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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ozzie marie
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Show Us Your Camillus Knives!

Post by ozzie marie »

I'll start this thread with a few of mine ::nod::

A 165 & 179

Keith
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Camillus 165.jpg
Camillus 179.jpg
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mtds
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Thanks for starting this thread

Post by mtds »

Thanks for starting this thread. Here's a couple of pics of this week's EDC, an old workhorse, still walking and talking. Takes a good edge, comfortable in the pocket, and easily replaceable. I'd like to know more about setting the dates of manufacture of these knives. Based on what I've read on this site, this one was made sometime after 1976. I'm open to instruction or correction here, just learning.
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Camillus electricians' EDC 01a.JPG
Camillus electricians' EDC 01b.JPG
Camillus electricians' EDC 01c.JPG
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upnorth
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Re: Show Us Your Camillus Knives!

Post by upnorth »

Nice NIBs, Keith!! Do you know dates for those? Steels, boxes . . . . . . . . . . .just loverly :) !
Great old electrician's knife mtds.
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orvet
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Re: Show Us Your Camillus Knives!

Post by orvet »

Here are a few of mine to help get this thread rolling.

Come on guys.........
SHOW US YOUR CAMILLUS KNIVES!

Dale
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Classic Camillus Booy Scout knife
Classic Camillus Booy Scout knife
Camillus Deluxe Stockman from 1976
Camillus Deluxe Stockman from 1976
Etch on 1976 Deluxe Stockman
Etch on 1976 Deluxe Stockman
A Camillus Rough Cut Stockman.<br />These knives did not have the fine finish work on them as the regular Camillus knives did. <br />It seems to me that the closer Camillus got to closing, the rougher these knives got, if the ones sold on ebay are any indicator.
A Camillus Rough Cut Stockman.
These knives did not have the fine finish work on them as the regular Camillus knives did.
It seems to me that the closer Camillus got to closing, the rougher these knives got, if the ones sold on ebay are any indicator.
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Re: Show Us Your Camillus Knives!

Post by upnorth »

orvet wrote:
Come on guys.........
SHOW US YOUR CAMILLUS KNIVES!

Dale
Alright, alright; . . . . .sheesh! Pushy guy! 8)

Camillus made these Barlows, no matter what thay say!! :mrgreen:
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Camillus-made Barlows.jpg
Utopia!! A chicken in every pot!! And a Barlow in every pocket!!!


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Re: Show Us Your Camillus Knives!

Post by upnorth »

Camillus made the two lighter handled ones I think. I'm not sure about the darker one.
Who knows all the answers?? Come on, who??? :mrgreen:
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Camillus Stockmen 1.jpg
Camillus Stockmen 2.jpg
Camillus Stockmen 3.jpg
Utopia!! A chicken in every pot!! And a Barlow in every pocket!!!


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orvet
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Re: Show Us Your Camillus Knives!

Post by orvet »

Nice ones Charlie! ::tu:: ::tu::

Here are some more of mine...

Let's see more guys.............

Dale
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Camillus 72 & 76.jpg
Camillus Catfish Hunter c.jpg
Camco Sheepfoot Barlow.jpg
Camillus 43.jpg
Camillus Hawkbill TL-29.jpg
Camillus Heat.jpg
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Re: Show Us Your Camillus Knives!

Post by trail »

I posted this one a while back but took some new pictures. Now that we have a good place to keep all the Camillus knives together, I will repost it. This is one of the prettiest knives I have ever seen, evidence that Camillus could produce knives of a quality equal to any of the more famous companies. Unfortunately it shows some pitting on the blades, hopefully from sitting in the hardware store counter for years and not from out-gassing. Either way, I keep it out in the open so I can look at it frequently and it won't damage any of my other knives. Once in a while it rides in my pocket for a day or two.
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cam_cell_2.jpg
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orvet
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Re: Show Us Your Camillus Knives!

Post by orvet »

Very pretty knife trail! ::tu:: ::tu::
I like the tortoise celluloid. I think it is one of the prettiest types of celluloid.


While I am here I may as well add more of my Camillus knives. :mrgreen:
In this post I will post Camillus military knives circa WWII or before.

Dale
Attachments
Camillus Rope 08 mark.jpg
Camillus Easy Open Jack.jpg
Camillus Easy Open Jack pile.jpg
Camillus Easy Open Jack #2.jpg
Camillus Easy Open Jack #2 Pile.jpg
Camillus TL29 bone a.jpg
Camillus TL29 bone b.jpg
Camillus Jack OKCA mini a.jpg
This knife does not bear the WWII era tang stamp, but had nice bone handles on it. I believe this to be post-war, probably from the late 1940s or 1950s.
This knife does not bear the WWII era tang stamp, but had nice bone handles on it. I believe this to be post-war, probably from the late 1940s or 1950s.
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Re: Show Us Your Camillus Knives!

