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.
gsmith7158 wrote:As promised here are some pics of my newest additions to my Camillus 72 family.001.JPG002.JPG003.JPG004.JPG005.JPG006.JPG007.JPG011.JPG012.JPG
And finally for your viewing pleasure , The New 72 First Gen Chorus line . Just look at those gals kick!013.JPG
...greg, in that last pic, the 2nd knife from the right looks like a 2nd gen. to me????.......... .........
gsmith7158 wrote:As promised here are some pics of my newest additions to my Camillus 72 family.001.JPG002.JPG003.JPG004.JPG005.JPG006.JPG007.JPG011.JPG012.JPG
And finally for your viewing pleasure , The New 72 First Gen Chorus line . Just look at those gals kick!013.JPG
...greg, in that last pic, the 2nd knife from the right looks like a 2nd gen. to me????.......... .........
Tommy both of those secondary blades are a bit short on that one looks like both have been reprofiled.
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Greg
IF YOU AIN'T BUYING OR LOOKING AT A KNIFE THEN YOU AIN'T LIVING.
Always looking to buy good quality Empire knives.
Shearer wrote:Greg it won't be long and you will be counting them by weight.
Nice lot of 72's and you must have cornered the market on first generations.
I don't have the Sacramento River in my collection.
Grant
Well Grant I told myself I would quit at ten so there they are. Still don't have a dead mint one though so that may not hold.
That Sacremento River was one of a series made for the outdoor store Orvis.
Something like this. Not quit mint but close.
Grant
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Politicians should be like a good pocket knife ." Sharp and useful "
Shearer wrote:Greg it won't be long and you will be counting them by weight.
Nice lot of 72's and you must have cornered the market on first generations.
I don't have the Sacramento River in my collection.
Grant
Well Grant I told myself I would quit at ten so there they are. Still don't have a dead mint one though so that may not hold.
That Sacremento River was one of a series made for the outdoor store Orvis.
Something like this. Not quit mint but close.
Grant
Hi! What an interesting thread! I was just gifted my grandfather's 72, I never even got to meet him, needless to say the sentamentle value outweighs any other concerns, value, condition etc. This knife is the short underline camillus new york usa tang stand I easilly dated from the late thirties to mid forties. My dad said he probably bought it fresh off the boat from WW2. I have a question I bet someone here can answer and save me so much more time ... how much did this knife cost brand new in say, 1945? Me and my dad were wondering if he splurged on this one because he was a notorious cheapskate supposedly. I'm sure one of you big guys has a catalog or maybe even right in the old noggin the original MSRP on a 1940's Camillus 72 with what appears to be Delrin? Black scales (unsure of handle material... but I would say it's plastic). I don't have a pic on my phone now, but I will post one when I get home. Thanks for any info, and trust me... I've done my research on this knife... but the original price on one has eluded me. Thanks in advance for anything y'all know... and what an amazing thread full of beautiful knives... eye candy for day anydvancend info to boot!
MarsHillPicker welcome to AAPK!
If you like those old Camillus 72's, You've come to the right place. There are quite a few 72 fans here, some more rabid than others but we all love em. There are a number of Camillus catalogs you can view here http://www.collectors-of-camillus.us/
It includes the 1946 catalog which shows our Holy Grail of 72's the short line bone handle initial release of the 72 or as we call it the first Generation 72. We do a lot of prognosticating here as to when certain editions were introduced since there is not alot of documentation on that matter so feel free to jump right in with your thoughts. I have two of the knives that you speak of with the short line tang stamp and the black composite scales and they are pictured below. We think the short line stamp puts it in a very narrow window of 1946 to 1950, again merely prognostication on our part. Since we don't have a lot of hard facts it tends to make for some interesting conversations on their history so feel free to jump right in. Again to AAPK
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Greg
IF YOU AIN'T BUYING OR LOOKING AT A KNIFE THEN YOU AIN'T LIVING.
Always looking to buy good quality Empire knives.
TwoFlowersLuggage wrote:I won a 72 auction today. I paid too much, but I wanted one to replace the rust-bucket I currently have. I'll show pics when it arrives.
They are excellent users TFL. YOU NEED LOTS OF SPARES!
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Greg
IF YOU AIN'T BUYING OR LOOKING AT A KNIFE THEN YOU AIN'T LIVING.
Always looking to buy good quality Empire knives.
I finally got myself a 72, just arrived today. I haven’t had a chance to do anything but a little wipe down on it but I think I’m in love! I’m hoping that tomorrow I can take it for a test whittle.
I got lucky; the knife was already sharp, just needed a little stropping. I made a little shavings with it this afternoon and the angle is a little steeper than I’m used to but it’s a really nice knife. I’m going to use it as is for a bit and see if I adjust to the angle or need to lower it a bit. Either way, I think I’m going to be very happy with it!
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I’m hoping that tomorrow I can take it for a test whittle.