All About Pocket Knives

had to swallow my pride and buy a Chinese made Marble folding hunter. I have to say it seems to be pretty darn good. It has really nice fitting jig bone handles. That makes two I own, I already bought a jumbo trapper a few years back that has the same quality bone and they both have a nice zippered pouch. I guess what attracted me to them is the price and appearance. I paid about $20 for each of them. I'm not sure of the steel cause I haven't used either one yet. But they look as good or better than most USA made knives. Probably will never be a collectable however, I still like the made in the usa stamp on my knives. Terry

I bought an e-toe made up very similar to your knife here a few years back. It looks very nice, quite similar to yours as far as handle material, fit and finish, etc. Like you I have never put it to work and doubt seriously I ever will, so I can't attest to it's durability. I found it to be very similar to some Colt brand knives I have, and suspect they may well come from the same factory.

In my opinion (very slim on experience) the Marbles are second only to the Colts in quality for the Pacific Rim made knives. I carried a Marbles doctors knife until TSA stole it. Worked very well for me.

Jerryd and Philco, thanks for the comments, sorry for the terrible photo's, I took them is am in the bright Ne. sunlight but in the shade. They got kind of "washed out". I also carry a Robt. Klass Kissing Crane trapper, it doesn't say a word about Germany, just Rostfrie and stainless, so I know it is an import but not bad quality. The only thing wrong with it is I dropped it on my shop floor and the shield fell off, but a little super glue and it's as good as when it got on the boat from the Pacific Rim! It's my trial knife and so far so good. Nice yellow delrin type scales. Terry

Terry - I have one Chinese Marbles knife. Mine has good fit and finish also. One thing I find interesting is that the stag jigging on mine, and on yours also I think, is not just similar on each cover, but an identical carving on each side.

philco wrote:I bought an e-toe made up very similar to your knife here a few years back. It looks very nice, quite similar to yours as far as handle material, fit and finish, etc. Like you I have never put it to work and doubt seriously I ever will, so I can't attest to it's durability. I found it to be very similar to some Colt brand knives I have, and suspect they may well come from the same factory.

Phil - I have wondered about the Chinese factory situation. Like you say some of the knives by different companies look a lot alike. I figure it is like Bulldog and Fight'n Rooster both made in the same place by the same people. Or maybe like in America where, if I understand correctly, various companies like Camillus and Schrade used to sub out orders to each other when things were busy.

I used a Rough Rider Jumbo Trapper to field dress a nice Whitetail buck a few years back. It was the slickest easiest field dress i ever did. From start to finish just had to touch the tissues with the blade edge and a clean cut appeared, no force needed. Would still shave my arm hair even after amputating all 4 lower limbs.
kj

So what happened to Marbles being made in the US? Are all the new ones being made in China now?

I'm about 99% sure they all are, fixed blade and folders. I have a couple of fixed blades from the turn of the millennia that were made in Gladstone but I think they were the last of the line made in the U.S. Sad, isn't it?

My Marbles, hope I don't lose'em

I got a Nice Rams Horn Stockman!

Carried it and it really nice!

Kloe's human wrote:So what happened to Marbles being made in the US? Are all the new ones being made in China now?

I think there are a few hatchets, one made in Canada, and I think they might have some made in El Salvador, but that's probably all that's not made in China.

Mel - I'm pretty sure the Chinese knife factories are just like all the rest of the Chinese manufacturing plants in other industries - they are typically not owned by the brand - they are contract factories that will make for anyone with a set of specs. They might have some in-house designers and "stock" products that they can put anyone's logo on, or the customer might start with a stock design and ask for changes and tweaks, or the in-house designers might create entirely new products for a customer, or the customer might come to the factory with a complete set of specs and the factory just builds to those specs. All are possible and common in the industries I know about.

It is also not unusual for a successful contract manufacturer to eventually decide they have the chops to sell products under their own brand name. That's risky because now they are competing against their own customers, and there is a big difference in the cost of support between being a contract manufacturer and actually doing wholesale or retail sales.

It is really hard to tell what brands are just importers, which are designers & importers, and which actually own designs and the factories.

At the end of the day, I'm not sure it matters anymore. I think we just have to evaluate the products for what they are - regardless of how they were produced or who produced them.