Post by trail »

Dale, you are very generous to show us your collection of vintage knives. I especially like the easy open jacks. In truth, many of the old Camillus patterns are disappearing from the knife scene. I think they were the last American manufacturer of a real sailor's marlinspike knife, the last manufacturer of the TL-29 electrician's knife and the last manufacturer of a big hawksbill linoleum knife. Many workmen of the past carried a knife that was specific to his job, but nowadays most of the guys seem to want to carry big tacticals.

Here is a late model linoleum knife. According to Steve Pfeiffer's book, this knife was also made on contract to Case to be resold as their 61011 SS.
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camillus_linoleum.jpg
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Re: Show Us Your Camillus Knives!

Post by BIGHEAD »

Image
Image
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ozzie marie
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Re: Show Us Your Camillus Knives!

Post by ozzie marie »

Here's a #7 Folding Hunter ::nod::

Don't you just love a knife with a light switch in the handle :mrgreen:

Charlie, to answer your question, the 165, 179 and this 7 are from the 1970's

Keith
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Camillus #7.jpg
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Re: Show Us Your Camillus Knives!

Post by upnorth »

Nice Yellow Jacket Bighead!
Gee, Keith, with that knife, I wouldn't have to be afraid of the dark!! :mrgreen: :mrgreen:
Here's a nice group of five. I think my favorite is the 4-line Cattle knife.
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Camillus5.jpg
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Re: Show Us Your Camillus Knives!

Post by trail »

I see a rigger's knife in Upnorth's collection. That is another example of the kind of specialized knife that Camillus made for the working men who made this country great. In later years, Camillus supplied Case with a version of this knife to sell as their 6246 L R SS. Here's my rigger, purchased a while back from an AAPK store.
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cam_spike.jpg
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Re: Show Us Your Camillus Knives!

Post by upnorth »

Nice to see a serrated version, trail. Thanks for posting it.

Here's another work knife; the handle embossing says it all!
I've posted the tangs for those collecting the pattern numbers.
Single backspring knife.
Attachments
CamillusBudmark.jpg
CamillusBudmarkTang.jpg
CamillusBudPile.jpg
CamillusBudPileTang.jpg
CamillusBudPileTang.jpg (38.79 KiB) Viewed 20176 times
Utopia!! A chicken in every pot!! And a Barlow in every pocket!!!


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Re: Show Us Your Camillus Knives!

Post by upnorth »

Here we can pretty well date when the tang stamp was used.

Only one blade is marked; single backspring.

Tiny knife (Tuxedo?)
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CamillusChristmas 1.jpg
CamillusChristmas 2.jpg
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Re: Show Us Your Camillus Knives!

Post by orvet »

trail wrote: Here is a late model linoleum knife. According to Steve Pfeiffer's book, this knife was also made on contract to Case to be resold as their 61011 SS.
Camillus made a lot of knives for other companies.
Actually the pattern you call a linoleum knife, was originally used for pruning and grafting.
I think it predates the popular use of linoleum.
Perhaps Charlie knows when the pattern originated, but I would imagine it was in the early part of the 1800s and probably earlier.

Don't feel bad though. When I first saw one I thought it was a folding linoleum knife myself! :mrgreen:

Dale
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Re: Show Us Your Camillus Knives!

Post by glennbad »

Here's a couple...

Image

Image

Image

Image

Image

Image

Glenn
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Re: Show Us Your Camillus Knives!

Post by orvet »

Nice ones Glenn!
I am especially fond of the old ones with Rogers Bone!

Dale
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Re: Show Us Your Camillus Knives!

Post by Miller Bro's »

Glenn,

Like that party knife set ::tu::
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Re: Show Us Your Camillus Knives!

Post by Just Plain Dave »

Upnorth, you KILLED me with three of those knives on page one!

Think about and you'll know which three!
Looking for the magic penny!
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Re: Show Us Your Camillus Knives!

Post by upnorth »

Geez Dave!! I didn't mean it! :cry:

Anyway, I'm glad you're not like DEAD killed :shock: !

:mrgreen: :mrgreen:

I'm guessing the stockmen?
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Re: Show Us Your Camillus Knives!

Post by Just Plain Dave »

The three with nice equal ends and at least one Spear Point blade!

My Fave pattern and blade shape!
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Re: Show Us Your Camillus Knives!

Post by 268bull »

These are my three latest Camillus purchases
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2010 Case 001.JPG
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Re: Show Us Your Camillus Knives!

Post by trail »

Another example of the Camillus 49. This is about as far from an electrician's knife as you can get, but a Camillus nevertheless. A good workman wants something special to carry to church on Sunday.
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cam_49.jpg
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