A tutorial on the Camillus Knife Vise

[orvet]

This is a tutorial on the use of a Camillus style "knife vise" as they were called. The function of this tool is to compress the backsprings of a slipjoint to make it easy to insert a new rocker pin when repairing a knife.

BACKGROUND INFORMATION

Most of you who are regulars here in AAPK know Tom Williams (CAMCO). Tom has shared a great deal of information about Camillus Cutlery with me, a fact for which I am forever grateful. Recently Tom introduced me to one of his fellow Camillus employees, Wallace Rockwell. Wallace sent me a cutler's stiddy made and used at the Camillus factory. He also sent me a "knife vise." It was also made and used in the Camillus factory.

The knife vise makes it easy work of replacing the rocker pin in a knife.

Tom told me that at Camillus each knife vise was covered with white tape. The purpose of the white tape is to prevent the metal from scratching the knife. The one I received came sans the white tape. Not having any white tape, I had to use duct tape to cover the surface where it might contact the knife.

The first time I used this tool, I thought I had done something wrong because it pivot pin went in so easy. It took me about 15 seconds to put the pivot pin in place. It sure beats trying to compress the springs by hand, or with a soft face vise or with soft face pliers.

Although, I used the vise on several knives before I knew about the white tape, I did not have any problems with it damaging the knife. I think this might only be critical with certain handle materials such as mother-of-pearl.

Here are some pictures of the knife vise that came from Camillus and one that I made like it. I am posting pictures of the knife vise I made in use.

You place the knife vise in a larger bench vise, set the knife on the rests, and crank the bench vise in until the backsprings are compressed, then slip the pen into place. This may require a few light taps from a hammer, but often the pin can be pushed in with your fingers, depending on the knife.

I have made several copies of the Camillus knife vise. It is such a handy gadget and such a timesaver that I figured other knife tinker-ers might want one also. I spoke to Tom about selling these in my AAPK store and donating part of the proceeds to the Camillus Historical Society. Tom said the Society really did not need donations and suggested that the donation might be better used at AAPK.

I will speak with Bryan, and if he is agreeable, five dollars of the price of each knife vise I sell will be donated to AAPK. If you are interested in one of these unique and very useful tools, you can contact me. I hope to have them up on my store in the next day or two.

I hope this tutorial is helpful.
If you have any questions please feel free to ask.

Dale

[Desktop]

Awesome tutorial orvet!
Great pictures as well!

[CCBill]

Nicely done, Dale. Thank you...
...CCBill...

[SteelMyHeart85420]

This is awesome, I hafta try and make one of those or see if they're still available. Thanks much. I can verify assembling a Stockman without any such device will enable full use of "shop vocabulary"!

[orvet]

I don't have any made up at the moment, but I have the straps cut to length and the end bends done already.
If you want one send me a PM and we can work out the details.

Dale

[TripleF]

Very cool!!

[FRJ]

I don't actually see how it works.

[glennbad]

Nice job Dale!

I was most fortunate to get one of these great tools from Dale, and they are invaluable in the knife shop.

[orvet]

I don't actually see how it works.

By tightening the large vise it compresses the back springs so you can insert the rocker pin to hold the back springs in place.
Without the Camillus tool you need 4 hands and then compress the springs with a vise or with a pair of pliers which often results in damage to the knife.



This is the newer design of the tool, instead of using steel bars and covering it with tape, (as they did at Camillus), I made a couple 'L' shaped pieces of micarta to hold the knife. That way no metal touches the knife, thus preventing scratches.

[FRJ]

Thank you, Dale.
The previous pictures didn't have the "L" shaped addition to the inside of the homemade device. The L seems more apt to work, and the L on the opposite side, I suppose, goes in the blade well to offer a better purchase or support.
Is the "vice" steel or aluminum?

[orvet]

Thank you, Dale.
The previous pictures didn't have the "L" shaped addition to the inside of the homemade device. The L seems more apt to work, and the L on the opposite side, I suppose, goes in the blade well to offer a better purchase or support.

Actually the knife sits sideways on top of the 'L' shaped pieces of micarta with the blades open.
If the blades were closed the arms of the vise would be pushing the blades down into the blade well until they hit the springs.
The arms of the vise squeeze the knife from top and bottom to compress the springs.

Is the "vice" steel or aluminum?

Steel

[FRJ]

Thank you, Dale.

[Jerlin]

Dale, I'm new to AAPK and knife repairs. I do not plan to make a hobby of this, but would at least like to repair some knives I have that have some sentimental value to me. I posted yesterday on the Knife Repair and Restoration forum about a Camco Camp Knife that needs the scales (handles) replaced. I received some very helpful replies. They all suggested I remove the rocker pin and take the knife apart. One reply mentioned your Camillus knife vise tutorial, which I looked up. I'm sure this device would be very helpful when it comes to compressing the springs and replacing the rocker pin. I see where you posted in May 2015 that you had started to make some. Are any still available? If so, could we work out the details on PM as you suggested? If you do not have any, would you be willing to share the details on how you make them (strap material used, dimensions, etc.)? Thank you in advance.

Jerry Johnson

[Jerlin]

Dale, I apologize to you. I had not read all of your post and did not realize you sold the Camillus knife vises in your store when I asked my questions about making one. Again, I'm sorry to have tried to take any business away from you.

Jerry Johnson

[orvet]

No problem Jerry.
If you can go ahead and make one feel free to do so. It's made out of three-quarter inch mild steel. I think my inventory level in my store shows that they are out of stock, but I may have one extra, if you're interested. But they're really not that difficult to make.
If I don't have one available it will be a a few months before I will be up to make another one. I'm having a flareup of my rheumatoid arthritis and I'm finding it very difficult/painful to grip anything with my right hand. I'm hoping it'll go away when the weather clears up little bit. My wife and I also have some traveling plan this summer, if the Covid virus will cooperate with their travel plans.

