Marble's Gladstone Knife

[cyphertext]

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?

 

[THE PILGRIM]

Marble Gladstones are neat knives!
Could you show us a picture of the knife and the sheath?

 

[jlrhiner]

Look like this one?

 

[cyphertext]

Here is a pic

 

[ExcitableBoy]

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.

 

[Flash_80]

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.

 

[30-30remchester]

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.

 

[KalamazooKid]

Awesome stories, love my Marbles collection. And, they don't make them anymore! [emoji853]


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[cyphertext]

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.

 

[30-30remchester]

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.

 

[THE PILGRIM]

Was puzzled by the handle.
Concur it's probably not factory.
A keeper Family Heirloom for sure!

 

[cyphertext]

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!

 

[Mule Packer]

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.

 

[Buford57]

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".

 

[cyphertext]

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?

 

[k22fan]

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.

 

[30-30remchester]

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.

 

[30-30remchester]

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.

 

[k22fan]

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.

 

[ExcitableBoy]

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!