Edge quality
As far as sharpness goes, the 52-100 blade just seemed to take a more refined edge. Both sharpened up easily, but the new steel just didnt seem to get to the next level of sharpness. They were pretty equal coming off the 800 grit paper, but I guess that the 52-100 just responded to the strop a little better.
Conclusion
After this brief and very unscientific comparison, it is my opinion that the new steel is not quite to the same level as the 52-100. While it still performed pretty well, it was surpassed in my testing by the 52-100. Judging from the figures it would appear that the 52-100 blade outcut the Alchemite blade by approx. 25%. Needless to say, I feel that the Marbles 52-100 performs very well and can more than hold it's own against a majority of the factory offerings. In order to put my numbers for these two blades into perspective, I plan on testing the Fallkniven F1 this week to see how it stacks up to the Marbles. I will update this thread and post my results when they are available. While I am not confident enough in my own test results to judge the new steel on my own, or for you to judge it, I have enlisted the services and expertise of another one of our Forumites. His results are sure to add a valuable perspective into the overall evaluation of this knife. While I focused on hard, fast numbers generated under planned testing, he will be sure to add findings resulting from real world use. The knife is enroute to him now and he will post his findings here as well. It should be interesting so stay tuned.