Marble's Safety Axe No. 5 — Marble Arms & Mfg. Co., Gladstone, Michigan

A genuine Marble's Safety Axe, Model No. 5, stamped Marble Arms & Mfg. Co. / Gladstone, Mich. U.S.A. / Pat'd 1898 on the folding safety guard — the mark used by the company from 1911 onward. This model appears in period hardware catalogs (e.g. Honeyman Hardware Co., 1930s) as the "Wood Handle No. 5": hickory handle, 10½" length, solid steel blade 2⅜" x 4¾", 16 oz.

Webster Marble's safety axe, patented in 1898, was one of the most famous outdoor tools of its era, prized for the spring-loaded steel guard that folds up to enclose the blade for safe carry on a belt or in a pack. The head on this example is solidly set with no wobble, and the original hickory handle is tight and sound. The guard opens and closes with a good, positive snap and holds securely closed over the edge — no looseness in the hinge.

Solid steel head with an honest grey-black patina, original hickory handle showing appropriate age and handling wear, no cracks or replaced parts. Measures 11" overall.