All About Pocket Knives

Greetings - I’m hoping to find out some information about a couple of knives I just inherited from my father. One is this small and somewhat rough Camillus - I’ve done some internet research, but I haven’t been able to find any other examples just like this one, although it appears that there are a lot of different styles out there. I’m not a collector, and I don’t know much about knives. Does anyone have any general information, or input about its history or value?

The handle is 3-3/4 inches long, 5/8 inch wide, and about 5/16” thick, with some sort of yellowed, grained, ivory- or bone-looking covering - possibly a plastic or celluloid? - and no shield. It’s got 2 blades, one at each end - a sheepfoot blade about 2-3/8 inches long (from tip to pivot) and a spey(?) blade about 2-1/2 inches long. Each blade has the tang name stamp, but no blade number stamps. The sheepfoot blade has “Hosea Waterer” (a name?) lightly etched onto it.

Thanks in advance for any assistance!

~ Matt

Some photos - I guess you can click on them to zoom in more?

The knife: Tang stamp: Spey blade: Sheepfoot blade:

Matt, Welcome!! You've got a Camillus horticulture knife there. I'm fairly certain that tang stamp was used in the early 1940's, but maybe a Camillus collector can verify that. Hosea Waterer was actually a seed and bulb catalog company. Nice example!!

Eric

Matt, welcome to AAPK.

I can get you started with a couple of things. That four line tang stamp was used during and before WWII so I'm going to say for your knife, made before WWII. The handles are a Celluloid product called "French Ivory" (it's the parallel lines that give it away). I'm not the most experienced guy on the planet but I've never seen that pattern before. I'm sure someone else has but I'm not one of them. I see Eric has already posted and cleared up that little mystery. And I agree with Eric. Very nice example.

I have seen them from Schrade CutCo. in two different sizes but with the same configuration otherwise as your Camillus. They were sold as horticulture knives to florists, orchardists, etc., but I have also seen them embossed with "office knife," which was not typical in that size but at least one does exist in that larger size. Welcome to the forum; your knife is quite collectible and very charming.

Thanks for that additional info, guys!

Here's a post which mentions Shrade, and which includes a photo of a handful of knives, one of which looks very familiar indeed, as does the one in the photo a couple of posts down from that one...

viewtopic.php?t=13442#p107290

The tang is stamped "Shrade," though, rather than Camillus. Did Camillus make those, and stamp them appropriately?

Matt, Camillus and Schrade Cut Co were two different companies back then. You'll find that a lot of cutlery companies made similar patterns though.

Eric

ea42 wrote:Matt, Camillus and Schrade Cut Co were two different companies back then. You'll find that a lot of cutlery companies made similar patterns though.

Eric

Thanks Eric - I'm amazed at just how similar the knives from the two companies look - size, shape, handle composition...

I will add that celluloid handles can spontaneously break down and give off a gas that corrodes steel & brass that is nearby.
However the celluloid "French Ivory" is relatively stable. I have many old knives with these handles and so far have not seen any break down.
kj

Any advice on giving this knife a "tuneup?" I'm not prepared to sharpen it myself at this point, but it's got some surface corrosion, and I can't open the folding blades without extra leverage - the pivots are tight enough that my nail alone isn't sufficient. I don't want to make it look like new, or lose any of the patina, but I'd like to clean it up a bit, without damaging the handle or that blade etching, and return the blades to "easy-opening" status...

Is it bad form to "bump" my thread? I'm looking for advice for cleaning up my knife without damaging it - especially the corrosion on the etched blade...

Sure, it is fine to bump a thread. Infact it's a good idea as often someone intends to respond, but then gets lead elsewhere and forgets. A 'bump' is a reminder.
The blades on your knife are not that 'dirty'. You can use a mild metal polish, like "Simichrome" on the blades & bolsters but it will not remove the 'patina' so don't expect shiny new looking surfaces. Also go very lightly on blade with etch. The etch adds interest & value to the knife and vigorous rubbing with a metal polish will remove the etch so be careful.
Actually before trying to lightly polish blades, immerse the entire knife with blades open in hot water with dish detergent and use a nylon brush to scrub, especially in the 'well' and around the blade pivots. Then run it under hot water to remove soap & dry thoroughly.
Then with blades partly open spray in well and around pivots with WD-40. The use stiff pipe cleaners or toothpick like sticks (B-B-Q skewers) to clean out any grease, fluff, dirt. Then oil the joints with mineral oil and work the blades back and forth. This hopefully will by now have loosened the blades up a little so that they are easier to open.
Then wipe off the excess WD-40 & mineral oil and lightly clean blades as described in first paragraph above.
That is about all the cleaning that any knife should receive.
kj

kootenay joe - thanks, that's just the kind of advice I'm looking for! I don't want it to look new, but I would like it to look "cared for" and I'd like to be able to open the blades without having to resort to prying with a lever because the pivots are too stiff for my nails to open them.

Should I take special care of the celluloid "French Ivory" handles during the cleaning?

The handles should be fine with cleaning as outlined above. When finished wipe the handles well with a clean dry cloth.
Hard to open blades can be due to a number of reasons. With old knives dirt & gunk in the pivot is common and once cleaned the blade action can be freed up considerably.
Sometimes the spring can be rusted in place so will not flex out as you try to move the blade. If this is reason for blade stiffness there is nothing you can do about it.
Most of the time a thorough cleaning makes blade open more easily and snap shut firmly.
Please let us know if the cleaning makes blades easier to open.
kj

For more information about knife cleaning: viewtopic.php?f=37&t=54157

Ken

Thanks guys!

Ken, I understand this is like asking what oil people like to use on a motorcycle forum - lots of opinions! I don't think I'll be soaking my knife in molasses...