[Jerlin]

Hi Dale, thank you for the reply and your gracious comments. Also thank you for your tips on making a Camillus knife vice. I have two Camillus knives that I am working on. I'm replacing the scales on both knives and a couple of blades on one of them. It is my understanding from your other tutorials, and advice from some of the members, that it is best to take the knives completely apart to replace the scales. Therefore, having a Camillus knife vise for compressing the springs to put the rocker pins in would come in handy. I'm sorry to hear about your rheumatoid arthritis and hope it gets better soon. I also hope you are able to travel this summer. We all need some relief from the restrictions we have been under.

Best regards,

Jerry Johnson

[Doc B]

I got one of these, from Dale, in the past. His modification of replacing duct tape, with the micarta insert, is genius! Sometimes tapping the pin in, still creates enough downward force, on the knife...that I could see it easily knocking your knife out of the vise and damaging the scales, if you only used duct tape. Dale's modification creates a ledge, to keep the knife from being displaced downward. Note how in the middle of the ledge, it also has a semicircular cutout, to allow the pin to come through the knife, without hitting the micarta ledge. Micarta is a good choice...it is strong; yet grippy and flexible enough to protect your knife. The micarta insert is pinned on to the "Camillus" vice.

[orvet]

Thank you Doc.
When all things work perfectly there should not be much downward pressure at all on the Micarta ledge or on the piece of tape which covers the original Camillus Knife Vice
That said, I have one on which I'm broke one of the pieces of micarta off.

[Doc B]

Thank you Doc.
When all things work perfectly there should not be much downward pressure at all on the Micarta ledge or on the piece of tape which covers the original Camillus Knife Vice
That said, I have one on which I'm broke one of the pieces of micarta off.

In my not-so-perfect world...I'll take the "ledge"

[Rdubya21]

I’m working on an old Camillus BSA knife . Someone put the blade to the grinder and needless to say they were not very good at it .

Anyway , I saw this thread and thought I’d make this vise . Man , it’s the cats meow ! When I stuck the knife in to test it , the spring pin fell out onto the floor . Thankyou Dale , and I apologize for asking you a dumb question before I found this thread .

[orvet]

No apologies necessary!
By the way, that's a very good-looking Camillus Knife vice!

[Nev52]

Dale,
I just tried to make a knife vise like the one you have shown here. I did not have any dimensions to go off, so I tried to use the photos in this thread. I have not used it yet. I think it might be too long. I have noticed some are shorter and just a u bend in the steel. I used 1'' wide 1/8'' flat steel and length is 8''.
Thank you for posting this tool. I have been using my bench vise with wood blocks over the jaws. This looks like it will be an improvement. Do you mind giving out the dimensions of you vise?

Thank you
Nev

[orvet]

Sorry Nev,
I missed your post as I have not been on line much lately... Lots going on!

Your dimensions look spot on. Nice job!

I think it was 17" length between the bends at each end.
I will check it and get back to you.

[Nev52]

Thanks Dale,
Thanks for sharing this tool. It has helped me a lot on my knife reassembly. I tried my best to make an exact copy of yours. If you have a lot going on, please don't worry about the dimension's mine works I just wanted to have it like the original. Thank you for your response and sharing this tool.

Nev

[CarMan]

This is a tutorial on the use of a Camillus style "knife vise" as they were called. The function of this tool is to compress the backsprings of a slipjoint to make it easy to insert a new rocker pin when repairing a knife.

BACKGROUND INFORMATION

Most of you who are regulars here in AAPK know Tom Williams (CAMCO). Tom has shared a great deal of information about Camillus Cutlery with me, a fact for which I am forever grateful. Recently Tom introduced me to one of his fellow Camillus employees, Wallace Rockwell. Wallace sent me a cutler's stiddy made and used at the Camillus factory. He also sent me a "knife vise." It was also made and used in the Camillus factory.

The knife vise makes it easy work of replacing the rocker pin in a knife.

Tom told me that at Camillus each knife vise was covered with white tape. The purpose of the white tape is to prevent the metal from scratching the knife. The one I received came sans the white tape. Not having any white tape, I had to use duct tape to cover the surface where it might contact the knife.

The first time I used this tool, I thought I had done something wrong because it pivot pin went in so easy. It took me about 15 seconds to put the pivot pin in place. It sure beats trying to compress the springs by hand, or with a soft face vise or with soft face pliers.

Although, I used the vise on several knives before I knew about the white tape, I did not have any problems with it damaging the knife. I think this might only be critical with certain handle materials such as mother-of-pearl.

Here are some pictures of the knife vise that came from Camillus and one that I made like it. I am posting pictures of the knife vise I made in use.

You place the knife vise in a larger bench vise, set the knife on the rests, and crank the bench vise in until the backsprings are compressed, then slip the pen into place. This may require a few light taps from a hammer, but often the pin can be pushed in with your fingers, depending on the knife.

I have made several copies of the Camillus knife vise. It is such a handy gadget and such a timesaver that I figured other knife tinker-ers might want one also. I spoke to Tom about selling these in my AAPK store and donating part of the proceeds to the Camillus Historical Society. Tom said the Society really did not need donations and suggested that the donation might be better used at AAPK.

I will speak with Bryan, and if he is agreeable, five dollars of the price of each knife vise I sell will be donated to AAPK. If you are interested in one of these unique and very useful tools, you can contact me. I hope to have them up on my store in the next day or two.

I hope this tutorial is helpful.
If you have any questions please feel free to ask.

Dale

I know this is a very old post but just now hoping to start knife repair for myself. If you don’t mind would you please explain what spinning a head on a pin is? Thank you for any help.