All About Pocket Knives

I have been chasing a timeline of Camillus tang stamps for several years, as many of you know. Like all vast projects started with half-vast ideas and expectations it has proven to be a monumental task! With over 100 years of stampings (with the Camillus name alone) it has begun to take shape in my mind in pieces.

This post is a small piece of that timeline dating from 1915 (about) to 1946, just after the end of WW II. For some of the stamps I have used the drawings presented in Goin’s Encyclopedia of Cutlery Markings. For others I have used my own picture (1932 tang stamp) or a picture taken form AAPK, the 1933 tang stamp, (unfortunately I don’t remember who so graciously allowed me to use his picture so I can properly credit him).


1915:
Goins: Both stamps have letters (in the computer ages we would call it a font) that is sans serif; without the little points on the ends of the letters, (much like the Arial font).


1916:
Goins: The master blade is stamped with serif letters, (much like the Times New Roman font); the secondary blade stamp is sans serif.


1915-1918:
Goins: This marks the start of this 3 line tang stamp: serif letters and the hyphen between the “New” and the “York” of the third line. If John and Charlotte Goins are correct on this dating there must have been a new stamp introduced about 1919-1920, but I don’t think it was the 4 line stamp they show in their book.

1919-1932: Three Line Stamp
CAMILLUS
CUTLERY CO
CAMILLUS NY

The reason I think this stamp is a 3 line and not the 4 line stamp is that we have a dated knife in 1932, a reproduction of George Washington’s penknife that has this stamp. I am assuming Goins is correct on his previous stamp date and that there was no other stamps between 1919 and 1932.

1932 George Washington’s penknife reproduction 1933 Worlds Fair Knife This is the first dated example I am aware of that shows the 4 line tang stamp used up until 1946. This knife was made for the 1933 World’s Fair. It is pretty well accepted among Camillus collectors that the 4 line stamp as seen here was used until after WW II until about 1946 when the tang stamp changed again to a 3 line stamp. According to Tom Williams, (Camillus Company Historian), this stamp was the last time Camillus used the word “CUTLERY” in their tang stamps except for reproductions of the Marine Rader Stiletto and the A425 USCG knives. These reproductions used the original tang stamps that were used during WW II.


This list of tang stamps is a work in progress, not the final word. I have no doubt I will need to change this list, perhaps multiple times. I welcome your feedback on this list and suggestions. There are other Camillus stamps I am aware of but I am unsure of where they go at this point in time. Some other tang stamps I think predate 1915, others, maybe not. Your input is welcome.

Dale

Get this done Dale. This would be a great resource.

Thats looking good Dale... ...the period between 1919 and 1946 is a hard one to figure out, but you are on the right track...

Bob

Here is an interesting tang stamp not pit into the mix yet.
The knife belongs to Jim, (coffeecup). I think it is an Army Air Corps knife; the Navy also used it. If this were the case, it would date it circa WW II.

Here is another fixed blade 3 line stamp. This pic is courtesy of welderbob.

The unique thing about this stamp is that the first and third lines are curved; the first curved upward and the third curved downward. This is the only example I have see of this stamping.

The use of the word ‘CUTLERY’ dates it prior to 1946 when ‘cutlery’ was dropped from Camillus tang stamps.

Bob does know the knife came from a retired US Army officer, who was a WW II veteran.

This is the only example I have of a 5 line Camillus stamp. This pic came from welderbob. Since I first saw this knife, Bob graciously sent me the knife because I was so interested in the tang stamp. Thank you Bob!

Again the use of the word “CUT” as an abbreviation of ‘cutlery’ makes me think this stamp would be prior to 1946.

It is obvious that the standard 4 line stamp would not fit on the tang of this small knife given the caplifter cut out. Perhaps this stamp is unique to this pattern?

I have this knife with 4 line tang stamp

Nice work Dale!

Nice one Vit!
May I borrow your picture?
I don't think I have an example of that stamp.

orvet wrote:Nice one Vit!
May I borrow your picture?
I don't think I have an example of that stamp.

