The Story Behind America’s First Hunting Knife

[hawgrider]

The history of Marble’s knives and their impact on outdoor cutlery for the last 120 years


In the years after the Civil War, “hunting” knives tended to follow one of three patterns—heavy-duty folders, traditional Bowie knives, and small utilitarian butchering type blades. Outdoor writers of the period all ridiculed the Bowies as being strictly, “Billy the Kid, dime-novel fantasies.” As for the butcher knives and the folders, they got the job done, but they didn’t have much flash. Then came Webster Marble.

Marble almost singlehandedly turned the hunting knife into a must-have piece of outdoor gear for the well-turned-out sportsman. This started in 1899 with the Ideal model, which was available in a variety of blade lengths from 4 to 8 inches. While stag slabs were available at extra cost, most were handled in a feature pioneered by Marble—stacked leather washers. All had clip-point blades and a deeply-fullered edge grind (not a blood groove). Originally, the deep fuller was intended to allow the blade to be laid flat on a hone and sharpened something like a straight razor. Of course, the safety razor was soon to make the old cut-throats obsolete,

https://www.fieldandstream.com/story-behind-americas-first-hunting-knife/

[shootbrownelk]

Marble made lots of goodies for sportspeople since the Jurassic period.

[hawgrider]

Marble made lots of goodies for sportspeople since the Jurassic period.

I have an old Marbles that was in my dads stuff.

[shootbrownelk]

Marbles did make tang mounted peep sights for Marlin and Winchester lever action rifles. don't know if they still do. There are new Marbles knives for sale at our local gun shows. I'm always on the lookout for a tang mounted peep sight for my 1890 Winchester pump....that is reasonable in price.

[rice paddy daddy]

I wish I had an original Marbles Ideal. When I was a kid, that was about the only fixed blade knife around.
Carbon steel blade.

Marbles is still around, but like most everything else, they are made off shore now. Smoky Mountain Knife Works carries the brand. www.smkw.com/brands/marbles
They range in price from $12.95 to almost $700 for an original Marbles Ideal from the 1950's. They list about 300 knives, I have several.

One of my favorite daily carries is the Marbles Cowboy Knife. It is made in China, but the steel is excellent and it is a well made knife. www.smkw.com/marbles-cowboy-knife I put mine in a better, all leather sheath, though.

[rice paddy daddy]

There's some beautiful blades in that story, Hawg.
I've got an original WWII US Navy MkII Ka-Bar with scabbard just like the picture. I found it in sad shape at a local gun store. The owner liked me, so I got it for $35 - the scabbard alone is worth that.
My other Ka-Bar is a commercial model from the early 2000's.

The last knife in the article, the Pilots Survival Knife, I have a current USGI issue made by Ontario Knife Co. I also got that from Smoky Mountain. (I spend a good bit of money there every year)

Six guns, lever action rifles, and sheath knifes. It don't get any more American than that!

[Big Ken]

Many years ago my dad went to Gladstone Michigan to the Marbles Knife Company and bought two knives, one for me and the other for him, he had to go early in the year because they had a limit on how many stag knives they can make a year, once they meet that number their done making stag until the next year, the one he gave me was a little bigger than his, as you can see mine is as new, never been in the sheath, never been carried or messed with, I know some would say why have it if it's never going to be used, well for one it's from my dad and I have many many others and I'm happy I've kept it this way, even more now, I'm not not sure what happened to his as I cannot find it, he may have sold or given it away, I'll never know.

Oh, this is very large, 7in blade and the handle fills my hand.

944894499450

[hawgrider]

Wow nice one right there! Them pony's are sweet too!

[MI.oldguy]

Doggone it Hawg,I saw the thread here and darn near thought you were the effing Tourist!.:bounce:

[hawgrider]

Doggone it Hawg,I saw the thread here and darn near thought you were the effing Tourist!.:bounce:

OK that's funny right there I don't care who you are!

[Rich1028]

Great post!
Learned something...

sad to see another Michigan company go

[Mister Mills]

9466

A WWII Navy issue MK-II Ka-Bar. The knife was basically a heavily militarized version of the Marble’s Ideal. Millions and millions of these knives have gone to war for the past 75-plus years.Steven Dick

The article said that the KBar knife was styled after a Marble. I had a couple of Cammilus-knife KBars.
Really good steel, and make-up, they were as solid as a rock; and if the Marble was as good as them, it is/was an excellent knife.
And I have every assurance in my mind, that they are as good as any KBar.

The knife pictured is a Marble, it was a Navy knife form WWII. It is high praise to say that style came from Marble, because they are still being made and carried by troops.



PS: I have seen some Vietnam-era Kabar's and Navy knives at flea markets; and the sellers must have been on dope; with prices as high as $75 or more.
Why? I can buy a brand-new one Marine or Navy or AF pattern knife. I am odd, on some things, I like traditional; but on others, I can go modern.:soapbox:

I know this much, I ain't gettin' suckered on some worn out Vietnam-era knife. Not when I can get 2 Navy or Kabar, for what some guy is charging for 1.
That is my cheap-skate side speaking out.:soapbox:

[StratBastard]

9466


The article said that the KBar knife was styled after a Marble. I had a couple of Cammilus-knife KBars.
Really good steel, and make-up, they were as solid as a rock; and if the Marble was as good as them, it is/was an excellent knife.
And I have every assurance in my mind, that they are as good as any KBar.

