Show Us Your Camillus Knives!

The Camillus Cutlery Company was one of the oldest knife manufacturers in the United States with roots dating back to 1876. The company manufactured Camillus branded knives and was a prolific contractor for other knife brands up until its last days in 2007 when the company filed for bankruptcy.
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Just Plain Dave
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Re: Show Us Your Camillus Knives!

Post by Just Plain Dave »

Not sure if I ever posted these....

Image
Image
Image

But they are all Camillus....
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ozzie marie
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Re: Show Us Your Camillus Knives!

Post by ozzie marie »

Here's a couple of Muskrats I've picked up over the last few years ::nod::

#19 & #20

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Camillus 19.jpg
Camillus 20.jpg
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tjmurphy
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Re: Show Us Your Camillus Knives!

Post by tjmurphy »

Here's a cool little Camillus I just got off ebay. Some wear but more character. Stamp places it about 1916. Don't have it yet but when it comes I will post some better pictures.
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Re: Show Us Your Camillus Knives!

Post by msteele6 »

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Nice little knife tjmurphy, I always like it when I get one of the old arched Camillus stamps. Your knife appears to have steel bolsters, another hallmark of an older piece.

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Re: Show Us Your Camillus Knives!

Post by tjmurphy »

Thanks a lot. I like those old knives that show a lot of character and I've been waiting for one with the arched stamp, price was right too. I could buy the nice new pristine knives, and I have, but anybody can have one of those, not very unique at all.
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ibele-finley
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Re: Show Us Your Camillus Knives!

Post by ibele-finley »

Love those Muskrats Ozzie. I got a soft spot for a nice Muskrat. Thanx for sharing.
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basser5
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Re: Show Us Your Camillus Knives!

Post by basser5 »

Heres another, just picked it up this past weekend. A (717)
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orvet
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Re: Show Us Your Camillus Knives!

Post by orvet »

Here are a two Camillus I picked up in vacation a couple weeks ago,
The first is a 711Y, a Yello-Jaket stockman. It has a good etch on the blade, but the scanner didn't pick it up very well. It is NOS, in the box from an old hardware store.
Camillus 711Y.jpg
The second one is a jigged Delrin handled Muskrat. I found it in a pawn shop in a small town we visited.
It may have been carried a little, but I think it still has the factory edge on it.
Camillus Muskrat.jpg
There are a few Camillus still out there, but I am buying them as fast as I find them. :mrgreen:

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Re: Show Us Your Camillus Knives!

Post by Froggyedge »

Strange... I've just proclaimed my old love for the Yello-Jakets as EDCs in another thread and then Dale is showing a newly acquired on here..! :D 8)
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Re: Show Us Your Camillus Knives!

Post by Paul Tummers »

This Camillus knife came in the mail today.
I intend to use it, I like the size and weight, good for in the pocket without being too big.
I however do have a question; Who knows when this knife has been made, it has a 4-line stamp, my other Camillus knife, a stockman, only has a 3-line stamp.

Regards,

Paul T.
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orvet
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Re: Show Us Your Camillus Knives!

Post by orvet »

Paul Tummers wrote:This Camillus knife came in the mail today.
I intend to use it, I like the size and weight, good for in the pocket without being too big.
I however do have a question; Who knows when this knife has been made, it has a 4-line stamp, my other Camillus knife, a stockman, only has a 3-line stamp.

Regards,

Paul T.
Camillus stopped using the four line tang stamp in 1945 or 1946, per Tom Williams, the historian for Camillus.
Here is the kicker though........They had a three line stamp before they went to the four line, & then they went to another three line stamp.
Post pics of the other knife & tang stamp & maybe we can figure out when it was made.

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Re: Show Us Your Camillus Knives!

Post by Paul Tummers »

Here are some pictures of the other Camillus knife, This is the one with the super edge-holding blades
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Camillus 1.jpg
Camillus 2.jpg
Camillus 3.jpg
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Re: Show Us Your Camillus Knives!

Post by travman »

here are some
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orvet
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Re: Show Us Your Camillus Knives!

