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  #1  
Old 04-04-2017, 11:39 PM
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I'm hoping someone can help identify a knife that I got from my grandfather. It is a sheath knife that looks like a small Kabar. It is marked Marble's Gladstone on the blade, and the handle is made out of what appear to be plastic, stacked discs that are red, clear, and blue. I thought it was an Eagle Scout knife because of the handle, but I can't find anything like it on the net. Anyone ever seen one of these?
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Old 04-05-2017, 12:01 AM
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Marble Gladstones are neat knives!
Could you show us a picture of the knife and the sheath?
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Old 04-05-2017, 12:04 AM
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Look like this one?
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Old 04-05-2017, 12:24 AM
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Here is a pic
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Old 04-05-2017, 12:38 AM
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Marble's are great knives. Made with REAL high carbon steel that will take a fantastic edge. I grab them when I can find them.
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Old 04-05-2017, 12:55 AM
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Look like this one?
I've got that very knife. In what I think is the original sheath but worn out and covered in electrical tape. My Dad carried it deer hunting my whole life. Said he got it from an old man (partial gun collector guy) that lived down the road from us. Sits in the gun cabinet at my moms still. My dad passed in 2008, but I shot a 9pt at my mothers on a whim in 2014 and used it to gut the deer. And it had not been sharpened in probably 20 years. I carry a KaBar hunting that my wife bought me years back, but that old Marbles is one that will never leave the family. They made many styles. The one in this picture is identical to mine. Whats funny, I was looking at them on Ebay just for fun just 5 mins ago and then just happened onto this post from the main forum screen. Thanks for sharing the picture.
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Old 04-05-2017, 05:08 AM
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I have owned a dozen or two Marbles knives over the decades. They are neat items from the past. The blade style is known as their Ideal pattern. It was made in several blade lengths. The handle material is not Marbles IMO. I have several old catalogs and have viewed hundreds at knife shows and have never seen a Plexiglas handle before. If I had to guess, the original handle material was stacked leather, the most common material, and for whatever reason, a previous owner changed the handle. My uncle did this same type of handles while on his lunch break. He must have done a dozen using old military knives. You have a neat heirloom that just looks good. A bit of un-solicited advise. Do not "shine it up" or alter it. It is the way grandpa left it to you and it has personality as is. Any alterations are removing grandpa's history.
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Old 04-05-2017, 08:29 AM
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Awesome stories, love my Marbles collection. And, they don't make them anymore! Marble's Gladstone Knife


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Old 04-05-2017, 02:47 PM
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Anyone know of a knife forum where I could get some more info? The handle looks factory, so I don't think my grandfather changed it... and there isn't any contact info on the Marble's knife web page.
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Old 04-05-2017, 03:00 PM
30-30remchester 30-30remchester is offline
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Anyone know of a knife forum where I could get some more info? The handle looks factory, so I don't think my grandfather changed it... and there isn't any contact info on the Marble's knife web page.

There is a knife forum called of all things, "Blade Forum". Enter your knife questions under the Bernard Levine identification sub forum. There are some real smart dudes on that site. Good luck.
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Old 04-05-2017, 03:14 PM
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Was puzzled by the handle.
Concur it's probably not factory.
A keeper Family Heirloom for sure!
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Old 04-05-2017, 04:10 PM
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I posted on the other forum, so I'll see what the say over there. If the handle isn't factory, I doubt my grandfather changed it... He traded for a lot of things, like dogs, shotguns, fishing gear... no telling where he got this knife!
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Old 04-05-2017, 04:31 PM
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Great looking knife!!

I'm going to have to agree with The Pilgrim and 30-30remchester that the handle is not original.

The plexiglass-handled knives were not uncommon during WWII. And from what I've read, an awful lot were found in the Navy. They were often a replacement handle because the original leather washers eventually rotted out due to moisture, saltwater, etc. The ship's machinists were usually the ones who replaced the handles utilizing materials available which often included aluminum or plexiglass. Some can get quite creative.
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Old 04-05-2017, 04:37 PM
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Marbles factory was in Gladstone, MI (western UP). They also made a line of rifle and shotgun sights and a neat little folding stock .22/.410 combination gun they called the "Game Getter" until the FDR administration decided they were "gangster guns" because the shotgun barrel was under 18".
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Old 04-05-2017, 04:44 PM
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Great looking knife!!

I'm going to have to agree with The Pilgrim and 30-30remchester that the handle is not original.

The plexiglass-handled knives were not uncommon during WWII. And from what I've read, an awful lot were found in the Navy. They were often a replacement handle because the original leather washers eventually rotted out due to moisture, saltwater, etc. The ship's machinists were usually the ones who replaced the handles utilizing materials available which often included aluminum or plexiglass. Some can get quite creative.
Hmmm... my grandfather was in the Navy during WWII... were Marble knives issued?
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Old 04-05-2017, 05:03 PM
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I have owned a dozen or two Marbles knives over the decades. They are neat items from the past. The blade style is known as their Ideal pattern. [...] Any alterations are removing grandpa's history.
I have in front of me a 1965 to 1980 tang stamp Case Pattern 325-6 with the same style blade. I bought it because the pawn shop allowed me in without spousal supervision and a I liked the salesman's claim that it "probably was used to field dress lots of deer." O.K., I'm a sucker. What was the logic or sales claim behind thinning the central portion of Ideal blades?

