Show Us Your Camillus Knives!

The Camillus Cutlery Company was one of the oldest knife manufacturers in the United States with roots dating back to 1876. The company manufactured Camillus branded knives and was a prolific contractor for other knife brands up until its last days in 2007 when the company filed for bankruptcy.
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Old Hunter
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Re: Show Us Your Camillus Knives!

Post by Old Hunter »

Found this 3-7/8" Stockman today, brand new and still in the box; the handles are imitation tortoise (plastic I assume) and I guess it's the correct box, all the label has is 57652 on it. The guy also has a similar knife in a trapper design - might go back and get that one too.
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Camillus Stockman.jpg
Deep in the guts of most men is buried the involuntary response to the hunter's horn, a prickle of the nape hairs, an acceleration of the pulse, an atavistic memory of his fathers, who killed first with stone, and then with club...Robert Ruark
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smokepole
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Re: Show Us Your Camillus Knives!

Post by smokepole »

Nice find Old Hunter!! I think going back for that trapper might be a good thing.... :mrgreen:
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Old Hunter
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Re: Show Us Your Camillus Knives!

Post by Old Hunter »

Thanks Smokepole - that's what I come here for - ENCOURAGEMENT to accumulate more! :lol: ::tu::
Deep in the guts of most men is buried the involuntary response to the hunter's horn, a prickle of the nape hairs, an acceleration of the pulse, an atavistic memory of his fathers, who killed first with stone, and then with club...Robert Ruark
Vit_213
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Re: Show Us Your Camillus Knives!

Post by Vit_213 »

Old Hunter - all 4 knives in this series are wonderful :D
http://camillusknives.narod2.ru/camillu ... n_en.shtml
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jerryd6818
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Re: Show Us Your Camillus Knives!

Post by jerryd6818 »

Aww jeez. Got me all excited there for a minute. Thought someone had started building Camillus knives again in the USA.

THEN

I noticed those knives are fron 1999-2001. ::facepalm::
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"The #72 pattern has got to be pretty close to the perfect knife."
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Old Hunter
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Re: Show Us Your Camillus Knives!

Post by Old Hunter »

Vit, thanks for the link - great information. Now I have to go back for the Trapper - just learned from the link that I have the Trapper box and MY Stockman box is back at the antique store with the Trapper knife - got to have both now!
Deep in the guts of most men is buried the involuntary response to the hunter's horn, a prickle of the nape hairs, an acceleration of the pulse, an atavistic memory of his fathers, who killed first with stone, and then with club...Robert Ruark
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Re: Show Us Your Camillus Knives!

Post by Vit_213 »

From this series I have the Single Blade Lockback #58151
58151.jpg
And #CL5812 from Celluloid Abalone series
cl5812.jpg
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Old Hunter
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Re: Show Us Your Camillus Knives!

Post by Old Hunter »

Vit, very nice pair of knives - the depth of the color makes them especially pleasing to view! Does anyone know if this modern celluloid shares the destructive qualities of the original celluloid? From what I have read the knife will have to be stored in the open and away from other knives - does sweat/moisture from riding in your pocket on a hot day cause the celluloid to "act up"?
Deep in the guts of most men is buried the involuntary response to the hunter's horn, a prickle of the nape hairs, an acceleration of the pulse, an atavistic memory of his fathers, who killed first with stone, and then with club...Robert Ruark
thefarside
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Re: Show Us Your Camillus Knives!

Post by thefarside »

OH,
The attached link is a very good article re: celluloid handles and the problems associated with them.
http://search.yahoo.com/r/_ylt=A0oG7mXu ... ydeel.html
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orvet
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Re: Show Us Your Camillus Knives!

Post by orvet »

Here is the article on the Oregon Knife Collectors website if you would like it in color.
http://www.oregonknifeclub.org/celluloid_02.html


There are a lot of other articles on the OKCA website it this link:
http://www.oregonknifeclub.org/knews.html
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Re: Show Us Your Camillus Knives!

Post by smokepole »

Now I have to go back for the Trapper - just learned from the link that I have the Trapper box and MY Stockman box is back at the antique store with the Trapper knife - got to have both now!
That's the spirit!! Did you manage to get the trapper? Pics please, if you have?
"The true measure of a man is how he treats someone who can do him absolutely no good."
- Samuel Johnson (1709-1784)

Be on your guard against a silent dog and still water.
Latin Proverb
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Old Hunter
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Re: Show Us Your Camillus Knives!

Post by Old Hunter »

Smoke - I wavered! I went back yesterday and exchanged the boxes, looked at the trapper real well (they are okay, but not my favorite pattern) and bought a NOS Schrade USA Sharpfinger fixed blade skinning knife that he had instead. Today I bought a BEAR MGC stag Stockman, so I think I will stick with one celluloid handled knife (and that is the major reason - figured one celluloid was enough to risk losing over the long haul). OH
Deep in the guts of most men is buried the involuntary response to the hunter's horn, a prickle of the nape hairs, an acceleration of the pulse, an atavistic memory of his fathers, who killed first with stone, and then with club...Robert Ruark
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Re: Show Us Your Camillus Knives!