The knife pictured is a Marble, it was a Navy knife form WWII. It is high praise to say that style came from Marble, because they are still being made and carried by troops.



PS: I have seen some Vietnam-era Kabar's and Navy knives at flea markets; and the sellers must have been on dope; with prices as high as $75 or more.
Why? I can buy a brand-new one Marine or Navy or AF pattern knife. I am odd, on some things, I like traditional; but on others, I can go modern.:soapbox:

I know this much, I ain't gettin' suckered on some worn out Vietnam-era knife. Not when I can get 2 Navy or Kabar, for what some guy is charging for 1.
That is my cheap-skate side speaking out.:soapbox:

I have a great Ka-Bar, it's my camping knife. Always does the job, good steel, tough construction. I used to be in the collectable knife biz, going most weekends to gun and knife shows. Those Viet Nam era knives have a collector value over and above the price of a new one... the collector market can really drive prices. If you're going to USE one, rather than have it in a collection, a new one is definitely the way to go. As far as I can see, they're still making them tough today.

[Mister Mills]

I have a great Ka-Bar, it's my camping knife. Always does the job, good steel, tough construction. I used to be in the collectable knife biz, going most weekends to gun and knife shows. Those Viet Nam era knives have a collector value over and above the price of a new one... the collector market can really drive prices. If you're going to USE one, rather than have it in a collection, a new one is definitely the way to go. As far as I can see, they're still making them tough today.

When I picked the knife up, in its blister pack I was sold, on the spot. That was at Camp Dawson WV. The knife was built like a tank, and solid black; and when I opened up the package, the knife was sharp, with excellent steel. [I knew of KBar by rep, but I did not know a thing about Cammilus, the maker of that one. I learned later that they were a contractor with the US Govt and the Marines.]

My unit was part-time SF, and the guys really loved to go high speed; and low drag. One of the Airborne qualified guys [maroon beret] wore Rolex watches; and he lost one when he crash landed in a swamp, on a para jump. Not me baby, I love Casio and Timex, because I want something that can take a real dose of Hell, if need be. Classy stuff tends to keep selling, over the generations. [ They loved the Gerber Gator there, and I had one myself; but it was like sitting on a rock, when I carried it in my back pocket.]

I am cheap, did I mention that? The watch that I am wearing right now, is a carabiner-style, with a busted crystal, that I got at a flea market. I bought a battery for it, and put package tape on the crystal, to hold it together, and Shazam! I have a working watch. I kinda like that style of timepiece myself, and I could give a pile of horse dung, what anybody thinks about its looks.

[StratBastard]

When I picked the knife up, in its blister pack I was sold, on the spot. That was at Camp Dawson WV. The knife was built like a tank, and solid black; and when I opened up the package, the knife was sharp, with excellent steel. [I knew of KBar by rep, but I did not know a thing about Cammilus, the maker of that one. I learned later that they were a contractor with the US Govt and the Marines.]

My unit was part-time SF, and the guys really loved to go high speed; and low drag. One of the Airborne qualified guys [maroon beret] wore Rolex watches; and he lost one when he crash landed in a swamp, on a para jump. Not me baby, I love Casio and Timex, because I want something that can take a real dose of Hell, if need be. Classy stuff tends to keep selling, over the generations. [ They loved the Gerber Gator there, and I had one myself; but it was like sitting on a rock, when I carried it in my back pocket.]

I am cheap, did I mention that? The watch that I am wearing right now, is a carabiner-style, with a busted crystal, that I got at a flea market. I bought a battery for it, and put package tape on the crystal, to hold it together, and Shazam! I have a working watch. I kinda like that style of timepiece myself, and I could give a pile of horse dung, what anybody thinks about its looks.

Here's an oddball Camillus: the MC-1 Paratrooper. Issued as a shroud cutter in the Viet Nam era. Not their best knife, and strangely enough the blade was spring loaded instead of the emergency shroud cutter.

9485

[Mister Mills]

Here's an oddball Camillus: the MC-1 Paratrooper. Issued as a shroud cutter in the Viet Nam era. Not their best knife, and strangely enough the blade was spring loaded instead of the emergency shroud cutter.

9485

That hook blade is easy to figure out, it would grab the canopy lines pretty well; and the blade is a GP design, for slicing anything. I guess that it what they were aiming for, plus it is a switchblade from the sounds of it.

I have a funny story about switchblades, a WV State Trooper showed up at a drill, and was selling them from the trunk of his patrol car. At the time, they may have been illegal to own in WV; and when I brought that up, he gave me a "Don't worry about it." look. ....I have lived an odd life.
I have learned to roll with the punches though.:yessir: