camillus 4 blade knife

[lance]

I picked it up at yard sale $3 It has a cream colored stagg handle,4 blades (knife blade,can opener like a P38,leather awl,and a bottle opener with flat screwdriver.) It has a ring in one end and a silver colored plate with U.S.A.on the handle ...Well what do I have fellers ?? Is it worth the $3 ?

[orvet]

Welcome to AAPK lance!
I have no doubt you got your money worth.

Without pictures I can't tell you just what you have.
Can you post pictures?
We love pics here on AAPK!

It sounds like a scout or camper pattern, but we can’t tell which one until we see the knife and the tang stamp(s).

Welcome aboard!

[Iron Hoarder]

Any knife with all its blades and a stag handle is worth $3.00.

[Elvis]

Could even be an old military issue, but like Dale said, we like pictures. Close-ups of any markings help a lot also.

[woseyjales]

Any knife with all its blades and a stag handle is worth $3.00.

Well.....almost any knife.
If it still has both handles would be even better.

Lance, should be easy to triple your money on that one imho.
Just to help out w/some of the terminology the 'ring' is
called a bail and the 'silver plate' is called the shield.
That particular shape is often called a bowtie shield.

[jerryd6818]

Welcome aboard Lance. Grab a rack, stow your gear and report to the Corporal of the Guard. You have mid-watch.

Okay, I've been wrong so many times lately, one more won't hurt. Get on over here Dimitri. Get ready to slap my hand. Hell, I don't even feel it anymore.

I'm going to say:
Camillus (Duh on me. That's in the header for the thread. )
World War II (1941-1946 *the knife not the war. Well, both I suppose.)
Jigged bone handles
Army issue
Value: A hell of a lot more than $3
Edit: The knife appears to have been heavily cleaned at some point in time. More opinions on that??

Top picture is from the knife Lance showed.
Bottom picture was taken from a group of Camillus tang stamps.

[orvet]

You got it Jerry.
The USA shield is US Army.
Probably WWII issue, though it could have been pre-war.
Camillus used that tang stamp from at least the 1930s.
That tang stamp was probably introduced shortly after WWI from what I have been able to ascertain from talking with Tom Williams.

It looks like Rogers bone handles and the newer style of can opener than the 2-piece can opener.
Dimitri can set us straight on the can opener styles and when they were used.

[jerryd6818]

Dale, that '46-'56 Camillus that's waiting on you to get rehandled has a two piece opener.

[orvet]

Dale, that '46-'56 Camillus that's waiting on you to get rehandled has a two piece opener.

Interesting!
I thought the two-piece can openers predated the can opener on his knife.

Jerry, can you post a pic of that two-piece?
Now I am curious.

Does anyone know about the different types of can openers and when they were used?
School is now in session.......we just need a teacher.

[Miller Bro's]

The knife in the OP is a WW II era U. S. Army Engineer`s utility knife.

The handles are jigged bone supplied by the Rogers company.

The can opener is not the safety type, so this knife was made sometime between 1940-44

The safety can opener was introduced in 1944 all the other knife companies followed suit.

You will see at least 3 different type can openers used on these knives during this time, including the two piece design.

This is what a safety can opener looks like.

[tjmurphy]

The 1946-48 Camillus catalogs shows 2-piece can openers with a straight cutting edge and calls them "New Type". 1951 shows the "modern" style can opener.

[orvet]

Thanks Dimitri & TJ!
I appreciate the learnin'.

[jerryd6818]

Here's that old dog. So this one would be '46-'50.

[FRJ]

Heres one just like Lances nice knife. Welcome lance!

[lance]

Thank you all. Sorry i dont reply sooner,just dont have much time now. So I can figure early 40's ? and could ya give me a guesstmit on it's worth .? I would like to know what I have. Hey ! I got the Real Mcoy I was talking about before.Got it for less than $20 with the box,knife and stone.

[philco]

Hi Lance. to AAPK.

I have a few of those scout utility knives and look at them on ebay with some regularity.

I'd estimate that your knife would be worth somewhere around $20 - $30 depending on who was wanting it. I'd lean more toward the lower end simply because it does show a fair amount of blade loss on the master spear blade. Still I think you got yourself a real deal and if you put it in your pocket and use it you'll see just what a great and useful pattern you have.

Phil

[lance]

Thanks Philco !