Mil Spec Marlin Spike

This is exactly like the one I was issued in the Navy. This is a high quality knife made in Providence, RI and the American quality shows in the fit and finish. Simply an excellent knife!

It's a nice knife. Has a classic feel and look to it. The wheel design on the handle gives it a nice nautical theme. Seems well made. I don't see the infamous "Made IN China" anywhere on the product. Hopefully this is the real deal. Steel seems hard, should hold an edge and the spike seems durable and " to the point". Only shortfall is that the spike release seems a little under strength and has a wobble to it indicting a flaw in the design or manufacturing specs.

Had it for less than a year and the lock on the Spike bent out of place and no longer locks. Poor design?

While the knife is nice and solid its fit and finish is not as good as a Rough Rider or Schrade Marlin Spike knife. I'm not sure it is worth the added cost. These are the problemsI assumed that it was American made seeing how Colonial gives the Dept. of Defense Nat'l Stock No. (NSN) in the description. In no place either on Amazon, the company's web site or on the knife or its packaging does Colonial mention any location of manufacture. All markings lead you to believe it was made in Rhode Island, however I've seen numerous sources that say it is made in China and distributed by Colonial. I am aware that Colonial makes some knives in China but they also make a few knives in factories located in the US. I need some clarity on where this knife is beign made.Another problem is the blade steel. My blade is clearly stamped 440A Stainless, not 440C as the manufacturer's description states. 440A is a weaker steel and is comparable to the the blades on the Rough Rider and the Schrade. Even if the knife were made in China the harder 440C steel, may have made the cost of the knife acceptable. I know the weaker 440A is up to DOD standards but if Colonial is going to say 440C, then make it 440C!The finish is acceptable but the stainless pins are a tad long and as they are not rounded off, will have a tendency to catch in the pocket. The blades have a nice satin finish and stainless steel is used throughout. This is a plus as it hides finger prints. The bail works smoothly for holding and releasing the marlin spike. The main blade also opens and closes smoothly and has a really big thumb groove for easy grasping. The Delrin handles are Okay, however, at this price bone scales or better quality of plastic should have been used.All in all it is good knife but with the lack of 440C steel and the ambiguity in where it is manufactured, I'm hesitant to recommend it to others. The knives made by Rough Rider and Schrade have a better fit and finish and cost less. I'm willing to spend a little more for an American made knife, if I can verify that IT IS MADE IN AMERICA. I have no problem with the Global Market but I do want honesty in advertising. Colonial needs to be more up front as to where its knives are made and the steel used. If this is really an American made knife or if the steel had been 440C, I might give it an extra star.

Received my Colonial marlin and I'm very pleased with it.I'm on the water and feel confident that will get the job done.There are less expensive marlin spike on the market but i believe you get what you pay for and i believe the Colonial marlin spike is worth the money and should it fail-i doubt it-but the knife has a lifetime warranty-up side-I'm pleased-it's a lot of knife for the money-down side-none I give this 5 stars-

Prior to signing Articles to crew on the tall ship Hawaiian Chieftain, I had to gear up. After reading reviews on dozens of marlin spikes and knives equipped with marlin spikes, I opted for this. It has sailed with me several times and comes in very handy. This works well for a lot of the lighter ropes and should be fine for small craft. I did find it less useful for some of the larger ropes found on the "HC". I now have a bigger marlin spike for larger boats with larger ropes, but this still goes along.

I've owned several Marlin Spike knives with Sheep's Foot blade from different Mfg's and this one is pretty decent. One thing about this build is the lock for the Marlin Spike is not as secure as I'm used to. It's not a problem, I recommend locking the spike then forcing it back into stowed position a few times so you know 'exactly' how much pressure it can take. NOTE: the blade does not lock which is the classic design. And you get a nice web sheath - Enjoy!

If you need a tough tool for around the farm it is pretty good. The blade is a little soft so edge holding is not the best but it is easy to sharpend and it is very tough. Fit and finish are a little crude and I had to file down the handle pins since they stuck out a lot. Overall OK.