Went to an estate sale last week and picked up a few knives and some tools for good prices. Passed on a knife and decided to go back the next day for it. Unfortunately it had been sold so I started looking around for other stuff.
Found a battery charger(which I had been pricing since mine gave up the ghost)and some more tools and in with the tools was an old knife. Something looked familiar about and as I examined it I could make out a bit of the tang stamp(actually the blade stamp.It was a Marbles!
Getting it home I did a very careful cleaning of the rust on the blade using a #2 lead pencil(takes off rust without removing blade material)and some Marvel Mystery Oil.A little polish on the wood handle and I was already to go.
Checked the listing in a reproduction Marbles catalog and found the listing:a Model 81 fish knife. Made for only a year or two circa 1907.Missing a little shield on the side with a fish image on it.
Showed it to a friend of mine who collects Marbles gear(they made all types of sporting goods from about 1899 to 1950) and he looked it up in his book.One in mint condition(mine is a LONG way from being mint)sells for $1200-$1500! He then offered me $100 for it on the spot!
I didn't really want to sell it anyway and told him if I did I would let him know. I posted some pictures of it on another knife site and one of the members messaged me and offered me THREE HUNDRED DOLLARS for it!
Now I am in a quandary:do I sell it or keep it? I can always use the money(heck who can't?) but I like the knife and don't often sell anything.Another friend(whom I consider a virtual walking encyclopaedia of knives)told me that if it had the shield on the side it would likely sell for around $600.00!
Not too bad considering I only paid SEVENTY-FIVE CENTS for the knife! Here is a pic of the knife sitting on a Marbles catalog.
Donations
Community Links