By the way, since I typed that a deer crossed the yard moving at a fast clip with its tail up. I'd bet dollars to dough nuts that it was a Buck. This time of year does seldom run. Maybe my old Case will field dress one more.

Oh, I almost forgot. I strong agree with your last suggestion. Do not polish off Grandpa's personality.

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Old 04-05-2017, 05:07 PM
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Hmmm... my grandfather was in the Navy during WWII... were Marble knives issued?

There is an ongoing discussion between us military knife collectors as to whether Marbles had a US government contract to produce knives for the war effort. Many Marbles belt knives were private purchase and many believe the 4" bladed air crewman's knife was government bought. I tend to think they might have had a small contract as the government was buying any kind of knife for any US source during the war.
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Old 04-05-2017, 05:14 PM
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I have in front of me a 1965 to 1980 tang stamp Case Pattern 325-6 with the same style blade. I bought it because the pawn shop allowed me in without spousal supervision and a I liked the salesman's claim that it "probably was used to field dress lots of deer." O.K., I'm a sucker. What was the logic or sales claim behind thinning the central portion of Ideal blades?

By the way, since I typed that a deer crossed the yard moving at a fast clip with its tail up. I'd bet dollars to dough nuts that it was a Buck. This time of year does seldom run. Maybe my old Case will field dress one more.

Oh, I almost forgot. I strong agree with your last suggestion. Do not polish off Grandpa's personality.

The thinned center of the blade is called a fuller. Many call them blood groves, supposedly when it was sticking in a bad guy, the blood would run out the grove in the blade. What a bunch of bunk. The Ideal pattern I believe but do not know for sure, was the first to use such a wide fuller. Why they put it on their blades I do not know. It does lighten the weight of the blade and just looks sexy.
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Old 04-05-2017, 05:28 PM
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Hmmm... my grandfather was in the Navy during WWII... were Marble knives issued?
As an officially standardized design no. However, all deck hands and really all sailor's need a knife to tie stuff down. When the seas get rough heavy stuff sliding across decks can do a lot of damage or cause serious injury. The late President Ford was awarded a metal for getting aircraft that had been jarred loose by a typhoon tied back down inside an escort carrier. Gas fires also had to be put out. The navy could not get enough of their official 5" fixed blade design so they bought various odd ball lots of similar knives. It is possible granddad swiped it from the navy. Also, aircraft plexiglass recovered from wrecked planes was readily available, larger vessels had machine shops and during long ocean voyages there was lots of time to kill. I've read stories about sailors trading home made knives to soldiers for booze. However, it is more likely that granddad got it in one of his trades after leaving the navy.

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Old 04-05-2017, 05:56 PM
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Marble's were not an official USN issue. Issue was the KaBar MKI, marked "USN" near the guard on one side, and KA-BAR/ Olean,N.Y. on the other. I don't know how common it was for sailors to replace the leather washers with plex, but that is what my dad did in WWII. He did his up in red and clear and it was really the only thing that I wanted of his that I cherished as an inheritance. He passed, and my mom kept it in a drawer in the kitchen for butchering deer. Somewhere along the line it was stolen. We know who it was, but I wasn't informed until it was too late, and Florida is a bit of a drive for me. Otherwise I would have no problem "persuading" the *** to hand it over.

(Side note: Dad joined the Navy on Dec. 10, 1941, 3 days after Pearl, at the age of 17. Coincidentally, it was the same day of enlistment for me, Dec. 10 [1969]. After boot camp he was an anti-aircraft gunnery instructor because of his skill with small arms and the ability to teach how to lead a target. He was thereafter billeted to the recommissioned U.S.S. Chenango, an escort carrier converted from a transport/cargo vessel, whereupon the ship sailed through the Panama Canal to the South Pacific. As tail-gunner in a Dauntless [Basically flying coffins for the rear gunner... you couldn't get out of the things if you went down.], he was wounded and afterwards was assigned to aircraft maintenance. After the war he put his skills to use working at ConVair in San Diego as an aircraft machinist.)

Anyway, I loved that knife so much that I hunted for years to find another MKI. Finally found one at a LGS (while dad was still alive) and was able to get it, with sheath, for $20. This knife, too, has seen it's share of deer. Takes and holds a great edge and is still in use to this day.

Sorry for the poor pics. My camera sucks!
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Old 04-05-2017, 06:05 PM
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Hmmm... my grandfather was in the Navy during WWII... were Marble knives issued?
I'm not sure about that. 30-30remchester knows a heckuva lot more about that stuff than I do. I know there was a shortage of fixed blade knives during WWII and various civilian drives were organized to supply our servicemen with knives. As a result, a variety of knives (everything from hunting knives to homemade butcher knives) found their way overseas.

