The All Scout Knives Thread

[Mumbleypeg]

I like that Buffalo Bill scout knife! Nice to have the paperwork with it too.

Here's an unofficial scout knife I recently picked up. Nice etch on master blade says "Griffon" Boy Scout. Back of tang says Griffon Cutlery Works Germany. When I got it it had a lot of light rust and was so dry it had no snap on any blades. Cleaned it up a little and put some lube in the joints. Now all but the can opener have good snap. First Griffon scout I've seen.

Ken

[peanut740]

Nice pair John!

[RobesonsRme.com]

Ken, that's an interesting knife from Griffon. The shield seems too small for the frame. One has to wonder why that shield and not the larger escutcheon. Great bone, too.

Charlie Noyes

[gunhawk]

I need some help identifying a Boy Scout knife that I bought back when I was a scout. Here's the information that I can give:

1) I purchased the knife at either Gimble's or Macy's Boy Scout department in Manhattan NYC.
2) It was purchased in either late 1956 when I joined, or mid 1957 when I went to Scout Camp. I don't remember which.
3) It had a round Boy Scout emblem. Not a shield.
4) It had either black or very dark brown jigged scales.
5) If I remember correctly, it also had the "Boy Scouts of America" etched into the blade.
6) It had either 4 or 5 tools. Not three.

Any help will be very much appreciated.

[zzyzzogeton]

Gunhawk -

For that time frame, the knife would have been either an Imperial or a Camillus.

A few questions to try to narrow the options down from the dozen possibilities-

- bail or no bail
- jigged plastic or jigged celluloid or jigged bone or jigged wood
- bolsters or no bolsters

[gunhawk]

Gunhawk -

For that time frame, the knife would have been either an Imperial or a Camillus.

A few questions to try to narrow the options down from the dozen possibilities-

- bail or no bail
- jigged plastic or jigged celluloid or jigged bone or jigged wood
- bolsters or no bolsters

It had a bail and bolsters. I'm not sure what the scales were made of. They weren't bone, and i'm pretty sure that they weren't made of wood. I assume plastic or celluloid, but i'm not sure which. I thought that the Imperial Scout knives had a shield, not a round emblem. Was Camillus making a scout knife in the mid 1950's?

Here's a photo of one that looks the same:

[zzyzzogeton]

Both Camillus and Imperial made BSA Scout knives with the FC or First Class rank shield and the round TF or Tenderfoot rank badge shield.

Camillus started making BSA folders in 1946.

Imperial started in 1948.

Both made them in various flavors until shutting down, Camillus in 2007 (no knives made in 2007) and for Imperial, 2004, with the last knives made in 2003.

I'm kinda stumped by your details, however. Your description seems to have features from both FC and TF eras. I'll have to keep looking later wen I'm not so tired.

The information I have collected over the years indicates official BSA products shifted from the FC rank badge to the TF badge across the board in 1960-1961, from knives to whistles to bugles to chow kits to.........

The BSA Knife book I have indicates that the TF shields on knives starts in 1961s. While very voluminous and relatively complete, there are errors. (The author did the best he could with the tech available to him in the 1980s/ early 1990s.)

It has one reference to a TF shield on an Imperial 5 blade in the November 1957 issue of Boy's Life scouting magazine, but I've just finished going through Nov/Dec 57 and Jan 58 issues. Only the 4 blade FC shield knife is depicted. The same book also indicates that all Imperial 5 blade knives were bail-less and all other references to TFs indicate 1961 as the earliest date for TF shields. So.....

[ronfish]

Gunhawk -

For that time frame, the knife would have been either an Imperial or a Camillus.

A few questions to try to narrow the options down from the dozen possibilities-

- bail or no bail
- jigged plastic or jigged celluloid or jigged bone or jigged wood
- bolsters or no bolsters

It had a bail and bolsters. I'm not sure what the scales were made of. They weren't bone, and i'm pretty sure that they weren't made of wood. I assume plastic or celluloid, but i'm not sure which. I thought that the Imperial Scout knives had a shield, not a round emblem. Was Camillus making a scout knife in the mid 1950's?

Here's a photo of one that looks the same:

Are you certain that your recollection of the shield and year is correct? The knife example that you showed did not exist prior to 1961/1962 based on all of the documented records. Camillus was not making the knife at that time, it was Ulster and I do have an example of one with an imperial blade from the early 60s.

Do you recall if your knife came in a two piece box, one piece box or a plastic tube?

[gunhawk]

Gunhawk -

For that time frame, the knife would have been either an Imperial or a Camillus.

A few questions to try to narrow the options down from the dozen possibilities-

- bail or no bail
- jigged plastic or jigged celluloid or jigged bone or jigged wood
- bolsters or no bolsters

It had a bail and bolsters. I'm not sure what the scales were made of. They weren't bone, and i'm pretty sure that they weren't made of wood. I assume plastic or celluloid, but i'm not sure which. I thought that the Imperial Scout knives had a shield, not a round emblem. Was Camillus making a scout knife in the mid 1950's?

Here's a photo of one that looks the same:

Are you certain that your recollection of the shield and year is correct? The knife example that you showed did not exist prior to 1961/1962 based on all of the documented records. Camillus was not making the knife at that time, it was Ulster and I do have an example of one with an imperial blade from the early 60s.

