All About Pocket Knives

Until I happen to stumble across the correct parts needed to restore this one...

LongBlade wrote:Nice Ken ... interesting design on caplifter ... funny thing is I have yet to add a scout knife to the pile but if I found a Miller Bros that itch would be sorted ... or a nice Challenge Scout for that matter ...

I have both a Miller Bros and a Challenge but unfortunately only one of each, else you'd have one Lee. As for the Miller Bros lifter design it is unique. Combination cap lifter/screwdriver/acetylene light wrench. If you think when these were made, the acetylene wrench came in pretty handy. Not sure why the "backside" of the wrench is round though, as most you see have square corners. Makes me think maybe there was yet another function for it as well as acetylene lamps.

Ken

Mumbleypeg wrote:

LongBlade wrote:Nice Ken ... interesting design on caplifter ... funny thing is I have yet to add a scout knife to the pile but if I found a Miller Bros that itch would be sorted ... or a nice Challenge Scout for that matter ...

I have both a Miller Bros and a Challenge but unfortunately only one of each, else you'd have one Lee. As for the Miller Bros lifter design it is unique. Combination cap lifter/screwdriver/acetylene light wrench. If you think when these were made, the acetylene wrench came in pretty handy. Not sure why the "backside" of the wrench is round though, as most you see have square corners. Makes me think maybe there was yet another function for it as well as acetylene lamps.

Ken

Thanks Ken ...

Interesting and makes sense as you mention given early 1900s... I imagine an acetylene key would be handy as scouts most likely had acetylene lanterns back at that time... unique !!

michaelspayth wrote:Until I happen to stumble across the correct parts needed to restore this one...

Hey I dig the googly eye!!
My daughter would love it , she puts those things on everything.

michaelspayth - Thats a great old CATT!

Thanks! It was actually one of the first few knives that I ever bought.

A few..

I just picked up my third, Camp Fire Girls utensil kit knife. So now I have two Imperial and one BOKER Camp Fire Girls knives to add to my Imperial, BOKER and Geo Schrade Boy Scout and Girl Scout utensil kit knives collection.

This Imperial Scout knife "should" arrive next week. It is my first Imperial Scout knife with this style shield. Except for some blade spotting, it appears to be in very good condition. I'll give it the once over when I receive it and post MY pictures in the appropriate location(s). These are the seller's pictures.

My newest (to me) Imperial Scout knife. My second Imperial, but my first with this style shield. It also has a different tang stamp. I gave it a light cleaning to make it a bit more presentable and here it is. The "before" pictures are just above this post. The last picture shows the difference between the two shields.

A repost but a Nice Schrade CutCo

I acquired this Camillus Boy Scout knife recently. I am not a Boy Scout collector and I was hoping to date this knife. When I picked it up I thought it was Ulster so I was surprised when I saw the Official Knife etch on the blade and the CAMILLUS/STAINLESS/USA tang stamp. It’s a nice knife in great condition so I bought it.

I asked Phil what he could tell me about it, he scratched his head and directed me here.

Are any of you good folks who collect Scout Knives familiar with this Camillus?
If so what can you tell me about it?


Thank ya’ll in advance for your help.

orvet wrote: ↑Sun Oct 13, 2019 4:26 pm I acquired this Camillus Boy Scout knife recently. I am not a Boy Scout collector and I was hoping to date this knife. When I picked it up I thought it was Ulster so I was surprised when I saw the Official Knife etch on the blade and the CAMILLUS/STAINLESS/USA tang stamp. It’s a nice knife in great condition so I bought it.

I asked Phil what he could tell me about it, he scratched his head and directed me here.

Are any of you good folks who collect Scout Knives familiar with this Camillus?
If so what can you tell me about it?


Thank ya’ll in advance for your help.

Dale, I know absolutely nothing about the details of Scout Knives. I do however, have a good book on Scout Knives.
Here are 2 pages that deal with Camillus Scout Knives. Maybe yours is included.
Sorry if you can't read them or they won't ENLARGE. I still can't post pictures correctly.

Thank you Skip, the pictures are fine and they will get larger when I click on them.
I’m not sure if it has the knife I’m looking for on it or not. There’s only one I see that comes close to it, and it’s on the first page; the one numbered CAM 12 BR.
The length is correct, the blade count is correct, it has a brown handle, I’m not sure if that’s what they call Brown/Yellow handle or not. The etch they have listed appears to be correct, it has the round shield, permanent bail, plane bolsters and three rivets in the handles.

