Dave Shirley Marbles

Webster Marble formed Gladstone Mfg. Co. in 1892. That company created the first folding Axe in 1893 which lead to the incorporation of Marble's Safety Axe Co. in 1898. The company became Marble Arms & Mfg. Co. in 1911 & enjoyed years of success until succumbing to a shut down of production in 1974. The brand was brought back to life in 1994 & enjoyed a grand rejuvenation that later gave way to another shutdown in 2009. Many great knives & tools were crafted over the company's storied history.
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1967redrider
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Re: Dave Shirley Marbles

Post by 1967redrider »

herbva wrote: Fri Dec 11, 2020 5:04 pm .

Check out this thread, Herb. ::tu::
Pocket, fixed, machete, axe, it's all good!

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Re: Dave Shirley Marbles

Post by robcelani »

First post on AAPK although I've been a member for a while. I tend to read a lot and post a little on the different knife forums.

Here’s a couple Marbles MSA folders from 2002. They are both Doctors knives, one in Stag and one in Mastadon. By the way, why did Doctors need their own special knives?


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One interesting note about these. I bought 18 MSA knives total. The only one that had paperwork was the 2002 Stag Doctors knife. I am one of those people that really digs that kind of thing. I've always tried to keep the knives I collect as original as possible including keeping boxes, sheaths, pouches, papers, etc.

I saw a Marbles MSA Easy Open Teardrop Jack for sale on EBay maybe a year ago. That got me interested in the knives. Finding a large group was really cool. Some of the 2001 models I purchased were sold to me as groups of 6 together. The group included a Stockman, Teardrop EO Jack, English Jack, Congress, Doctor and Whittler. I assume those groups were sold together but I don't know that for sure.
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Re: Dave Shirley Marbles

Post by Sharpnshinyknives »

Very nice Rob. I think Dr. knives may have something to do w/ them also serving as their own pharmacists, thus the pill crusher on the end and the spatula could be used to measure powders.
I saw several sets of six Marbles on the Cutting Edge over the last few months. I noticed that all had sold except the imitation tortoise shell handled ones. Would yours have come from there by chance?
I enjoy hunting down the ones I don’t have and just biding my time until I see them come up for sale. I get as excited as a kid at Christmas.
These along with my Rigid by Canal Street knives are some of my favorite USA made knives.
SSk Mark “Freedom is never more than one generation away from extinction. We didn't pass it to our children in the bloodstream. It must be fought for, protected, and handed on for them to do the same.” Ronald Reagan
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Re: Dave Shirley Marbles

Post by Quick Steel »

The base of the knife is square so that it could be used to crush a pill turning it into a powder. Then the spatula blade could be used to place a part or all of the powder into an envelope. The sharp blade could be used to cut a pill in two.
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Re: Dave Shirley Marbles

Post by 1967redrider »

This is a great thread of newer traditional knives. Thanks for the information Kennedy Knives, (Will) stagman, Sharpnshiny and GardenGram. ::tu:: ::tu::
Pocket, fixed, machete, axe, it's all good!

You're going to look awfully silly with that knife sticking out of your @#$. -Clint Eastwood, High Plains Drifter
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Re: Dave Shirley Marbles

Post by 1967redrider »

stagman wrote: Tue Mar 10, 2020 4:38 pm He was pesky at times but always straight forward and honest...it was during his
time in Okemos Mich when he founded Bowie Corp knives I had contact with him..
Dave was also the Founder of Northwoods Knives...as well as working with
Mike Stewart of Bark River knives when he was the president at Marble's (before Bark River)
and...doing work for the Marble's Custom Shoppe LLC
He also gave a lot of info & pics to Arni when he was writing his Ency. of Marble's sporting collectibles
I used to talk every year with famed Michigan sheath maker Jack Mosher every year at the WKCC show in Novi, Mi
He told me when Dave moved up to the UP him and Mike Stewart were jawing and that is how the name Northwoods came about
Them were shinning knife time's for me back 1996-2002...and all eye to eye in person yacking, no internet !!!
Bet I sold better than 400 Marble's knives on my Clear Creek Knives store I had on AAPK for 13 1/2 years !!!
And we ALL got one man too thank for that...Mr Bryan...founder of AAPK

Stag

Will, do you know if Dave Shirley came up with the Northwoods blade spline stamping from the Chris Wolf/Jess Crouch single blade utility folders made years ago? I always thought they looked very similar in style. ::nod::
Pocket, fixed, machete, axe, it's all good!

