All About Pocket Knives

I've showed my bone-handled, spear point barlow on here before, but I recently picked up a Tip Top version that I love.

Here are the two together:



I believe the Tip Top to be from the early 40's (if not before), and the "Barlow" marked to be from the late 40's or early 50's.

They are very similar in construction, with a few differences:

The Tip Top is much sturdier, heavier, and thicker. It's a tank, and I love it. Also, the main blade is a thing of beauty--I don't know if the years of patina accentuate the swedge, but there are no knives made anymore that have such amazing lines (IMO).

Here are some pics:





Look at that blade!


Difference in thickness is more pronounced when you're actually holding the two:


Big difference in the thickness of the bolsters, too:


I will not hesitate to try to pick up more of the Tip Top barlows--what other markings would have been produced at the same time?

Just noticed two more things while reviewing my post--first, there is a fourth line ("USA") on the Tip Top knife, it's just hidden by the frame. Second, I just noticed that the pins on the newer knife have rounded heads, while they are flat on the older one. Any significance to this, or just a change in production methods?

I can't answer your question, but those are very nice barlows. The Tip Top is killer.

Spear point Barlows are one of my favorite knives--i been collecting Barlows a long time now those are both nice knives

SERIOUS Knife Envy! Spearpoints are the best blades in Knifedom!

Your Tip Top was made some time before the end of WWII. Camillus discontinued the 4-line tang stamp in 1945-1946. I think they were made as late as the 1950s & maybe even the 1960s based on one I have.

The earlier pins were likely peened or have just been worn down with the level of the bone from use and pocket wear. Most likely they were peened pins. I do have a few pins that came from the Camillus that had flat heads on them, though I think those were used after your knife was made.

Knives were made heavier in those days as people used them and carried a knife daily. You cut open feed bags for your animals, (most people still lived on farms), you cut string to bind up packages as tape was probably a relatively new thing and pretty expensive if available at all. Your meat came wrapped in paper & tied with string from the butcher shop. You might even use the knife to cut some kindling to start the fire in the wood cook stove on the farm. A knife was something you would use multiple times per day, especially on the farm or ranch. I grew up on a ranch and I most hooves (except horses) I have trimmed or seen trimmed were done with the knife in the guys pocket at the time.
Knives were made heavier because they were used more than most people use them today.


Here is an ad from a 1929 Chicago Mail Order catalog that Perry posted some time back.
I am sure you will agree it was quite a bargain for 48¢.
I would like a gross at that price!

Couldn't afford a gross, but I'd take a couple dozen at that price!

BEAUTIFUL blade in a TOUGH knife! What more could you ask?

Great info Dale--thanks.

I wonder where the "Tip Top" name came from?

orvet wrote:Here is an ad from a 1929 Chicago Mail Order catalog that Perry posted some time back.
I am sure you will agree it was quite a bargain for 48¢.
I would like a gross at that price!

48 cents POSTPAID no less

According to information I have, the tang stamp on that Tip Top was used 1941-1946.
From the same source, the tang stamp on the Barlow would be from 1960-1976.
As I understand it, those are not hard dates when dealing with Camillus, ball park only, maybe.
If I'm out in left field here, please don't hesitate to correct me.
Both very nice knives, especially the Tip Top with it's long pull and swedge. I too am a big fan of spear blades.

In February last year I had a chance to discuss Camillus tang stamps with Tom Williams.
For those of you who do not know, Tom worked for Camillus for 30 years. His mother retired after 50 years working at Camillus and later went back to work 5 more years eventually retiring as a department vice president. He was also the Company Historian for Camillus.
Tom basically has Camillus in his veins.

Even Tom is not cut and dried on Camillus tang stamps, with a few exceptions. Tom told me that the four-line stamp: CAMILLUS/CUTLERY CO./CAMILLUS N.Y./U.S.A. was in use prior to WWII. From what he said it sounded like the 4-line was used in the 1930s and probably earlier.

After WWII the third line, ‘CUTLERY CO.’, was dropped and the word ‘CUTLERY’ was not used again except for the Marine Raider Stiletto reproduction and the A425 (USCG knife) reproductions of the 1990s. In both reproductions the original tang stamps had been saved and were used on the reproduction knives.

With the exception of those two reproductions, the third line was dropped in 1945 or 1946; he was not certain which year. However when the bomb was dropped in Japan, Camillus was working on an order of 250,000 ML-K knives for the military. The government cancelled that order about 3 days after the bomb was dropped. They did use those blades that they had stamped as well as the other parts in knives made after the war. They didn’t throw away the blades with the four line stamps. So technically there were knives produced or completed after WWII that had the 4-line tang stamp. But the blades were made prior to the end of the war.

It is my understanding from what Tom said that the 4-line stamp was used well before the start of WWII.

morglan wrote: I wonder where the "Tip Top" name came from?

I'm curious about that as well. Can anyone shed some light?

Tip Top was one of many brand named Camillus owned.
According to Goins it dated circa 1904-1946, registered to A. Kastor & Bros.