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Marble’s
is one of the better known names associated with hunting tales
of years past. Stories of hunting camps and woodsmanship,
of campfires and wool caps, and of iron sights and meat poles
that were the glory days of hunting. Those were the days when
the hunt was as much about the camaraderie of the hunters
as it was about meat and trophies. In those days of the early
twentieth century, the name of Webster Marble was well
known around the hunting camp. Marble’s did back then, as they
still do today, manufacture some of the finest quality practical
rifle sights available, along with other products for the
well-equipped hunter.
Beginning around
the year 1900, Webster Marble designed and manufactured some of
the most practical and useful knives available to the hunters of
that era. For many years the Marble’s name stood for quality
cutlery for the outdoorsman, but sadly were discontinued in the
1970s. These knives were made from quality materials by real
craftsmen, and are now both legendary and very collectable.
A few years ago,
Marble’s resurrected the great designs of their company
founder and began producing their knives from superior materials
on modern CNC machinery. Along with the classic fixed blade
designs, they have also began producing a lock-blade folder of
unique design.
Starting with the
folding knife, which Marble’s calls the Hunting Safety
Folding Knife, we will look at three of their most popular
designs.
The Hunting Safety
Folding Knife has a positive lockup with a release like none
other. The four inch blade is of a useful design and
manufactured of stainless steel with a durable synthetic handle
material, but the unique feature of this knife is the lock
release. The release is of a design that is virtually impossible
to accidentally release, requiring the user to grasp the release
with the thumb and forefinger while rotating the mechanism to
release the blade. After a couple of practice tries, it becomes
quick and natural to rotate the release and close the blade. The
version tested has an overall extended length of 8 ľ inches and
is light enough for pocket carry, but comes with a black cordura
sheath.
Moving to the
fixed blade knives, we now will look at two of the best and most
practical designs available for the hunter. These knives have
classic Marble’s blade designs that are ideal for skinning,
scraping, and butchering of large game animals.
The Fieldcraft
knife has a fixed blade of three and three-quarters inches and
wears a synthetic grip material that Marble’s calls their Safe
Grip. This is a durable black material that offers a positive
and comfortable non-slip grip, and is quite possibly the best
skinning knife on the market. All of Marble’s fixed blade
knives are made from a high carbon steel for superior
cutting and edge-holding qualities, and have a variety of handle
materials available, but the Safe Grip is probably the most
practical choice, and comes supplied with a quality cordura
sheath. That being said, we will now look at my personal
favorite of the Marble designs: the Woodcraft.
The Woodcraft is
the knife that comes to mind when someone mentions a Marble’s
knife. It is the classic Webster Marble design, combining a
perfect blade with the classic stacked leather handle. The
Woodcraft blade has a swept design with a generous belly for
natural handling qualities, and has a built-in match striker on
the back of the blade that is a perfect place for the thumb. The
Woodcraft with the leather handle is both practical and
beautiful. It comes supplied with a leather sheath that offers
complete coverage for the blade and handle, along with a
synthetic liner to protect the leather from the sharp blade, and
the blade from the corrosive effects of the leather. While the
Woodcraft is also available with the other handle materials, the
stacked leather just looks and feels so right on this knife.
The steel that
Marble’s uses on these classic designs has the superior
qualities that one really needs on a knife that is to be used by
a hunter. These blades are made for cutting and skinning, hold
an edge better than most competitive brands, and are easily
resharpened when needed.
While there are
admittedly many knives on the market that will remove the skin
from a whitetail and cut meat into small pieces, there is
something very satisfying about using a quality knife of classic
design. The carbon steel blade and leather sheath and handle add
an element of nostalgia to the hunt, much like using a classic
lever action or falling block rifle. These knives are, while
offering superior edge qualities, a kind of connection to the
hunting camps of years past. Maybe this is why, of the three
knives reviewed here, the leather-handled Woodcraft is my
favorite. All three are finely crafted from superior materials.
The Hunting Safety Folding Knife is the handiest, the Safe Grip
on the Fieldcraft is the most practical, but the Woodcraft with
the leather handle is the most enjoyable; even to just hold in
the hand and look at.
There is something
really special about these Marble’s knives that exceeds the
sum of their parts. They are not only fine tools, but carry an
intangible pride-of-ownership quality that is sorely
missing in today’s world.
Check out the
extensive line of Marble’s products online at: www.marblearms.com
Jeff Quinn
  
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Click pictures for a larger version.

Marble's, one of the most respected names in sights and
hunting gear, is once again making fine-quality knives.

Marble's knives tested by the author include (top to
bottom): the Hunting Safety Folding Knife, the Fieldcraft
knife, and the Woodcraft knife.


The array of knives tested cover a broad range of field
& hunting applications, exhibiting quality design,
materials & craftsmanship throughout.



The Hunting Safety Folding Knife will appeal to many
users, and is easy to carry either in a pocket or in the
supplied Cordura sheath. This lightweight knife features a
4" Stainless blade, one-handed opening and a unique (and
very safe) unlocking mechanism.


The Fieldcraft knife features Marble's "Safe
Grip" synthetic handle, Cordura sheath, and a very
well-designed high-carbon steel skinning blade. Jeff considers
this to be one of the best skinning knives currently
available.




Author's favorite among the knives tested was the
Woodcraft knife. Featuring a high-carbon swept blade with a
generous belly (much like the Quinn boys!), a full leather
sheath and a classic stacked leather handle, the Woodcraft is
the knife that comes to mind when someone mentions a Marble's
knife. For camping, hunting, skinning, or just plain admiring,
the Marble's Woodcraft knife has few equals.
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