Do you recall if your knife came in a two piece box, one piece box or a plastic tube?

[gunhawk]

Sorry. I screwed up that last reply. Memory is funny, and frequently faulty. I wasn't trying to say that the knife I showed was exactly the same. Just that it *looked* like that one. My years are absolutely correct. 1956 or 1957. I quit the Scouts in 1958. I know that the emblem is correct. It was *not* the shield. It was round. I have one with a shield that we have been discussing in Q and A. I know that it had at *least* four tools. It's *possible* that it didn't have a bail, memory being what it is. I don't recall the box that it came in, except that it wasn't a tube. I found a site that showed the various companies and scout knives that they produced with the years, but I didn't bookmark it, and now I can't find it again. In any case, there's no way that the knife could have been from the 1960's as I was 14 years old in 1960 and had become an Air Explorer.

Thanks for your help.

[ronfish]

The only one that I believe fits the time period would be an imperial five blade deluxe knife that has handles that look similar to the one you posted and it does have a round shield. I believe it fits the 1957 timeframe - It came in a fancy orange box with the cellophane viewing window. There was an alternate version With a round shield that had smooth handles that I believe was designated as “simulated wood”. I will post a pic - I have I have a half dozen in the original boxes with the original display carton.

[ronfish]

Front and center:

[gunhawk]

The only one that I believe fits the time period would be an imperial five blade deluxe knife that has handles that look similar to the one you posted and it does have a round shield. I believe it fits the 1957 timeframe - It came in a fancy orange box with the cellophane viewing window. There was an alternate version With a round shield that had smooth handles that I believe was designated as “simulated wood”. I will post a pic - I have I have a half dozen in the original boxes with the original display carton.

Wow! Very impressive collection! That is most likely the one then. How much would one in nice condition go for? And what's
in the red, white and blue boxes?

[gunhawk]

The only one that I believe fits the time period would be an imperial five blade deluxe knife that has handles that look similar to the one you posted and it does have a round shield. I believe it fits the 1957 timeframe - It came in a fancy orange box with the cellophane viewing window. There was an alternate version With a round shield that had smooth handles that I believe was designated as “simulated wood”. I will post a pic - I have I have a half dozen in the original boxes with the original display carton.

Can you identify this one?

[ronfish]

Camillus 5 blade deluxe, made in the 90’s.

[ronfish]

The only one that I believe fits the time period would be an imperial five blade deluxe knife that has handles that look similar to the one you posted and it does have a round shield. I believe it fits the 1957 timeframe - It came in a fancy orange box with the cellophane viewing window. There was an alternate version With a round shield that had smooth handles that I believe was designated as “simulated wood”. I will post a pic - I have I have a half dozen in the original boxes with the original display carton.

Wow! Very impressive collection! That is most likely the one then. How much would one in nice condition go for? And what's
in the red, white and blue boxes?

Depending on how mint you want it to be, $30~65 typically without box. That is a half dozen Ulster #1996 4 blade knives in the RWB boxes - 1960’s model.

[gunhawk]

The only one that I believe fits the time period would be an imperial five blade deluxe knife that has handles that look similar to the one you posted and it does have a round shield. I believe it fits the 1957 timeframe - It came in a fancy orange box with the cellophane viewing window. There was an alternate version With a round shield that had smooth handles that I believe was designated as “simulated wood”. I will post a pic - I have I have a half dozen in the original boxes with the original display carton.

Wow! Very impressive collection! That is most likely the one then. How much would one in nice condition go for? And what's
in the red, white and blue boxes?

Depending on how mint you want it to be, $30~65 typically without box. That is a half dozen Ulster #1996 4 blade knives in the RWB boxes - 1960’s model.

Thanks very much for the info! I appreciate your time!

Ed

[Miller Bro's]

Miller scout/utility knife.

[philco]

Dimitri what is the purpose for the semi circular notch in the caplifter blade ?

[Landersknives]

Here are a few knives. Hope you like’em.

[FRJ]

Dimitri what is the purpose for the semi circular notch in the caplifter blade ?

Good question.

Ed, that is fine collection there.

Here is one I got today.
The guy had a ten dollar tag on the knife and said he could do better on the price. I asked him what he felt comfortable with.
He said $7. OK.

[Miller Bro's]

Dimitri what is the purpose for the semi circular notch in the caplifter blade ?

Phil, it's a tack puller

[kootenay joe]

I have a few 'Scout' type knives and more than a few questions. Some of the answers might already be in this thread but it is too large to read from post #1 to here. Over the next week or so i will post pictures and questions and hope the knowledgeable Scout collectors will help me out.
I once read that Boy Scouts of America went to court to prevent the word "scout" from being used on knives that were not official BSA scout knives. The judgement was in their favor but i don't know what year that was.
Here are 5 knives all with the word "Scout" on the shield: from the bottom: Robeson, Challenge, Camillus Sword Brand, Robeson, and Empire.
I will show detailed pics of each later. How old must these knives be based on the "Scout" ruling ?
thanks, kj

[ScoutKnives]

Nice knives Roland ,
Sorry I don’t have an answer to your question as I pretty much only collect official scout knives .
I’m really digging the challenge and the Empire though .

Mike

[kootenay joe]

Here are pics of Challenge & Empire. "Challenge" is hard to discern but "Bridgeport" is easily seen. The Empire has been buffed.
kj