You're going to look awfully silly with that knife sticking out of your @#$. -Clint Eastwood, High Plains Drifter
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Re: Dave Shirley Marbles

Post by robcelani »

Sharpnshinyknives wrote: Mon Jan 11, 2021 10:11 pm Very nice Rob. I think Dr. knives may have something to do w/ them also serving as their own pharmacists, thus the pill crusher on the end and the spatula could be used to measure powders.
I saw several sets of six Marbles on the Cutting Edge over the last few months. I noticed that all had sold except the imitation tortoise shell handled ones. Would yours have come from there by chance?
I enjoy hunting down the ones I don’t have and just biding my time until I see them come up for sale. I get as excited as a kid at Christmas.
These along with my Rigid by Canal Street knives are some of my favorite USA made knives.
Thanks Mark. I bought a Stag set of 6 from 2001 and a White Micarta set of 6 from 2001 on Cutting Edge. I'm not big on acrylic handle material so not really interested in the tortoise shell. I was searching for the Teardrop Easy Open version for a while. Finding this thread helped me narrow the year down to 2001. I stumbled on the Cutting Edge site in a google search and decided to make some offers. Worked out good for me.

I have several Dave Shirley knives and enjoy them all. I read different stories about how much his shop was actually involved in the production of these MSA knives as well as the Scagels and Northwoods. The version that makes sense to me is he provided handle material to Queen who used it to make his knives. Dave then had a crew that finished them in his shop.

My question is how finished were they when delivered from Queen? Was there an actual Gladstone MI hand involved in the finished product?
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Re: Dave Shirley Marbles

Post by kennedy knives »

robcelani wrote: Wed Jan 13, 2021 10:29 pm
Sharpnshinyknives wrote: Mon Jan 11, 2021 10:11 pm Very nice Rob. I think Dr. knives may have something to do w/ them also serving as their own pharmacists, thus the pill crusher on the end and the spatula could be used to measure powders.
I saw several sets of six Marbles on the Cutting Edge over the last few months. I noticed that all had sold except the imitation tortoise shell handled ones. Would yours have come from there by chance?
I enjoy hunting down the ones I don’t have and just biding my time until I see them come up for sale. I get as excited as a kid at Christmas.
These along with my Rigid by Canal Street knives are some of my favorite USA made knives.
Thanks Mark. I bought a Stag set of 6 from 2001 and a White Micarta set of 6 from 2001 on Cutting Edge. I'm not big on acrylic handle material so not really interested in the tortoise shell. I was searching for the Teardrop Easy Open version for a while. Finding this thread helped me narrow the year down to 2001. I stumbled on the Cutting Edge site in a google search and decided to make some offers. Worked out good for me.

I have several Dave Shirley knives and enjoy them all. I read different stories about how much his shop was actually involved in the production of these MSA knives as well as the Scagels and Northwoods. The version that makes sense to me is he provided handle material to Queen who used it to make his knives. Dave then had a crew that finished them in his shop.

My question is how finished were they when delivered from Queen? Was there an actual Gladstone MI hand involved in the finished product?
Post some pictures ::handshake::
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Re: Dave Shirley Marbles

Post by robcelani »

Ok, here’s a few. I haven’t decided for sure which of these I’m keeping and which I’m selling yet.

I think these 4 along with the 2 Dr knives I posted prior were all from the same owner. Since I bought them from the consignment site I didn’t talk to the original owner however he left notes on all the boxes. Some were just the name, handle material, production year and a price. I don’t know if that’s what he paid or maybe what he was asking? Some of the notes had comments about production #’s. I showed pictures of those.



2001 English Jack, Stag - The box says they made 252 in Stag. That’s different from the earlier post about 400 if I remember right.
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2001 Electrician’s Knife, Ivory Micarta - I haven’t seen one of these posted in the thread yet. The box says 1 of 137.
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2002 Small Trapper, Smooth White Bone
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2002 Linerlock, Red Stag - Box says only 9 made in Red Stag.
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Re: Dave Shirley Marbles

Post by kennedy knives »

Nice Robcelani Keep them coming . I will try to post some tomorrow ::handshake::
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Re: Dave Shirley Marbles

Post by kennedy knives »

Looking for Dave Shirley Marbles
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Re: Dave Shirley Marbles

Post by Quick Steel »

Holy Smokes Gary. What a fine collection.
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Re: Dave Shirley Marbles

Post by kennedy knives »

