old camillus

[telesphore13]

Early Camillus Swell Center Folding Hunter Coke Bottle Ebony 1 Blade Knife, approx. 5 1/4" closed
Looking for info.

[supratentorial]

Early Camillus Swell Center Folding Hunter Coke Bottle Ebony 1 Blade Knife, approx. 5 1/4" closed
Looking for info.

Here's a 1936 catalog cut of the Camillus "Forest King"

[telesphore13]

Here is another oldie, if we can rely on the tang stamp!

[telesphore13]

Here is another picture of the tang, hopefully legible.

[telesphore13]

Tang reads "CAMILLUS/CUTLERYCO/CAMILLUS.NY

[tjmurphy]

There's probably U.S.A. stamped under the CAMILLUS, N.Y.

[telesphore13]

Right you are TJ, it was tucked in there and difficult to see. According to the Kastor spread sheet it would be dated 1919-41.

[gsmith7158]

Here's a Camillus easy open That I've had for a while and always wondered if it might be a transition from 1918 to 1919. On the secondary blade it has the Early arched stamp and on the main it has the 4 line stamp. The three line straight stamp was used with the arched stamp in this manner from 1915-18. So what do you think, left over blade or cobbled knife?

[carrmillus]

...greg, my guess would be left-over blade?.....love that old pattern!!!.... ............

[tjmurphy]

Right you are TJ, it was tucked in there and difficult to see. According to the Kastor spread sheet it would be dated 1919-41.

More than likely, 1941-1946. It appears to be all steel construction.

[americanedgetech]

Here's a Camillus easy open That I've had for a while and always wondered if it might be a transition from 1918 to 1919. On the secondary blade it has the Early arched stamp and on the main it has the 4 line stamp. The three line straight stamp was used with the arched stamp in this manner from 1915-18. So what do you think, left over blade or cobbled knife?

Is that the condition that you received the knife in? I ask because a knife that is THAT clean/shinny often goes hand in hand with a re-build.
If you cleaned it up it's likely that Carmillus is correct.

[Duffer]

Here is an old Equal End Camillus Jack I have with what I think is an obscure or scarce tang stamp. Both the spear blade and secondary pen blade are stamped with this three line address. CAMILLUS/CUTLERY CO./CAMILLUS N.Y.---No USA. This tang stamp from what I can determine is not in Goins. Not in Knife World in the tang stamp chart or spreadsheet "The Tang Stamps of Aldoph Kastor, Camillus and the their Cutlery relatives". Not anywhere I have looked except here on AAPK. Member Orvet (Dale) has done some digging/research on the Camillus tang stamp timeline viewtopic.php?t=32125#p300330 This tang stamp comes right on the heels or right after this three line tang stamp CAMILLUS/CUTLERY CO./NEW-YORK 1915-1918. This three line tang stamp address that Dale has researched is circa 1919--1932. Maybe Dale will comment on this I hope!

[carrmillus]

......don't see a mark like that in GOIN'S, but mine is an older issue.... looks identical to the 4line marking except that it is missing the "u. s. a." on the 4th line......beautiful old knife!!!.................. .....................

[carrmillus]

....finally got a chance to check the tang stamps on some of my older Camillus knives and I never realized I have 4 with that straight 3 line stamp, one is a lobster knife, the others are equal end 3 and 4 blade patterns, one is a sleeve board pattern. all have plain bar shields and rogers bone handles. i have 3 with the curved 3 line mark which I think are the oldest and also have a couple that have the 4 line stamp on the primary blade and the 3 line stamp on the secondary blade?????........the Camillus mysteries never end!!......... ............................