All About Pocket Knives

What is the difference between the Imperial Kamp King knives and the Hammer Brand USA?
The Hammer brand seem to sell cheaper on ebay. There must have been a lot of these knives
made as I see a lot of both brands fairly cheap. Are these both carbon steel? I guess they are
as I see rusted examples of both brands.

Thanks,
Trey

Imperial and Hammer Brand in most cases were the same knife with different tang stamps. Imperial bought the Hammer Brand in the thirtys. About the same time they licenced the patent for the stamped and crimped steel handles wrapped with a thin cover. I believe the shell handles started about 1936. I have two Imperial Hammer Brand knives with real bolsters and regular style handles. I had an Ulster Hammer Brand for about five minutes, but can't recall how it was built. Hope this helps.

Yes, what Bill said.

Same knife with the two different stamps.
Same factory, same time line.

Keep your eye out and you will find some with colorful wraps!

........ Joe

Wosey but still a very well built knife and for what you payed for it now!

Psssssssssssst don't tell anyone I told you but.........

Those old Imperial made knives have some excellent quality blade steel and despite the shell construction, make excellent users.

Now just keep this between you and me ok ?


Phil

Thanks for the pictures guys. Joe Dirt, I have a similar knife in a blister pack like
the one you show on the right but the package is a different color.

That pack is from the late sixty's, about the first time
they sold them that way instead of on a counter card!

......... Joe

I want some counter cards soooo baaaad!

What's up with that jigged plastic?

They don't have to be so colorless.....

....... Joe

Here are four of them:
First is my grandfather's knife.This is the first knife ever to inflict a wound on me at the age of eight(I'll be 67 shortly).SCARY sharp and it still is after all these years.
Second is one I picked up for a dollar.
Third is another one with more colorful handles(sort of a copper color).
Last is a Super Kamp King;haven't seen too many of these around.

Very cool Kamps guys!

Joe Dirt wrote:What's up with that jigged plastic?

They don't have to be so colorless.....

....... Joe

Joe,
That Super Kamp King is the first knife I have seen in the Imperial Schrade line with a Beer Can Opener beside the 906 "Army Officer" knife.
Pretty cool!

Dale

Wosey that's a cool looking knife no matter what. I really enjoy seeing these Kamp Kings. Not a knife I ever paid any attention to but I remember seeing plenty of them in the sporting goods stores when I was a kid. Nice thread.

Dale, even us civvies needed to open a cold one now and then

After seeing k7k's in an older post that had taken a turn towards "church keys",
I was on a mission to find my own.
I truly lucked out finding the red one.
I payed about 2 dollars more for it than I would have a "standard" Kamp-King!(reference wosey's post)

They are rare indeed!

....... Joe

It is a great find Joe.
Congrats!

Dale

Just found this knife walking through my dad's rental house. And I'm wondering if anyone has any tips on how to get this knife cleaned up to look nice?

I got an Imperial Kamp King a while back on the bay as part of a cheap two knife deal along with a Schrade 80T. The 80T was not in great shape but the King was almost new except for a little rust on one of the blades. I cleaned in up and it took a great edge!

I gave it to my nephew and it's been in his pocket ever since.

1quickquestion, welcome to AAPK!

Here is a link that that discusses a lot about cleaning knives, even though the topic is about springs.
http://www.allaboutpocketknives.com/kni ... 26&start=0

Hope that helps.

Welcome aboard,
Dale

Joe Dirt wrote:What's up with that jigged plastic?

They don't have to be so colorless.....

Joe, I'm Dutch uncle to a couple of boys who got into Scouting, so I had to tag along a bit. Their dad and I put together a set of knives and stones for introducing knife sharpening to the Cubs. Thanks to a few good folks here at AAPK, that "set" of practice knives ranges from Remington and Pals to Kamp Kings (lots of Kamp Kings).

The universal favorites are the knives I got cheap without handles, and just puttied on new scales using JB Compound. Doesn't get much more colorless than that.

I thought since I started this thread I'd add a picture of my Kamp King Knives.

I have an old "kamp king" but the shield is missing and the tang is stamped "MADE IN USA".

Any ideas on identifying based on the photo?

.........I remember finding one on a boat ramp years ago, cleaned it enough to read the kamp king mark, but it was so far gone, I threw it away!!.......... ...............

Welcome Barkingdog I don't believe she's an Imperial Kamp King maybe a Camillus or a Colonial she has jigged bone scales with solid bolsters,nice knife though