All About Pocket Knives

Due to some life circumstances, my collection did not have proper supervision for more than six months. And yesterday I found a very sad sight . All my knives from the Celluloid Abalone Handled series received corrosion damage of varying degrees. At the same time, there were no changes with my only knife from the Celluloid Tortoise Shell Handled series (this series was produced a year earlier) .
All these knives were in the same conditions. Each was packed in a zip-lock plastic bag. The blade and spring of each knife was lubricated with oil.
I hate Camillus for making such beautiful knives from celluloid and 1095 Carbon steel .

That's the thing with celluloid, it works perfectly fine up until the time it doesn't.

I avoid celluloid for a reason....

After one Buck Creek I had went bad in my collection (which was caught early on and immediately stripped of its handles), and a Boker (which unfortunately sat months, even years unnoticed, as I didn't know my Granddad had any cell handles--until I realized that one Boker was) caused a pile of work with my Granddad's collection, I banned myself from buying any celluloid handle knives aside from shell handles. In the time since, I've only got a single Remington (which I was given), and so far, it seems good. Apparently, the Purina Kutmasters are cell too, but no problem from that one either.

What is odd about these (and the Buck Creek, which was '90s, I think) is that they aren't old knives. Yet, there are nearly 100-year-old celluloid-handled knives that haven't gone off.

cody6268 wrote: ↑Tue Jan 17, 2023 9:24 pm Yet, there are nearly 100-year-old celluloid-handled knives that haven't gone off.

I also drew attention to this. I think that celluloid can vary either in composition or in the way it is made. And on this depends its tendency to self-destruction. Among the old knives, the weak ones have long since died.

IMHO “packed in a zip-lock plastic bag” is probably one of the worst ways to store celluloid. It needs fresh air if possible.

Ken

Hey Vit, how did the rest of your Camillus Collections hold up in storage ?

Mumbleypeg wrote: ↑Tue Jan 17, 2023 11:00 pm IMHO “packed in a zip-lock plastic bag” is probably one of the worst ways to store celluloid. It needs fresh air if possible.

Ken

I agree with you. So it was before, but it was a forced action, so as not to harm the rest of the knives (I have a lot of them).

Ripster wrote: ↑Tue Jan 17, 2023 11:35 pm Hey Vit, how did the rest of your Camillus Collections hold up in storage ?

From what I managed to inspect, only these were affected.

I think that 90s celluloid on those Case Classics , Buck Creeks, Fight'n Roosters, and others was the very worst to gas out .

cody6268 wrote: ↑Tue Jan 17, 2023 9:24 pm In the time since, I've only got a single Remington (which I was given), and so far, it seems good.

Can you tell me what model it is?

wlf wrote: ↑Tue Jan 17, 2023 11:56 pm I think that 90s celluloid on those Case Classics , Buck Creeks, Fight'n Roosters, and others was the very worst to gas out .

I would add Winchesters to this list, which were assembled at the Queen factory along with Case Classic. Everything I saw on ebay had signs of corrosion.

I remember when I first joined AAPK, some member had a whole collection of Fight'N Roosters go up in smoke. I learned my lesson then.

Vit_213 wrote: ↑Wed Jan 18, 2023 12:02 am

cody6268 wrote: ↑Tue Jan 17, 2023 9:24 pm In the time since, I've only got a single Remington (which I was given), and so far, it seems good.

Can you tell me what model it is?

It's an R6465 sleeveboard penknife from 1921 to 1924 according to its tang stamps.

Mumbleypeg wrote: ↑Tue Jan 17, 2023 11:00 pm IMHO “packed in a zip-lock plastic bag” is probably one of the worst ways to store celluloid. It needs fresh air if possible.

Ken

Yep, I gave my only celluloid knife plenty of fresh air when I found it ruined some of my best knives.
I slung it out the kitchen window.

I’ll chime in on this thread and share my experience. My cell knives are all stored in the same dark drawer with silicone packets. The drawer is lined with green felt that I believe is treated for silverware storage. The cabinet for this drawer is in a cool dark room in my basement. We run a dehumidifier in the warmer months.

These cell knives are all 50 years or so old and seem stable. I’ve read some other posts on AAPK that referred to modern knives from the eighties and nineties that have outgassed. The Kutmaster Purina knives are one example of a more unstable cell handles. I had Glennbad rehandle mine.

I agree with Ken, cell knives need airflow. Storing in plastic bags traps the corrosive gasses that destroy metals.

After all that , you can’t beat some of colors and combinations of the older celluloid knife handles. Just my opinion, Steve B.

It's too heartbreaking to watch it happen. I won't own a celluloid knife ever again.

That's awful. Glad that not many knives were affected.

The one knife I own that is known to be celluloid is stable. One that might be celluloid needs new covers anyway, and the other two that might be are of little value.

This topic did get me to thinking...newer celluloid seems much more prone to outgassing. Did the older celluloid contain a component that helped keep it more stable, but has since been banned or otherwise fallen into disfavor?

Rookie wrote: ↑Wed Jan 18, 2023 2:40 pm It's too heartbreaking to watch it happen. I won't own a celluloid knife ever again.

Nothing wrong with having celluloid handled knives (although I would not pay a lot for one). I have quite a few, You just have to practice "apartheid".

I LOVE CELLULOID!

I WAS NOT TOO HAPPY ABOUT CELLULIOD when I found out a cigar box full of knives ended up like this...

Lucky for me, I never liked the look of celluloid knife handles. So never acquired any.

I feel for those who have been victims of its destruction.

They make good rehandle projects.

wlf wrote: ↑Tue Jan 17, 2023 11:56 pm I think that 90s celluloid on those Case Classics , Buck Creeks, Fight'n Roosters, and others was the very worst to gas out .

Those Black Box celluloid Winchesters were even worse IMHO

Anyone know if this Henckels Trapper has celluloid covers? The covers are shrinking, the ends are curling up, but so far no out gassing.

OLDE CUTLER wrote: ↑Tue Feb 14, 2023 6:15 pm Anyone.....

Maybe an answer here?
https://www.allaboutpocketknives.com/kn ... .php?f=100

OLDE CUTLER wrote: ↑Tue Feb 14, 2023 6:15 pm Anyone know if this Henckels Trapper has celluloid covers? The covers are shrinking, the ends are curling up, but so far no out gassing.

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I hope not... that is one BEAUTIFUL knife!!!