All About Pocket Knives

My good friend Ron Fish (ronfish) gifted me this knife and I am forever grateful on many fronts.

First, Ron taught me to think outside my comfort zone of collecting and consider adding a rare specimen even if it doesn't meet your collecting criteria. Ron and I both talked about this knife during the eBay auction and while I could have taken a shot at winning the auction, I couldn't pull the trigger because of the broken blade and hazy covers. Ron saw beyond that and somehow knew that I'd see the light once the knife was in hand. He was spot on.

Second, I've always loved the provenance behind any knife, and having the full name, city, and state of the original owner on this knife is huge. I've already discovered much about Austin C. Watts including his military service during WWI with the US Marine Corps and that his only child, Raymond Austin Watts had no children, thereby ending the lineage back to the original owner. I've got access to the BSA annual reports to Congress dating back to 1910 so my next adventure is opening up those and trying to place Mr. Watts in a Troop with a Rank!

Third, I think I've been gift-blinded by running our monthly giveaways for the past 5+ years and have become numb to the notion of giving away one of my knives. I guess because I'm involved transactionally with our now twice-monthly donors and recipients, I forgot how good it feels to be on the receiving end of a random act of kindness. I have many knives in my collection that would make someone feel good and I would also feel good for making them feel good, IYKWIM!

As I learn more about this super rare knife I'll update my findings in this thread. Thanks for listening to my story. Peace.

I am glad you have embraced the knife because it is more than that - it represents the earliest days of scouting in the US and has a confirmed lineage due to the scout name. It is super cool to learn about the scout behind the knife!

Great story! Glad you were able to discover the provenance, and thank you both for sharing it.

Ken

Mumbleypeg wrote: ↑Mon Feb 20, 2023 4:48 pm Great story! Glad you were able to discover the provenance, and thank you both for sharing it.

Ken

Thanks Ken - while $0.75 doesn't seem like a lot of money today, in 1911 the average family had an annual income of $750

Glad you got it Tom , great piece of history .
I had a chance about 10 years ago to buy the 4 blade version at the gator show and I didn’t pull the trigger because of condition .
Been kicking myself ever since .

Mike

ScoutKnives wrote: ↑Mon Feb 20, 2023 7:03 pm Glad you got it Tom , great piece of history .
I had a chance about 10 years ago to buy the 4 blade version at the gator show and I didn’t pull the trigger because of condition .
Been kicking myself ever since .

Mike

Thanks Mike - it's amazing what we learn over time !

This is a great story and a nice old piece of memoribilia too.
I notice the advertisement says "Boy Scout" would be printed on the front of the knife, where this example is "boys life", and it has the fleur de lis symbol but can't quite make out if it is an official BSA logo , are you able to tell? I dont think it detracts from the story or the history, but i'm wondering if the ad is for a seperately distinct piece. I flipped through my 1911 Scout handbook hoping to catch a listing for this too, but no such luck.
1911 is so early in BSA history I could see pieces being formulated around copyrights and such, has me curious if this is official with the logo, or a transitional piece with Boy's Life Magazine.

Boys Life magazine often ran specials with non-official knives or other prizes offered as incentive for things like selling subscriptions.

Ken

bestgear wrote: ↑Mon Feb 20, 2023 4:13 pm
Second, I've always loved the provenance behind any knife, and having the full name, city, and state of the original owner on this knife is huge. I've already discovered much about Austin C. Watts including his military service during WWI with the US Marine Corps and that his only child, Raymond Austin Watts had no children, thereby ending the lineage back to the original owner. I've got access to the BSA annual reports to Congress dating back to 1910 so my next adventure is opening up those and trying to place Mr. Watts in a Troop with a Rank!

Apart from the knife itself, I will be intrigued and interested by the BSA record searching you will be doing and how that pans out. That's a great resource you have access to!