TwoFlowersLuggage wrote:Mel - I'm pretty sure the Chinese knife factories are just like all the rest of the Chinese manufacturing plants in other industries - they are typically not owned by the brand - they are contract factories that will make for anyone with a set of specs. They might have some in-house designers and "stock" products that they can put anyone's logo on, or the customer might start with a stock design and ask for changes and tweaks, or the in-house designers might create entirely new products for a customer, or the customer might come to the factory with a complete set of specs and the factory just builds to those specs. All are possible and common in the industries I know about.

It is also not unusual for a successful contract manufacturer to eventually decide they have the chops to sell products under their own brand name. That's risky because now they are competing against their own customers, and there is a big difference in the cost of support between being a contract manufacturer and actually doing wholesale or retail sales.

It is really hard to tell what brands are just importers, which are designers & importers, and which actually own designs and the factories.

At the end of the day, I'm not sure it matters anymore. I think we just have to evaluate the products for what they are - regardless of how they were produced or who produced them.

As a consumer, the risk you run here is the Brand decides to switch vendors (for what ever reason) and the new vendor doesn't make the product as well as the old vendor. It's all a crap shoot.

Yup - that happens, and the real cause is that the importer didn't care enough to ensure the new manufacturer was producing acceptable quality products. When Jim Frost buys a good brand name and then puts that name on cheap junk from Pakistan, I don't blame the factory in Pakistan - I blame the guy in Tennessee that ordered them to make the cheap junk!

jerryd6818 wrote:

TwoFlowersLuggage wrote:Mel - I'm pretty sure the Chinese knife factories are just like all the rest of the Chinese manufacturing plants in other industries - they are typically not owned by the brand - they are contract factories that will make for anyone with a set of specs. They might have some in-house designers and "stock" products that they can put anyone's logo on, or the customer might start with a stock design and ask for changes and tweaks, or the in-house designers might create entirely new products for a customer, or the customer might come to the factory with a complete set of specs and the factory just builds to those specs. All are possible and common in the industries I know about.

It is also not unusual for a successful contract manufacturer to eventually decide they have the chops to sell products under their own brand name. That's risky because now they are competing against their own customers, and there is a big difference in the cost of support between being a contract manufacturer and actually doing wholesale or retail sales.

It is really hard to tell what brands are just importers, which are designers & importers, and which actually own designs and the factories.

At the end of the day, I'm not sure it matters anymore. I think we just have to evaluate the products for what they are - regardless of how they were produced or who produced them.

As a consumer, the risk you run here is the Brand decides to switch vendors (for what ever reason) and the new vendor doesn't make the product as well as the old vendor. It's all a crap shoot.

I did not notice that this thread had been reactivated and that TFL had responded to something that I posted, albeit with a two year time lapse. Regarding the shift of vendors and varying product quality: I recall Sears Craftsman tools being the subject of exactly the same discussion back in the 1970s. One time you might get a tool made by a top quality maker, but next time the same tool could come from a distinctly inferior manufacturer.

It would be interesting to see what companies actually own the factories where their knives are made. I never thought much about that until I joined this forum. Now, it seem a bit odd that a brand with the recognition of Fightn' Rooster or Bulldog, or Rough Rider, can be created by making orders to overseas factories and good marketing. But! I felt pretty much the way about Craftsman when I learned that Sears really did not own a whole slew of factories making all the stuff they sold as Craftsman.

I got a new Marbles Stockman and it nice!

Marbles knives are good. I love the cuttin horse they have. Sowbelly stockman’s are already my favorite, but a cuttin horse is the absolute best. I only see Marbles and Hen and Rooster making these lately.
Every Marbles knife I have owned was worth every penny I paid for it. But my favorites are all made in the USA. I am still collecting USA Marble’s slip joints if you know anyone who has any the don’t want any more.
Mark

When Marbles went bankrupt in 2009 I ordered several knives like folding hunters and trappers that were China produced. I was surprised by the fit, finish, edge and price. Quality control was good. It would never replace US made Marbles, but I enjoy using them and not worrying about abusing them.

What do y'all think of the newer marbles mr109 swing guard, Case cheetah clone, is it safe/worth the $20? Appreciate all options. Thanks. Butch

Just got this Marble's Cattle Knife. Nice fit and finish.

My latest Marbles , I reckon it makes a full set of this series.

bighomer wrote: ↑Tue Nov 03, 2020 12:03 am My latest Marbles , I reckon it makes a full set of this series. ::shrug::20201102_165932.jpg

Nice set.

I think the Chinese made Marbles are among the best value for your money. All very nice.

Thanks fellers.