Yes, of course.
Tomorrow, I may make a larger size picture

Awesome thread! Thanks Dale!

I just purchased a one blade EO 4 line stamp!

That is excellent Scott!
Be sure to show it to us in the Camillus WW II and Before thread!

I thought that I had read here on the forum, a long time ago, that these "bartender's" knives (single blade with cap lifter and a cork screw) were more modern manufacture and not from the era that the stamp indicates. I do have to admit though that my brain does go to sleep on me now and then.

So is this a 1919 to 1932 tang stamp . It also has the Sword brand stamp on the main ,so 1920s to 1940 s . This is one of the smallest stamps that have .
Been cruising around the old posts here in the Camillus area and just a whole bunch of good stuff . Some of you fellas are still here ,that’s pretty cool after all these years .

Vit_213 wrote: ↑Sun Sep 30, 2012 7:03 am I have this knife with 4 line tang stamp

Vit do you still have this knife ? If so is there a address of the business on the other side ? Believe this knife to be 1919 to 1932 and was hoping to check out the business for some comparison. It doesn’t have the USA line on the tang stamp and have been compiling notes regarding this era of Camillus stamps . Thanks

Yes, I still have this knife, but there are no inscriptions on the other side.
I have another knife of the same pattern (I haven't photographed it yet). Can you determine the approximate date from his inscriptions?

Vit_213 wrote: ↑Sat Nov 27, 2021 8:22 pm Yes, I still have this knife, but there are no inscriptions on the other side.
I have another knife of the same pattern (I haven't photographed it yet). Can you determine the approximate date from his inscriptions?

1898. George Gano and J.R Baker started business
1915 Built GanoGrain Elevator and Scale house west of Kinseley KS.
1918 Gano buys out Baker
1931. Becomes Gano Grain Corp. and one of the biggest in Kansas .
1949. Sold to Bunge Corp which is now part of Cargill Corp .
So with that bit of info would say your knife is 1932 to late 1940 s . Info came from basic Goggle search .
What tang stamp is on this one ?

orvet wrote: ↑Sat Sep 29, 2012 2:23 pm Here is another fixed blade 3 line stamp. This pic is courtesy of welderbob.

The unique thing about this stamp is that the first and third lines are curved; the first curved upward and the third curved downward. This is the only example I have see of this stamping.

The use of the word ‘CUTLERY’ dates it prior to 1946 when ‘cutlery’ was dropped from Camillus tang stamps.

Bob does know the knife came from a retired US Army officer, who was a WW II veteran.

I have a similar knife that had belonged to my Uncle who was killed over Japan when his B29 was rammed by a Kamikazi on April 7, 1945. MyMother had only told me that the knife had belonged to her brother and she gave it to me when I received my Second Class scout badge in the late 50's. It stood up remarkable well duing 6 years of scounting. I'm trying to pass this on to a Niece who has an interest in the military and interest in the history of our family. I had thought that this knife had been given to him as a teenager in South Florida, but the style of the lettering and the shape of the three lines now indicates it could also have been an AAC issue. Since it was in my Mom's possession, I know that it was not on his person when his plane went down but could have been in his personal items and returned to my Grandparents from Guam when he went MIA. Do you know if there ever was a Camillus civilian manufactured hunting knife prior to the Government purchase? As an aside, is there any history of Camillus that indicates when a new stamp is first introduced?

This is copied from Orvet's post on the same thread:
"1919-1932: Three Line Stamp
CAMILLUS
CUTLERY CO
CAMILLUS NY

The reason I think this stamp is a 3 line and not the 4 line stamp is that we have a dated knife in 1932, a reproduction of George Washington’s penknife that has this stamp. I am assuming Goins is correct on his previous stamp date and that there was no other stamps between 1919 and 1932.

1932 George Washington’s penknife reproduction
Camillus Geo Wash 3 line b.jpg"


This one came in the mail today.
Doing a bit of searching before I posted my "new" Camillus, I found the above part of some research Dale had done and lo and behold, I found out what my knife is! Treefarmer