This appears to be the right, maybe one of the scout knife collectors would be so kind as to confirm it if this is the correct knife.

Dale
I believe you are correct in that your Knife is similar to CAM12BR that Kerr describes in 600 Scout Knives (1997)
but I think your Stainless version was either missed by the reviewer or produced after Kerr's book was published.
Kerr lists both a Black (CAM11BR) and Brown/Yellow CAM12BR) handle 4 blade knife but does not list Stainless.
But in Ed Holbrook's Official Scout Blades (1998) he pictures and describes a Camillus Black handle, 4 blade Stainless BSA #1996
Manufactured in the same time frame c1989 to present (2007)

David
Rustyoldknife

Thank you David.
I appreciate your expertise!

Here is a Camillus 5" double lock back with jigged Delrin handles and a Boy Scout emblem shield. It appears 'mint' but there is no B.S.A. blade etch.
Is this an official B.S.A. knife ? If yes, should there be a B.S.A. etch on the master blade ?
thanks for the help,
kj

Kootenay joe

Yes it should have a blade etch, this is my example and a description from Kerr's 600 Scout knives.

CAM30BR 5.00" 2-Blade Camillus Lockback "Woodsman," Brown Handle
BSA#1068. MB(M): CAMILLUS/<line>/NEW YORK/USA. TF shield. MB(etch): OFFICIAL<>KNIFE/BOY SCOUTS
<>OF AMERICA with TF crossing lines at <>. 4-rivet. Blade and saw. Hole in handle. 1989-present.

Yours is still a good looking example

rustyoldknife

Rusty thank you for this info and for posting a picture of your knife showing the etch. Mine does not appear to have been buffed so likely it did not get etched. I wonder how much the lack of etch decreases the value ? maybe by 50% ?? I am not a collector of B.S.A. knives so i am guessing at how knives lacking the B.S.A. etch are valued.
The sheath i have for it is a perfect fit but again it is plain, no "B.S.A." embossed on it so it might not be the official sheath ?
kj

KJ...the nail nicks are in two different places, on the master blade. Also yours has two nicklesilver pins, rustyoldknife's has all brass. Appear to be from two different runs?

kootenay joe

You very well may be right about it never had a etch.
There are many different variations of this same Camillus scout knife all with the same catalog number.
I haven't seen any of this model come with a sheath.

As far as value it depends on the day of the week and interested bidders,
I have seen NIB with etch sell from $40 to $100 but most go around $60 to $70

rushyoldknife

Good spotting to note nail nick positions not the same. My bet is that this pattern was made at least twice in small runs. Wallace R. who ran the Camillus Custom Shop for 35 years told me that this double lock back pattern was a real challenge to make. The blades often end up with little to no snap. He did not explain why this is.
In any pattern with a blade etch there always are a few knives that come out with no etch, but i don't know how this happens. I would think that a collector of B.S.A. knives would definitely want his knives to have the B.S.A. blade etch.
kj

Yesterday, this BEAR MGC made it into my collection. These are MY pictures. Click on a picture to ENLARGE.

New_Windsor_NY wrote: ↑Fri Dec 13, 2019 4:43 pm Yesterday, this BEAR MGC made it into my collection. These are MY pictures. Click on a picture to ENLARGE.

First Bear MGC Boy Scout “whittler“ I recall seeing, Skip. Has a nice blade etch. The Boy Scout emblem appears melted into the handle cover? Is the quality on par with the Camillus originals?

Ken

Mumbleypeg wrote: ↑Thu Dec 26, 2019 2:16 am

New_Windsor_NY wrote: ↑Fri Dec 13, 2019 4:43 pm Yesterday, this BEAR MGC made it into my collection. These are MY pictures. Click on a picture to ENLARGE.

First Bear MGC Boy Scout “whittler“ I recall seeing, Skip. Has a nice blade etch. The Boy Scout emblem appears melted into the handle cover? Is the quality on par with the Camillus originals?

Ken

Hi Ken. Yes, to me the quality is top notch. All 3 blades have a snap that would embarrass a crocodile. None of the blades have any wobble. The handles show no signs of shrinking. The springs, bolsters and the liner all look fantastic. It has the nice blade etch and a nice, deep, legible tang stamp. Whether or not the blades hold an edge, I don't plan on finding out. This is just for my collection and won't be used or carried. I have no problems at all with this purchase.