Quick Steel wrote: Mon Jan 18, 2021 3:50 pm Holy Smokes Gary. What a fine collection.
Thanks Garry looking for more :D :D if you look on ebay there is no good ones all China ::td:: ::td:: ::handshake::
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Re: Dave Shirley Marbles

Post by Sharpnshinyknives »

Very nice Gary. I check for these Marbles every day on Ebay and you are right there are none to be had.
Such a fine looking group, the stag on all of those is very nice.
SSk Mark “Freedom is never more than one generation away from extinction. We didn't pass it to our children in the bloodstream. It must be fought for, protected, and handed on for them to do the same.” Ronald Reagan
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Re: Dave Shirley Marbles

Post by kennedy knives »

Sharpnshinyknives wrote: Mon Jan 18, 2021 5:00 pm Very nice Gary. I check for these Marbles every day on Ebay and you are right there are none to be had.
Such a fine looking group, the stag on all of those is very nice.
Thanks Mark I guess everyone is hiding them or got them stashed away in the safe ::handshake::
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Re: Dave Shirley Marbles

Post by doglegg »

Quick Steel wrote: Mon Jan 18, 2021 3:50 pm Holy Smokes Gary. What a fine collection.
I agree totally. Wonderful group. ::tu:: ::tu::
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Re: Dave Shirley Marbles

Post by robcelani »

Here’s a sales brochure I bought recently that shows production information and pictures from 2001. Sorry for the sideways picture. I tried loading it twice and for some reason it ends up sideways.
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Re: Dave Shirley Marbles

Post by stagman »

Red, I do not know about them Crouch folders, he knew a lot of knife
guys so I reckon he could have talked to them.... ::shrug::

Gary, what a fine collection you got going there, and,
that Trailcraft on the left with the dark etched Marble's for
the stamp, "Transition" model as they were getting rid of the Gladstone stamp
and going to the Banner stamp in 2002...but, yours was made with the
52/100 steel just the way they made all the fixed blades from 1998-2001

Stag
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Re: Dave Shirley Marbles

Post by kennedy knives »

stagman wrote: Wed Mar 17, 2021 5:18 am Red, I do not know about them Crouch folders, he knew a lot of knife
guys so I reckon he could have talked to them.... ::shrug::

Gary, what a fine collection you got going there, and,
that Trailcraft on the left with the dark etched Marble's for
the stamp, "Transition" model as they were getting rid of the Gladstone stamp
and going to the Banner stamp in 2002...but, yours was made with the
52/100 steel just the way they made all the fixed blades from 1998-2001

Stag
Thanks for the info I have a few more I will post later with a letter or business card i found ::handshake::
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Re: Dave Shirley Marbles

Post by Sharpnshinyknives »

I was in the right place at the right time on this one. This is my second EO Jack. My first one has blue pin feather jigged bone. This one is red bone stag. Just lovely.
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SSk Mark “Freedom is never more than one generation away from extinction. We didn't pass it to our children in the bloodstream. It must be fought for, protected, and handed on for them to do the same.” Ronald Reagan
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Re: Dave Shirley Marbles

Post by Madmarco »

Sharpnshinyknives wrote: Sun Apr 11, 2021 7:56 pm I was in the right place at the right time on this one. This is my second EO Jack. My first one has blue pin feather jigged bone. This one is red bone stag. Just lovely.
Nice!!! 8)
8)
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Re: Dave Shirley Marbles

Post by kennedy knives »

Sharpnshinyknives wrote: Sun Apr 11, 2021 7:56 pm I was in the right place at the right time on this one. This is my second EO Jack. My first one has blue pin feather jigged bone. This one is red bone stag. Just lovely.
Now that's a Keeper ::handshake:: ::handshake:: ::handshake::
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Re: Dave Shirley Marbles

Post by Sharpnshinyknives »

Bought this Marbles from Rob Celani last week. Love the stag on this one, especially the front cover.
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Re: Dave Shirley Marbles

Post by doglegg »

It is both beautiful and impressive. Great pick up. ::nod:: ::nod::
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Re: Dave Shirley Marbles

Post by Sharpnshinyknives »

Thanks Doglegg.
Another one arrived today. Found this one on Ebay last week. No box, which is a drag but I couldn’t pass up this beauty. I thought I already had this one, but I have the EO Jack in red bone stag, just like it. I have a hard time passing these up, what great knives Dave Shirley made.
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SSk Mark “Freedom is never more than one generation away from extinction. We didn't pass it to our children in the bloodstream. It must be fought for, protected, and handed on for them to do the same.” Ronald Reagan
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