At a motorcycle tech day today, I bought an old-looking Marble's knife. I believe it is the small hunting knife, 4" carbon steel blade, slightly dropped point, brass guard, stacked leather handle, aluminum pommel, 7 1/4" overall. The ricasso is stamped with 'Marble'S Gladstone".

Of course, a thread like this is worthless without pictures, and I have taken a few really bad shots with my phone camera, but my photo-fu is weak, so it may take me a few hours or days to get some pics posted.

Before I started following this forum, I would not have recognized the Marble's brand, but this knife would have caught my eye anyway. Ever since I spent a few days driving nails all day with a leather-handled Estwing hammer, I have been a big fan of leather handles on anything I might have to hold onto for any length of time. In addition, the pommel is retained by a slotted brass nut that looks like you might need snap-ring pliers or maybe a needle-nosed plier to back it out, not unlike the clutch-spring retaining nuts on an old Triumph.

What do I have here? It doesn't have a stag pommel or a Woodcraft blade, but it is a pretty nice little knife, made in the USA, and still holding up well after some years of use. I didn't pay very much for it, and I don't expect it's worth a heck of a lot, but I'd be curious to know just where this knife fits in the Marble's range, and if there is any way to date it.

Sounds like you have a Marble's DROP POINT knife. They were available with leather, bone, or Stag grips and came with either aluminum or Stag pommels. They also came with blades made of Carbon Steel so a light coat of oil should be applied.

The Marbles Company (as we knew it) went out of business a few years ago and have now sold their name to be used on Chinese imported products. While they look like Marbles knives, they don't even hold a candle to the Gladstone manufactured knives.

You have a nice little Hunting or all purpose knife and the Marble's Gladstone knives are famous for taking and holding an edge on their Carbon Steel blades. IMHO they compare very favorably or are even better than knives costing 3 - 4 times the price. Enjoy and post a photo if you can.

Regards,
Chief38

I was lucky enough to get one of the last knives from Marble Arms before they when out of business. It is a small hunter with a maple burl handle. It was made about 75 miles from my home. Maple was a very important name in hunting and fishing here in the U.P. of Michigan.

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Carpriver.

A grand old company that made a lot of stuff, including rifle sights, the little Safety Axes, knives, compasses, match cases. Some really neat stuff and all of the originals are collectible. Believe it or not the match cases can be worth big bucks.

I think they still make rifle sights in Gladstone?

Did you get a sheath with it?

Anyway get your photo fu together. Would love to see pics.

Lousy IPod picture (batteries crated in my camera) but this is the Gladstone Marble knife I got in the late '60's.

The tip was broken off long ago but its still a useful knife, well used and still going strong.

I'll try to get a better picture when my camera battery gets charged.

The old Marbles stuff, especially when Mike Stewart was in charge, was great. Fine steel that took a great edge, held it well, and was easily re-sharpened. I'm not familiar with the drop-point model, but I'm guessing yours is one of the good ones from days of yore.

Sounds as if the brand has gone the way of Schrade--same name, cheap c**p made in China.

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Oh well, what the hell.