All About Pocket Knives

I like that one Roland. Was the sta-sharp line made by camillus and schrade?

Picked these 3 up today. Definitely improved my Monday!
-Joe

Producer wrote:Beauties guys!
Here are few I got.
Top 72 is the new one-no swedge on the main blade but like new.

Looks like you hit a jackpot!

Wade & Roland I have no idea got it from Scott bid .99 cents on it he thought it was cool and I did too, and I ain't even in to fix blades that much. Great pickup yawl fine knives.

jerryd6818 wrote:I don't believe it's part of the Sta-Sharp family. The Forged USA is listed in the Kastor list as Camillus made for Sears 1935-1960. Just looking at it, the handles look more like Rogers jigged bone and I would lean more towards the 1950s.
Forged USA.jpg

This is a Sta-Sharp.
High Carbon Steel STA-SHARP Wood Carver 9511 - Open Mark.JPG

And no, I don't believe it's an 863. Wouldn't bet my life on it but even with the nail nick on the main, I don't think that's Schrade made. Other opinions welcomed.

I don't think either Schrade CutCo or, later, Schrade Walden EVER used bone like that.

Producer, you nearly needed a wheelbarrow to bring that haul in - nice knives! OH

Old Hunter wrote:Producer, you nearly needed a wheelbarrow to bring that haul in - nice knives! OH

Thanks OH and everyone. I haven't had much opportunity to take pics, post, etc lately but I'm still at it!
More to come.

Regarding my Craftsman 9529 posted on previous page, it is 3 5/8" and an exact match to my Schrade-Walden bone 863.
The Camillus #72 is similar but measures 3 1/2".
I think this Craftsman is a Schrade-Walden 863. Maybe the bone was a special order for Sears, a very big customer, one to please, not loose.
kj

Edit to add:
I have another Craftsman 9529 but with a half saber grind (vs. full flat grind) and an oval shield.
In the same S-W 863 pattern i have 2 Craftsman 9494
And, a Sta-Sharp Wood Carver 9511, full saber grind.

All are the same 3 5/8" pattern.
kj

Here's a sure enough Camillus 72 that is just a hair under 3 5/8", 3 9/16 actually. All the Camillus 72's I've ever seen are over 3 1/2 inches.
Cuz can clear this up, but it was always under there assumption that there Schrade 863 was identical to the Camillus 72, with the exception of the Swinden Key in later models.

Quote: "actually. All the Camillus 72's I've ever seen are over 3 1/2 inches"

I have 6 Camillus # 72 in front of me. All are 3 1/2" or if you want to be super exact, about 1/32 max. over 3 1/2". All are well shy of 3 9/16".
kj

Every listing for a 72 I've seen in all the Camillus catalogs I have access to has stated 3-5/8". (A few catalog cuts are posted below.) Every one. Tomorrow, I'll drag out my calipers and my 72s and get to measuring. In fact, to be as exact as possible I won't use the cheap Chinese plastic $2 calipers, I'll go out to the garage and get the good ones.

Good night. See y'all tomorrow.

I'm looking forward to the caliper measurements.
Regardless of the measurements when i hold the Craftsman up against a Camillus 72, the Craftsman is a bit longer. When i hold it against the S-W 863 the length is the same.
Is it possible for a knife to vary in length by about 1/16" from one run to another run done a few years apart ?
kj

Baer bought Ulster in late 1940/early 1941. Before that he was sending STA SHARP knives from Camillus to Sears. I am reasonably certain that at the same time, Ulster also was filling STA SHARP contracts for Sears. That might be worth researching. This knife looks like a pre-war Rogers bone knife to me. It dang sure does not have Schrade bone on it. Also, somewhere in this thread I saw the phrase STA SHARP CRAFTSMAN or CRAFTSMAN STA SHARP. Not. They were two different lines. Baer started etching Sears knives with CRAFTSMAN in 1941, and the tang stamps came a little later, according to Michael Little's research. And on a weakly-related note, I don't think Schrade CutCo ever had a Sears contract; those came after the company passed from the Schrades to Baer in December of 1947. All of this from me is circumstantial evidence; nothing hard here, but worth further speculation? Also wanted to mention that the Schrade CutCo precursor to the 863 (the 8633 3/4) and the 863 itself do not have the same blade lay-out as the OP knife.

I believe it was Dale that once said it was not uncommon for knives of three same brand and model to vary in length 1/16 th because of the hafting process.

An 863 IS a 72.

1/16" is such a small amount I would think it's more likely to be manufacturing variance than a schrade with rogers bone.

Calvin, i think this is not correct: "somewhere in this thread I saw the phrase STA SHARP CRAFTSMAN or CRAFTSMAN STA SHARP. Not. They were two different lines. Baer started etching Sears knives with CRAFTSMAN in 1941, and the tang stamps came a little later"

"Sta-Sharp" was the brand name of the top of the line Craftsman pocket knives. The Craftsman line was started in 1927 and Sears catalogs in 1930's show "Sta-Sharp" and other lines of Craftsman knives. Some of the 1940's catalog pages show only the "Sta-Sharp" name, but others show "Craftsman" & "Sta-Sharp" together on the same knife.
kj

Wow Roland, that's a dandy knife. Superb bone.

Thanks Paul. It's a Craftsman Sta-Sharp, quite mint condition. This was a knife you could receive in the mail by ordering from Sears, or pick it up at a Sears store. It shows how high the quality was back then. This is an 'old' Sta-Sharp as evidenced by the "Scout" on the shield. Some time in the 1930's Boy Scouts of America won a suit to restrict use of the word "Scout" to official BSA knives, so this knife is from before then.
kj

KJ, That is a fine looking knife there.

Mail just arrived.....

TripleF wrote:Mail just arrived.....

Another great mail day for you Scott.

All I get this time of month are bills.

Fantastic old Camillus Scott. I have one of those with an original sheath and man does it take an edge. You gonna take it on a mission?

Colonel26 wrote:Fantastic old Camillus Scott. I have one of those with an original sheath and man does it take an edge. You gonna take it on a mission?

Absolutely.....andwatch the boys EYES bug out when I whip it out! LOL Oh, I'm so bad, I love it though......

jerryd6818 wrote:Every listing for a 72 I've seen in all the Camillus catalogs I have access to has stated 3-5/8". (A few catalog cuts are posted below.) Every one. Tomorrow, I'll drag out my calipers and my 72s and get to measuring. In fact, to be as exact as possible I won't use the cheap Chinese plastic $2 calipers, I'll go out to the garage and get the good ones.

Good night. See y'all tomorrow.

Busy day. Measured 14 this afternoon (various eras). The shortest was 3.583", the longest was 3.638". The average was 3.614" (throw out the shortest and the longest). So eleven thousandths shorter than the advertised 3-5/8" (3.625"). For a plant manufacturing knives with lots of hand operations, that's pretty dadgummed good. Hey, they were making knives, not clocks.

I'd be willing to bet if they got within 1/16" they were happy. You can bet customers didn't whip out a caliper and measure the knife when they bought it. Only collectors do that kind of shirt.

I really like those Camillus fixed blades. Have to put that one on my list.

These were delivered within the past few days....
Top is a Queen City #10 with black composite handles
Middle is a Queen #26 stockman with the "greenist" Winterbottom bone I've ever seen.
Bottom is a good old Providence Cutlery Co equal end jack.