Post by marcellusW »

Camillus 72, bone with master clip, small spear ( pen) and coping blades
Short line tang stamp, estimated age at around 1946, based on catalog reviews
I don't know when this model first appeared?
Coping blade is opposite end from the master clip blade, later years would be on the same end
Small spear( pen), later years would be replaced with a small clip blade, at opposite end of the master clip blade

Image

Image
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Re: Show Us Your Camillus Knives!

Post by jerryd6818 »

marcellusW wrote:Camillus 72,
I don't know when this model first appeared?
First of all, beauty pick-up. If that's the one that just sold on eBay, I was tempted to bid on it but it went for more than I was willing to pay. ::shrug::

I think the premier year for the 72 was 1946. Camillus had a swell center whittler during WWII that was the same length but was a true split-spring whittler. That knife did not show up in the 1946 catalog but the 72 did. I was pretty young in 1946 so I don't remember. :lol:
Forged on the anvil of discipline.
The Few. The Proud.
Jerry D.

This country has become more about sub-groups than about it's unity as a nation.

"The #72 pattern has got to be pretty close to the perfect knife."
--T.J. Murphy 2012
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Re: Show Us Your Camillus Knives!

Post by marcellusW »

jerryd6818 wrote:
marcellusW wrote:Camillus 72,
I don't know when this model first appeared?
First of all, beauty pick-up. If that's the one that just sold on eBay, I was tempted to bid on it but it went for more than I was willing to pay. ::shrug::

I think the premier year for the 72 was 1946. Camillus had a swell center whittler during WWII that was the same length but was a true split-spring whittler. That knife did not show up in the 1946 catalog but the 72 did. I was pretty young in 1946 so I don't remember. :lol:

As I indicated in the specific discussion on this model recently -
The beginning of 1946 Camillus catalog states the small pen will be repalced with the small clip blade
The picture in that catalog did not reflect the change, however
They further advise their customers( retailors) that the handle material may not be in bone, could be plastag
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carrmillus
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Re: Show Us Your Camillus Knives!

Post by carrmillus »

jerry, i don't think this is the one that sold so high on ebay last week, it had much darker handles than this one!!..............this one looks good ,too!!!...........
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wazu013
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Re: Show Us Your Camillus Knives!

Post by wazu013 »

Here's a couple of large toothpicks or fish knives made by Camillus. Any information you have about them please share.
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wazu013
Attachments
Fish Knives 005.JPG
Fish Knives 011.JPG
Fish Knives 015.JPG
Fish Knives 026.JPG
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Re: Show Us Your Camillus Knives!

Post by Just Plain Dave »

I've never seen anything quite like that first one!

The second one is in fact a fairly common fishing knife with a scaler, bottle opener and hook remover in the second blade.
Looking for the magic penny!
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carrmillus
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Re: Show Us Your Camillus Knives!

Post by carrmillus »

my favorite camillus fishing knife is the #31 pattern which had the staglon handles and came with a leather sheath-carried mine in the tackle box for 45 years!!!..............
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Re: Show Us Your Camillus Knives!

Post by Vit_213 »

1. American Wildlife Series #32 Angler's Folder (circa 1976-1982)
2. Fisherman's Luck Knife #25 (circa 1954-1956)
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Re: Show Us Your Camillus Knives!

Post by whitebuffalo58 »

Great pair of fisherman's toothpicks, wazu! I have one of the "fishermans luck" models, but never did get to the wildlife series. If I remember right there were 2 or 3 others in the series that had different fish on the shields. When those came out, I was busy gettin' married and raising youngn's, so they slipped in under my radar. I've always wondered about the long slinder secondary, is it flexible like a fillet blade?

WB
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Re: Show Us Your Camillus Knives!

Post by wazu013 »

whitebuffalo58 wrote:Great pair of fisherman's toothpicks, wazu! I have one of the "fishermans luck" models, but never did get to the wildlife series. If I remember right there were 2 or 3 others in the series that had different fish on the shields. When those came out, I was busy gettin' married and raising youngn's, so they slipped in under my radar. I've always wondered about the long slinder secondary, is it flexible like a fillet blade?

WB
The secondary blade is flexible and has a liner lock so it's perfect for filleting a Perch or Bass, even a small Trout. It's really a nice fish knife with typical Camillus quality ::tu::
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wazu013
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Re: Show Us Your Camillus Knives!

Post by wazu013 »

Vit_213 wrote:1. American Wildlife Series #32 Angler's Folder (circa 1976-1982)
2. Fisherman's Luck Knife #25 (circa 1954-1956)
Thanks Vit ::tu::
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Re: Show Us Your Camillus Knives!

Post by Quick Steel »

It is my understanding these were made by Camillus for AG Russell. These were his original Texas Ranger knives before the current China made series. When beginning the first run in 2001 about 100 knives had the incorrect start date of the Texas Rangers. I bought both the error and corrected knives. The F&F on these knives is excellent, superb really. I hope it is acceptable to show these knives here though they do not bear the Camillus mark.
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010.JPG
011.JPG
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Re: Show Us Your Camillus Knives!

Post by Just Plain Dave »

They work for me! I don't know about the purest among us.....
Looking for the magic penny!
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