All About Pocket Knives

This is an old Camillus with the number "15" on the reverse of the main blade. Is the scale material celluloid or composite? It's somewhat translucent and I have tried to provide a closeup of one of the pins where you can partly see through the material.

Thanks in advance for your replies.

Ken

Looks like celluloid to me from the slight shrinkage at the bolsters.

In the 1946 & 1948 catalogs, the #15 is listed as having handles of "Red Pyroxylin" which is the Camillus name for celluloid. The next catalog I was able to check was 1965 and the #15 was not listed in it at all or any subsequent catalogs.

The tang stamp your knife carries is considered to be 1960-1976 but as Dale (Orvet) always says, "You can't depend on Camillus tang stamps to date their knives".

Using what information is available, I'm going to guess your knife is from the '50s (maybe very early '60s) and as Perry said, the handles are Celluloid.

Anyone with better information, please feel free to step in and correct me.

Thank you both very much. I was hoping to hear it was composite because I am looking for a knife with yellow scales that would have that almost translucent quality. In looking for one online, I am struck by the vast differences in the shade of yellows. They range from nearly white to bright but flat yellow. Even in A.G. Russell's catalog and website, where he waxes on about the special "bright yellow color" of one of his fine Chinese imports the color looks washed out and fairly pale. Maybe the color just doesn't render very well online or in print. Nothing that I have seen so far looks like my old Camillus.

Is there any material that will come close to what I am looking for? I'm thinking it will be fairly difficult to find yellow celluloid in a fairly new daily user knife. I could continue using my Camillus but both blades are sitting proud and I would have to do some filing.

Correcting how the blades lay isn't hard to fix with the right equipment and a touch of experience (meaning I'll do it if you handle postage both ways). To be SURE it's Celluloid, take the very finest steel wool you can find and use it like you're trying to polish the backspring. A small amount of the steel wool will make contact with the material and if it is celluloid, it will give off the unmistakeable smell of Camphor (one of it's ingredients).

Muskrat Man is currently working on a deal to find us some yellow Delrin which (so far) we intend to split between him, me and Orvet (if he's interested). Turns out its harder to find in sheet form because most knife companies mold it onto the knife as it is being made. Good luck and let me know if I can help.

Thanks for the information and your gracious offer Elvis. I filed the kicks down today very judiciously while constantly checking the lay of the blades. I got them down sufficiently and the nail nicks are still exposed.

Ken

Glad to hear it Ken. I also have some yellow acrylic that has a bit of a translucent look to it. You're welcome to some, but fair warning, it's pretty brittle compared to Delrin. Seems like it always waits until that last pin is inserted to crack.

Thanks for the offer Bob, but replacing knife scales is way out of my league.

Maybe I will find a suitable knife with yellow acrylic scales.

Ken