Arrival

This is a vintage copy of the classic Marble's Woodcraft hunting knife, made in Solingen, Germany, and featuring a stag handle, brass guard, and nickle-silver pommel. No sheath, but sheaths for these old knives were usually of poor quality, anyway; the replacement I'll have made won't be.

In the first half of the 20th century the knives and other outdoor products made by Webster L. Marble's company were what American men carried in the woods, and they were the first real innovation to come along in nearly 100 years, US hunting knife design being stuck to that point on variations of the Bowie knife. The Marble's knife patterns remained popular throughout most of the 20th century, until the coming of knifemaker Bob Loveless and his handmade dropped point, tapered tang knives.

No less an authority than Horace Kephart advocated the Woodcraft pattern in his classic book Camping and Woodcraft.

This one was acquired on eBay for $50.

I should note that while the Marble's name still exists, the product line is knockoff crap made in China these days, and so not worth spending your money on. There was a period during the 1990's when the owners of the name hired Mike Stewart of Bark River Knives to make their knives, and for a few years the Marble's name again meant quality, but that period has ended.