Show Us Your Camillus Knives!

[tjmurphy]

Nice Gino. Really like the bottom one. Just can't go wrong with a Cammie

[dkonopinski]

I'm only just learning a bit about these knives and have 3 old ones which have come my way over the last few years. Nothing special apart from the fact that they're old, well used Camillus. Which is enough.







Obviously the last one has had a blade "mod" at some stage in it's life.

David

[orvet]

Here are some I have picked up recently.
I hope you enjoy them.

Dale

[cattaraugus57]

a few of mine..

[gino]

Here is a custom TL-29 Camillus from caddyman1973 ::TU:: bill

Bokote wood handle with filed spring

[galvanic1882]

I just picked up this Easy Opener. It is marked CAMILLUS over CUTLERY CO over CAMILLUS, NY. Goins does not show this mark and I was wondering if anyone knew the approx age on this one, It's only the second Camillus that I have owned and even thogh it is a NY brand I don't know much about dating them. Any help would be appreciated.

Keep hunting they are out there!!!!

[msteele6]

Okay, I'll give it a try.

My guess is c. 1920. The earlier examples will have either one curved stamp or, in the earliest examples, the curved stamp on both blades. Much after that the stamp will be the familiar four line stamp (with "U.S.A." as the fourth line). I know that Bernard Levine will say "Dating by markings is a fool's game", but I would simply say that ignoring the markings on an obviously authentic knife, such as this one, is even more foolish, and, incidentally, Mr. Levine's own book gives approximate dates for different tang stampings.

By the way, the full blade on this knife is really a joy, it is pretty uncommon to see one with a really full blade, most of the time you see one down 10% and it's still so big you might think it's full.

Also, I just went into my Camillus drawer and realized that I own a knife almost exactly like the one shown (without the bail) and it has the same stamping (three lines on both blades) therefore, the omission of this stamping in Goins' is rather odd.

[orvet]

That is a stunner Mike!
I love that! The three greatest qualities in a Jack; ebony, easy opener and a big wide spear blade!
What's not to love?

I don't know when that tang stamp was first used, but it was in use in 1932 when Camillus did a replica of George Washington's pen knife. That might be the last year they used it, but I don't know for sure.

1932 Geo Washington pen knife tang.jpg (35.31 KiB) Viewed 3038 times

I do have an example of a 1933 tang stamp from a knife made for the 1933 Worlds Fair Chicago Worlds Fair- "Century of Progress."

1933 Worlds Fair knife Cam Tang.jpg (25.86 KiB) Viewed 3038 times

As you can see the 1933 knife has a 4-line tang stamp as opposed to the 3-line stamp in 1932.

I don't know when your 3-line stamp was first used, perhaps shortly after WW I, but I have not been able to confirm that yet to my satisfaction.

I will post more on this when I get time to do a bit more research on some knives I have.

Dale

[orvet]

Here is a WWII era 4-line tang stamp. The backside tang of this knife is dated 1944.
The 4-line tang stamp was discontinued in 1945 or 1946.

Here is another 3-line tang stamp like the 1932 stamp posted above on the George Washington penknife. We know it was before WWII as the word “CUTLERY” is included in the tang stamp. According to Tom Williams, the Historian for Camillus Cutlery, the word “CUTLERY” was dropped from the Camillus tang stamps after WWII and never used again except when they made a reissue of the Marine Rader Stiletto and the USCG 425.

It appears Camillus may have dropped the 3-line stamp and introduced the 4-line tang stamp about 1933. I think the 3-line stamp was likely introduced around the time of WWI, (1914-1918) and discontinued about 1933. I will check these dates with Tom next time we have a chance to talk, but this seems about right from the information and the knives I have at this time.

Remember, this is a work in progress and I am sharing this info before I have had the chance to prove all of it. If you have a 3-line tang stamps that includes the word “CUTLERY” in it, please post a picture of it! Especially if it is different from the ones I have posted in the last two posts.

Dale

[travman]

Galvanic that is a great looking knife
Dale ive got a couple of stamps you requested hope these help
I believe i have more i will try to get them out

[orvet]

Thanks for the pictures Trav!

Dale

[travman]

Dale here are a couple more stamps that ive got

[orvet]

Thanks Trav.
I have a few projects ahead of the Camillus tang stamps.
I am collecting examples at his point.

