Old Camillus 99 pocket knife

[jerryd6818]

.......thanks for this info, dale, this is very interesting!!!.now, I'm REALLY confused!!........... ....................

Tommy, that's why I accumulate and don't collect. If I like it, I get it. If I don't, I walk on by. All that detail makes my head spin. I'm a facts kind of guy and there are very few facts in the knife world.

[Greg92]

Thanks A lot guys for all the great info..

[Vit_213]

Dale, thank you for your post. All of us will always remember Tom. His passing is an irreplaceable loss for fans of Camillus.

Tommy, first official Boy Scout Knife Camillus did in 1947. Prior to that, he was doing only not-official or semi-official scout knives.

I am amazed that so far we do not have a separate threads about Boy Scout knives.

[orvet]

I am amazed that so far we do not have a separate threads about Boy Scout knives.

Actually we do have a thread dedicated to Scout knives, it is over 150 pages long now:
http://www.allaboutpocketknives.com/kni ... 35&t=12874

[Vit_213]

Thanks Dale, but I was referring to Camillus Boy Scout knives.

[Greg92]

And now we all know why Tom Williams said the best way to date Camillus knives is to look at the materials, technology and manufacturing techniques used in the production of the knife. Tom had no real trust in the tang stamps as a method of dating the production of a Camillus knife. He told me he knew of employees getting the wrong tang stamp off the shelf and then a whole run of blades were made with an old tang stamp. And of course the blades were then used as Camillus never threw away anything.



I know I have posted this before but it fits in quite well here. It is from a phone interview I had with Tom Williams in February 2010.

"Tips on Dating Camillus Knives

Part of the purpose of this interview with Tom was to help establish some guidelines for dating Camillus knives by tangs stamps. Tom maintains that dating Camillus by tang stamps is next to impossible, as Camillus never threw tang stamps away. They were kept on a shelf factory. Tom told me that there were times when someone would get the wrong stamp off the shelf and they would produce a run of knives with an old tang stamp. Add to that the fact that there were often many extra blades produced in a production run; some for warrantee claims, and perhaps because they anticipated additional sales. If the overrun blades were never used up in the original production run, or by a reorder, they were nonetheless kept and usually used at a later date in other knives. The World War II cancellation of the ML-K knife is an excellent example of this.

Tom suggested the best way to date Camillus knives is to look at the materials, technology and manufacturing techniques used in the production of the knife in question.

Looking at the handles is an excellent way to apply this method of dating.
Delrin was introduced to Camillus knives in the early 1970s.
Early scales were pinned onto the liners.
Later a prong construction method was used. In this method a piece of the liner was stamped and bent outward and the hot prong was pushed into the handle material.
A third method of attaching handles to the knife was called stud construction. In this method a piece of handle material (the stud) was pushed through a hole in the liner. I have observed this method on many the later production TL-29 electrician knives. It appears to me that a heat source was used to flare the end of the stud so that it would not pull out of the liner. I have worked on a number of knives with this method of construction and generally the stud type handles are very secure and difficult to remove from the liners. It was a very effective method.

Tom pointed out that even these methods of dating Camillus knives are not foolproof. Changes could be made in the middle of a production run depending on the availability of parts. If they had an order for 10,000 knives and they had pre-made 5000 liners for prong type handles they would begin the production run with the prong type parts and switch over to stud type handles when they had exhausted the pre-existing supply."

Thanks a lot for your kind words and the information friends!!!

[New_Windsor_NY]

Thanks Dale, but I was referring to Camillus Boy Scout knives.

You started this one 5 years ago.
viewtopic.php?f=63&t=46492

[Vit_213]

Thanks Dale, but I was referring to Camillus Boy Scout knives.

You started this one 5 years ago.
viewtopic.php?f=63&t=46492

I see the date and am completely discouraged . I didn't write this yesterday. I wrote this in 2015 .

[Hideaway Knives]

Love the design great handle!

[bleasure]

So am I gathering from this thread that if I come across, say, a mid-century Camillus camp knife (99) with wood scales, the scales were never factory? Did they ever realease camp knives with wood scales during the 40s or 50s, or were they entirely bone/synthetic?