I think the legend behind the Scout on that knife is that he once did a mile swim in a lake at a scout camp, while wrestling an alligator, all to save a mermaid! I could be wrong, I am getting old and my memory is fading.

ronfish wrote: ↑Tue Feb 21, 2023 10:11 pm I think the legend behind the Scout on that knife is that he once did a mile swim in a lake at a scout camp, while wrestling an alligator, all to save a mermaid! I could be wrong, I am getting old and my memory is fading.

NICE !
Poor alligator, out there with half a blade in him all these years.

I sense you may be full of big Fish stories

What is the second blade on this Ulster called, and/or used for?
It looks too flat to me in this less-than-deal photo to be a punch.
Was it altered?

stumpstalker wrote: ↑Thu Feb 23, 2023 3:07 am What is the second blade on this Ulster called, and/or used for?
It looks too flat to me in this less-than-deal photo to be a punch.
Was it altered?

destry.knives..jpg

Unless someone replaced it, it’s a punch blade. They weren’t very sharp pointed on Ulster scouts, nor were they very round. BTW punch blades on some other brands are much like a flat pen blade ground to a point. The Ulster scout punch blades are a little more rounded than those. Depending on when made, Ulster used several different punch designs. A search through this thread for “Ulster” will find a bunch of pictures with punches looking like yours. Here’s one showing the mark side.

Ken

stumpstalker wrote: ↑Thu Feb 23, 2023 3:07 am What is the second blade on this Ulster called, and/or used for?
It looks too flat to me in this less-than-deal photo to be a punch.
Was it altered?

destry.knives..jpg

Here is a better picture of what Ken has described

How about showing a verity of Utica green Girl Scout campers.

rustyoldknife wrote: ↑Thu Feb 23, 2023 4:05 am How about showing a verity of Utica green Girl Scout campers.

Wow! Dude, pretty awesome!

rustyoldknife wrote: ↑Thu Feb 23, 2023 4:05 am How about showing a verity of Utica green Girl Scout campers.

Thanks Mumblypeg and Rustyold for those explanations, and photos, too. A new acquirer of the Uster in my post will be better informed about his knife.

All I did was know where I could go to obtain a good answer.

rustyoldknife wrote: ↑Thu Feb 23, 2023 4:05 am How about showing a verity of Utica green Girl Scout campers.

Thats a great display, always liked these models, but all together that's kind of stunning. Nice!

edge213 wrote: ↑Thu Feb 23, 2023 4:07 am

rustyoldknife wrote: ↑Thu Feb 23, 2023 4:05 am How about showing a verity of Utica green Girl Scout campers.

Wow! Dude, pretty awesome!

Thanks David

Miller Bro's wrote: ↑Thu Feb 23, 2023 4:09 am

rustyoldknife wrote: ↑Thu Feb 23, 2023 4:05 am How about showing a verity of Utica green Girl Scout campers.

Thanks

SwedgeHead wrote: ↑Fri Feb 24, 2023 12:08 am

rustyoldknife wrote: ↑Thu Feb 23, 2023 4:05 am How about showing a verity of Utica green Girl Scout campers.

Thats a great display, always liked these models, but all together that's kind of stunning. Nice!

Thanks, glad you like them

Have 3 older Camillus Scout related knives . The Stainless has the usual broken springs that they’re known for . Maybe someday get new springs made . The Sword brand is stamped on main only so late four line period , 1930 into the 40 s . The last pic has an etched main and 4 tang stamps with the old 3 line ,no U.S.A. on the bottom. The punch has patented August 11 th 1903 on it along with the 3 line stamp on mark side .

Nice knives Ripster , that early Camillus etched Boy Scouts of America is a great find , rare knife .

Mike

ScoutKnives wrote: ↑Fri Feb 24, 2023 8:10 pm Nice knives Ripster , that early Camillus etched Boy Scouts of America is a great find , rare knife .

Mike

Thank you Mike . The Etched BSA is in great shape,Decent snap on main. The main is a little messed up at the tip ,otherwise a solid piece.
Appreciate your feedback.