Thank's for your help,
Dale

[travman]

Dale you are welcome
Ive got more if you want them, i dont want to over burden you with unneeded stamps
I picked this knife up on ebay kind of took a flyer on it,I havent seen one in person or print
would like your thoughts on it. Shes no beauty queen got some minor
issues The pin holding swing guards look like a nail and the backside scale is chipped,
but it locks and is tight with snap. Also a 4 line tang stamp
Any info would be great
Thanks Trav

[orvet]

Awesome Trav!

I have not seen a Camillus Swing-guard before.
I suspect it was from the 1930s, maybe even older.
Perhaps one of our members will know more about this knife than I do.

How about it guys?
Do any of you know anything about this knife?
This is the first time I have seen anything like it with the Camillus name on it.

Dale

[carrmillus]

i have to wait for one of my kids to show up to post photos, but i have a camillus tuxedo knife-ebony wood scales, bar shield,3 1/2" closed, 2 blade. both blade tangs are marked with the arched 3 line stamp. according to goin's, this is the oldest marking-am i correct????

[trail]

This in my eye is an exceptional knife. I found it at an antique mall and paid $7.50 for it, which just goes to show you can't judge an old knife by its price. As best I can tell from looking through the old Camillus catalogs, it is an 83 pattern. The 1965 catalog lists the 83 as "Deluxe Baby Premium Stock Knife. Handle - Brownstag. Length - 2 5/8"." The 1982 catalog shows it as "Deluxe Pony Stock. 2 5/8" (closed). Brown Delrin stag handle. Clip, coping and pen blades. Etched "Camillus Deluxe". Nickel Silver Bolsters." If mine was etched, it has faded away, but otherwise the description matches. What isn't mentioned is the jimping of the liners, which is clearly visible on the side liners from the top of the knife. A close look reveals jimping on the center liner from the back. I guess these are delrin handles, but it's the nicest delrin I have ever seen. The color variation from front to back suggests bone - or maybe the knife sat in a display for a long time and the front handle faded. All the blades have snap left, and no side wobble. I found a little red rust in the joints, so that has to be cleaned up. Overall, this knife just confirms to me that, during their prime, Camillus made some of the best knives around.

[orvet]

i have to wait for one of my kids to show up to post photos, but i have a camillus tuxedo knife-ebony wood scales, bar shield,3 1/2" closed, 2 blade. both blade tangs are marked with the arched 3 line stamp. according to goin's, this is the oldest marking-am i correct????

It probably is.
I will have to see the tang stamp first before I say yea or nay.

Dale

[travman]

Trail
thats a nice knife
I believe its the #83 deluxe baby pony stock Im pretty sure the deluxe models came with the milled liners up untill the late 60s early 70s im not positive on when they stopped the milled liners ::shrug:
The more you handle the Camillus knives the more appreiciate the high quality of their craftsmanship and some of the great knives they had produced
Here is a 4 line # 96 6 blade camp knife its in the 1946 catalog

[tjmurphy]

Man, ya gotta love the Cammies. Nice knives fellers.

[thawk]

Camillus 69 - 4" Stockman with long line stamp

[Miller Bro's]

Awesome Trav!

I have not seen a Camillus Swing-guard before.
I suspect it was from the 1930s, maybe even older.
Perhaps one of our members will know more about this knife than I do.

How about it guys?
Do any of you know anything about this knife?
This is the first time I have seen anything like it with the Camillus name on it.

Dale

I have one of these in my parts bin. The blade is worn and the guard is missing.

[trail]

Thawk, another awesome knife! Looks to be in near mint condition. Everything about that knife is good - the proportions, the build quality, the blade styles, and most of all the color and jigging of the handles. Amazing to think you could walk into a hardware store 40 years ago and buy something like that. Nowadays to get a new knife of that quality you have to go to one of the "collector" brands. It's a real eye-opener for anybody who thinks Camillus means TL-29s, hawksbills and riggers - in other words, while they were the great American work knife company, they also had the capacity to make folders of the highest quality.

[orvet]

Awesome Trav!

I have not seen a Camillus Swing-guard before.
I suspect it was from the 1930s, maybe even older.
Perhaps one of our members will know more about this knife than I do.

How about it guys?
Do any of you know anything about this knife?
This is the first time I have seen anything like it with the Camillus name on it.

Dale

I have one of these in my parts bin. The blade is worn and the guard is missing.

Sounds like you have a great restoration project waiting there Dimitri!

Dale

[travman]

Thawk great lookin knife I really like coloring of the scales
Trail... well said about Camillus being the knife maker for all occasians
MB I am happy to hear you have a similar knife... Do you have any info on the time frame that these were produced?
Thanks
Trav