[Ripster]

So am I gathering from this thread that if I come across, say, a mid-century Camillus camp knife (99) with wood scales, the scales were never factory? Did they ever realease camp knives with wood scales during the 40s or 50s, or were they entirely bone/synthetic?

Have heard of Ebony being used on the 99s but no proof yet . Would do some investigating if you did come across one with wood on it .

[doglegg]

I can't recall seeing one in ebony. Would love to have one like that.

[bleasure]

Have heard of Ebony being used on the 99s but no proof yet . Would do some investigating if you did come across one with wood on it .

something like this https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/-FAAAOSw ... -l1600.jpg? based on this thread and the examples i've seen around in general, i'm thinking these were installed by someone other than the factory. also have the impression the steel's been significantly restored, but am curious what you think about whether that's the natural look of that metal if it's just been kept in nice shape.

[Ripster]

Have heard of Ebony being used on the 99s but no proof yet . Would do some investigating if you did come across one with wood on it .

something like this https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/-FAAAOSw ... -l1600.jpg? based on this thread and the examples i've seen around in general, i'm thinking these were installed by someone other than the factory. also have the impression the steel's been significantly restored, but am curious what you think about whether that's the natural look of that metal if it's just been kept in nice shape.

That ones been worked over . Agree on the wood covers ,looks other than factory . Steels been sanded down and worked a bit . Not worth much for Collecting but good enough user around the homestead if you need one for that .

[doglegg]

Received this old 99 recently. It is probably late war to first year of post war production as it is without a model number but with the no line tang stamp. (no line tang stamps very common to the 99's) Also the bone handles indicate that time period. Thanks for looking.
Just realized that I didn't take pics of the screwdriver and punch blades. Oops.

[Ripster]

Received this old 99 recently. It is probably late war to first year of post war production as it is without a model number but with the no line tang stamp. (no line tang stamps very common to the 99's) Also the bone handles indicate that time period. Thanks for looking.
Just realized that I didn't take pics of the screwdriver and punch blades. Oops.DSCN7619.JPGDSCN7621.JPGDSCN7622.JPGDSCN7624.JPG

Floyd. That old bone sure gives the 99 a nice look and feel compared to the shrinky dink plastic handles .
Very nice 99
Have noticed a lot of 99 s in the “ no line “ era as well . Maybe they were a good seller during that period as the War was winding down and men were coming back home by the thousands and starting there Families and building homes all over the countryside.

[treefarmer]

That one is a real beauty, Floyd!
I'm not big on that pattern but the bone brings that one to life! I suppose I've seen too many Camp-King knives with the handles shriveled up and that's why I kinda' shy away from those knives.
Treefarmer

[doglegg]

Received this old 99 recently. It is probably late war to first year of post war production as it is without a model number but with the no line tang stamp. (no line tang stamps very common to the 99's) Also the bone handles indicate that time period. Thanks for looking.
Just realized that I didn't take pics of the screwdriver and punch blades. Oops.DSCN7619.JPGDSCN7621.JPGDSCN7622.JPGDSCN7624.JPG

Floyd. That old bone sure gives the 99 a nice look and feel compared to the shrinky dink plastic handles .
Very nice 99
Have noticed a lot of 99 s in the “ no line “ era as well . Maybe they were a good seller during that period as the War was winding down and men were coming back home by the thousands and starting there Families and building homes all over the countryside.

Thanks. Trace. Those vets coming home would have wanted a knife they were use to so what better than one like what they had been carrying the last 4 years. It seem that the most of the other no Liners were #5 fish knives and nautical knives. Just my observation.

[doglegg]

That one is a real beauty, Floyd!
I'm not big on that pattern but the bone brings that one to life! I suppose I've seen too many Camp-King knives with the handles shriveled up and that's why I kinda' shy away from those knives.
Treefarmer

I agree Philip. Not my first choice for a carry knife. But the bone always socks me in. Thanks.

[New_Windsor_NY]

Received.....

Another successful fishing trip, Floyd!
Those handles......

[doglegg]

Received.....

Another successful fishing trip, Floyd!
Those handles......

As always, thanks Skip.