Post by orvet »

Nice Jacks Paul!! ::tu::
I can't quite make out the tang stamp on the top one, but the two below it with the arched tang stamps are around WWI according to Tom.

Nice find.

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Re: Show Us Your Camillus Knives!

Post by msteele6 »

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travman, love those old Camillus wooden jacks, especially the ones with the old curved stamping. There is an even older stamping that you rarely see, it consists of the curved stamping on both blades.

Nice ones.

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Re: Show Us Your Camillus Knives!

Post by travman »

Thanks Guys Ill try to get better tang stamp pics
Here is a couple more to show
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FRJ
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Re: Show Us Your Camillus Knives!

Post by FRJ »

Can any one tell me about this 716. I bought it in January of 91, out of Smokey Mountain Knife Works. I assume Camillus stoped making them soon after that. They must have been expensive to make. Does any one else have one. It is one of my favorite knives.
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Joe
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orvet
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Re: Show Us Your Camillus Knives!

Post by orvet »

Joe,
I see the #716Y, Double Lock-Back Trapper, appearing as recently as the 1994 catalog.
I do not see it after that.

I spoke with one of the workers from Camillus who said that offset double lock-back mechanism saw a real pain. It was very difficult to get them work properly. I have one with the Kraton handle, #893B, that is a real pain in the fingers to disengage the locks.
Not one of my favorite Camillus patterns.

Your 716 looks like it would work much more smoothly.
I imagine it was more expensive to make.

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Re: Show Us Your Camillus Knives!

Post by FRJ »

Dale,
thank you for that information. I didn't know of the difficulty in the lock.
Mine locks up like a dream, and is real smooth.
It's odd to think of a Camillus with a stiff or rough action. Even with my old ones, they're always smooth, sometimes to a fault, in that they don't always have a strong snap. But always acceptable snap.
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orvet
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Re: Show Us Your Camillus Knives!

Post by orvet »

Well, in all fairness to Camillus I think the one I got was a leftover after the factory closed.
For all I know, it was probably in a reject bin to be adjusted or even scrapped.

I know for a fact that the work in progress knives were sold along with the completed knives and even the rejects from QC.
I had one fellow send me over 125 pieces to grind the backsprings, buff, polish, adjust and in some cases to even repair. Some were covered in oil & grease and in about every state of completion (or incompletion).
Some could be finished in 20 minutes, others took hours, especially when they needed to be repaired.
He didn't want to pay enough to make it worth my time, so I only did one batch for him. But I know that there were a lot of knives in rough condition or incomplete ones made their way onto the market (esp. ebay) after the factory auction. I think that is where my 893 came from. I don't think mine was ever adjusted properly. I have no doubt that yours works flawlessly. I would expect it in fact. :D

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Re: Show Us Your Camillus Knives!

Post by vikingdog »

A nice camp knife, new in the box.
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Re: Show Us Your Camillus Knives!

Post by travman »

This thread has been too quiet lately....time to share some more knives
Here is a 4-line dogleg pen both blades are marked
and here is a #17 jack spear blade dont see it listed after the 1946 catalog it has the short underline
the third knife is a #16 jack clip blade with the short underline
Attachments
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100_2624.JPG
CAM 17 A.JPG
CAM 17 E.JPG
CAM 16 1C.JPG
CAM 16 1E.JPG
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orvet
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Re: Show Us Your Camillus Knives!

Post by orvet »

travman wrote:This thread has been too quiet lately....time to share some more knives
Here is a 4-line dogleg pen both blades are marked
I agree Trav!
I have been so busy lately I have not even had much time online.

Nice pen knife Trav! ::tu::
That is a stunner.

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Re: Show Us Your Camillus Knives!

Post by travman »

Thanks Dale ::tu:: ..that pen knife is in great shape the bone is clean and sharp and the blade snap is very crisp
Here is couple more of the pen and the tang stamps
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100_2627.JPG
secondary blade.JPG
main blade.JPG
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Re: Show Us Your Camillus Knives!

Post by Just Plain Dave »

That pen kniife is sure a Honey!
Looking for the magic penny!
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