The Marble's USA Thread

[idahopostman]

Thanks for the heads up supra. Deleted the referenced infraction from my post. My apologies.

 

[supratentorial]

It's a nice knife. I'm not a Marbles collector (just stopped in to enjoy the eye candy) and there are guys that have stockpiles of old Marbles catalogs so I'll leave the dates and such to them. There's also an ID forum. Are you a collector?

 

[idahopostman]

Not a collector. Just enjoy knives & guns & military stuff and always looking for those types of things for sale.

 

[Mainspring]

I made a discovery today, and this thread seems like a good place to share it. If any of you are anywhere near Lansing, MI, the Michigan Historical Museum (on W. Kalamazoo Ave) has a Marbles exhibit until September or so. I didn't count, but it was more vintage Marbles products (knives, safety axes, axes, Game Getter O/Us, fish grabbers, compasses, match safes...even a yard rake) than I have ever seen in one room. I have been collecting Marbles stuff for 30 years, and I was impressed with the exhibit. Admission to the museum on Sundays is FREE, and $4 - $6 the rest of the week...depending on how seasoned you are as a citizen (65+ = $4). If you're within a couple of hours, and you dig all things Marbles, it's probably worth the trip.

 

[timberweasel]

My one and only Marbles knife... a little Doctor's Knife in D2 made in Gladstone, MI.

-Brett

 

[Brooks_V]

I was fortunate to work trades with both Mark (Maresharp) and Jon (thieveslikeus) for these two beauties:thumbup:

Red Bonestag and Buffalo Horn. Tom (Vangurds41xx) started me down the path of trying to find these great knives as he pretty much always carried his version covered with Stag. In a search that covered two years it's ironic I was able to obtain both of these within a few weeks of each other:thumbup:

Thank you Mark and Jon

Hi Paul,

I just picked up the stag version mint in it's original box and it's a beauty. The #85 pattern is my absolute favorite from GEC and this so closely resembles it. Here's a few pics:

Just thought I'd share as I'm a fan now. Best regards,

 

[Thomas Linton]

Lovely!

 

[paulhilborn]

BEAUTIFUL Stag ahbiv!!!

 

[5K Qs]

Those Marbles EO spear/pen teardrop jacks are absolutely incredible, ahbiv and Paul! :thumbup::thumbup: Thanks for sharing pics!

- GT

 

[Jack Black]

Those Marbles EO spear/pen teardrop jacks are absolutely incredible, ahbiv and Paul! :thumbup::thumbup: Thanks for sharing pics!

+1 :thumbup: They always remind me of Vanguard, one of our past members here

 

[FIRECRACKER501]

I have a couple Pumas, one is a 72 Skinner with original Sheath,,The other is a White Hunter, with the finger guard missing,,it doesn't look like the scales have been replaced, but I cant judge the year without the guard,,maybe 60s,,i don't know how they removed it,,and I don't know their value...Have a good day,,, Tony

 

[FIRECRACKER501]

Sorry if I put that in wrong Spot,,,,But I do have a Patened 1916 Marbles, I think its a 4 and half inch Blade, in great shape, that Im looking for an Original Sheath for,,its got great Stag handles,,ill post pics as soon as I figure out how ,,its my first day here,,,Thanks ,,,,,Tony

 

[Henry Beige]

My only Marbles knife. It is a little smaller than most I see pictured, 7 1/2" overall, with the blade a hair under 4". It fits a sheath for a Buck 102, if that gives you a better idea of its size. The stamp on the ricasso is just two lines: Marble's - Gladstone. The washers on each end of the handle are black, brass, red. The tang was a little proud of the pommel when I got it, and is now a little more so since I tightened it.

I don't really know what I have here . I have seen similar knives in old catalogs online, but not this exact knife. The value means nothing to me. I didn't pay very much for it, and Have no plans to sell it.

 

[Catfishtoon]

Great information here. I have my great uncle's marbles. I believe it is a no46. Still trying to figure out the picture thing. I was hoping someone has a pic of a sheath that would have come with the no 45 or 46?

 

[JustinWoody]

I only have a few to show; The one on top belongs to an old friend of mine, he is in his mid 80's and cannot remember when he bought the knife, but says he was a young man and bought it for hunting. The MSA-01 pocketknife is one I found in a pawn shop a few years back, it was in new condition but without any packaging - I believe the handles are synthetic. The last knife is a modern USA made Marbles I bought at SMKW while visiting Gatlinburg TN with my wife after my return from OIF in 2003; bought myself several gifts on that trip - this deer skinner was one of them. I don't have a good picture of it except this one which only shows the blade in silhouette, skinning a deer with one of my hunting buddies, it has a nice drop point and plenty of belly - one of my best deer skinners. Marbles is a brand I would like to know more about and own more of. OH

I just found a knife my dad had that looks almost exact to your knife on top. Any idea of a year it was made? Mine is in worse shape. I was hoping to redo the handle and fix the blade for my dad.

 

[knarfeng]

One post moved to its own thread in the Bernard Levine Knife Collecting and Identification Forum.

 

[Gladesman]

I am no collector, but love knives. I do have two Marbles. One is a Marbles that my father carried during World War II. This knife was on Pearl Harbor when it was bombed. As commander of a Duck Battalion he carried this knife throughout the Pacific island campaign. I can remember him telling of the islands, then later in life reading and seeing documentaries regarding the battles that occurred on islands with those same exotic names. This knife has several notches carefully cut into the pommel for which he would offer no explanation.

Anyway, years later I ordered a Marble's knife that looked similar to the famous "Ideal". It has simply "Marbles USA" on it. The identifying washers that showed the manufacturing dates as documented in an early post in this thread look nothing like the washers on mine. I purchased this knife sometime after the year 2000. I am thinking it was a few years later than the year 2000, but can find nothing to narrow the date range. Had I known of the original Marble's demise I would have purchased several different Marble's. By the time i discovered it, USA made knives were history.

Beginning with the finger guard and going up the spacers go Black, Gold, Red, White, Red, Gold and lastly Black. This pattern is identical to the pattern under the pommel. The knife I purchased has a blade approximately a half inch shorter than my Father's knife and the blade is somewhat less deep. The point of the knife is identical in design to that of my Father's knife, but is proportionally smaller.

 

[Boggs]

This might help...


Off course this diagram represents the Mike Stuart era...with yours only having tang stamped with Marbles Made in USA...you probably already know that it was a Camillus contracted knife made after 2000...
I haven’t found any dating guide to narrow down yr. of production yet for contracted built knives.

 

[Gladesman]

Thanks Boggs. I only found the bit about the Camillus made knives within the past hour or so. I guess that is about as close s I am going to get. From what I have been reading the steel must be pretty good. I have not yet used this knife. Just been setting in the gun safe. I expect to do some hog hunting later this summer. May get a chance to give it a work out and see how it holds up.

 

[blademan 13]

I have a Woodcraft that came in a Bobcat box but only "Marble's" on the tang? I assumed this was a Camillus knife but also have heard it might have been a leftover 52100 blade? Any insight would be appreciated.