Whatever the case, it's a shame that your grandfather's knife can't talk. I'll bet it could share some great stories.
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Old 04-05-2017, 07:10 PM
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Whatever the case, it's a shame that your grandfather's knife can't talk. I'll bet it could share some great stories.
Yep, agree... Guess I'll never know the whole story, as the knife can't talk and my mom and aunts don't know either.
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Old 04-05-2017, 07:51 PM
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In my opinion, out of all the standardized U.S. military fixed blade knives the WW II navy deck knife makes the best hunting, camping or work knife. The other military blades are too big, too thick, or both. Since the navy was not buying them for weapons it is logical they'd buy the better work knife. See ExcitableBoy's picture above for an example. In use the original poster's Marbles would not be significantly different.
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Old 04-06-2017, 12:02 AM
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I have no doubt that many Marble's found their way sheathed and looped to belted dungarees, as did other makes. Most, I believe, were of the same general pattern as the KaBar MKI. Many a parent, sibling, cousin or neighbor sent requested knives via FPO. Some makers donated knives to all branches of the military, as did the general civilian population, and, believe it or not, custom knife makers. Randall comes to mind as the most well known. Examples of these can go for pretty high prices. Later in the war, the Navy, in it's infinite wisdom, decided to issue the KaBar MKII, with a decidedly longer blade, very similar (maybe identical) to the infamous Marine KaBar. I do not know of any WWII sailor who had much good to say about the extra length. Good knives, but better suited as a fighting knife than as an everyday, seaman's tool.
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Old 04-06-2017, 12:22 AM
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Out of curiosity, any ideas of the value of my knife? It isn't going anywhere... unless it can pay for my son's college tuition!
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Old 04-06-2017, 12:29 AM
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Knife collectors use the term "theater knife" to describe blades that have been reworked with varying degrees of imagination and skill by troops "in theater". Often they were people who had access to repair facilities and scrap plexiglass in WWII.

I don't know if this knife dates from that period, but it clearly has been re-handled in a style some of those artisans would recognize and approve,.

It's a very fine old knife and a wonderful memento.
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Old 04-06-2017, 12:51 AM
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Back around 1965 while in the navy I aquired one of the pilot's survival knives. That knife which I still have and an ashtray made from the base of a 5"54 brass shell casing are the only two souveniers left from my military service. Buddy in the machine shop wanted the cut off section of brass to make belt buckles so we came to a mutual agreement regarding what I wanted done. Trim base of case, cleanup cut across the inside and a drill and tap for a bronze bolt for something slightly different. Finally found a 1" x 7" strip of brass so will get it engraved and I'll install it on the ash tray. Frank
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Old 04-06-2017, 01:04 AM
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The most important value of your knife is in the memories. As with guns, originality and condition makes up the better part of $$$ value. I do not think that the large-fuller models are as desirable as a more"standard" pattern. As illustrated in your pics, the blade is considerably worn by years of sharpening, with the top of the cutting edge taper getting fairly close to the bottom of the fuller, which weakens the blade in that area. I personally would not subject the blade to any overly stressful use, such as splitting the pelvic bones of a deer. Gutting, skinning, quartering, slicing, etc., would be more than OK if you want to extend it's working life. Also, the plex is non-original, and there is some fairly large pitting on the steel.

All this being said, it is still a very usable, handsome knife and I would pay somewhere in the range of $35-$40 for a like piece.
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Old 04-06-2017, 01:46 AM
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After owning three Marbles Gladstone knives (2 sheath knives and one Large Stockman) and a Safety Axe, I think the world of them. While there are many knives that cost a lot more I don't know of many that are any better. I've got them shaving sharp and the Large Stockman folder is my EDC knife.

Unfortunately the junk they are currently marketing as Marbles knives are just cheap Chinese low end stainless knives that are not worth the freight. Thankfully, I got mine when Marbles was still cranking them out in Gladstone.
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Old 04-06-2017, 02:11 AM
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My old man was WW2 Navy. He had a Case of about this same
pattern & size, with original leather washer handle. He also had
a couple Jap bayonets that he had cut down to about 8" blades.
He had made Alumilum hand guards and made handles for them
out of plexiglass with red, white, and blue poker chips for some
color. He had all kinds of ashtrays made out of butt ends of
3" gun casings and rings made out of quarters. He told me a lot
of the polishing and sanding on these crafts were done while
standing watch. I have seen many WW2 knives that were not
original and had "custom" handles. Most of them came out of
the Navy. Most ships had at least a small shop and squibs had
the time to make this stuff.
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Old 04-06-2017, 09:02 AM
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Cleaned up (there's no harm in removing the verdigris) and with the plexi discs realigned properly, an easy task, I believe the knife would bring closer to $100 at auction.
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Old 04-06-2017, 12:31 PM
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On my first deer hunting trip to the UP we stopped at Marble Arms. I bought two "survival knives" with leather thongs and a sharpening stone in a pocket on the sheath. They were seconds, six dollars apiece. A few years ago I sold one, that had never been sharpened, for just under two hundred dollars, and the other for one thirty. Better return than any gun I ever bought.

My mother in law grew up in Stonington, just across the bay from Escanaba and Gladstone. All her nieces' husbands were deer hunters, and they all had Marble knives.
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