Camillus Stag

[kootenay joe]

I have seen very few Camillus folding knives with Stag handles. In fact this Camillus # 22, a 2 7/8" Serpentine Jack might be the only one i have seen. It has a 3 line tang stamp with a long line under the full length of "Camillus". Master clip blade is saber ground on the front side only.
Am i getting forgetful or did Camillus rarely use Stag for handles on their folding knives ?
kj

[peanut740]

Roland,I have some doubts about the originally of those handles.

[kootenay joe]

Roland,I have some doubts about the originally of those handles.

They do not appear to be replacement handle pieces to my amateur eyes, but i have been wrong before, frequently. The handle pins are hard to see. There are 2 per side plus the spring pivot pin. Heads are peened. All looks very professional and no signs on the knife of 'tampering'.
The bone Camillus 'Peanut' is a #21. This one is #22 which would make sense for a stag Peanut.
Schrade Cut Co used stag on only a few knives and the stag they used looks like the stag on this Camillus, so i think it is 'old stag'.
kj

[Meridian_Mike]

I have a friend's Camillus Folding Hunter on my bench right now and it has stag handles. His looks original.
I am by no means a Camillus expert. BUT, I do agree with you Roland.... your looks original.

[XX Case XX]

I don't know man, these are really large gaps. Too large to be from a production line in my opinion. I know Stag dries out but I don't think it shrinks. At least not that much.

__________
Mike

[edge213]

Also, if you look at the picture of the pile side of the main blade there appears to be signs of outgassing. I think it may have originally had celluloid handles.

[kootenay joe]

edge, i think you are 'over-reading' the knife. I have old knives with bone handles that have minor gaps at the bolsters. These are production knives, not custom made. They were not all made exactly perfect in all areas. If there is blade corrosion it could be from other knives it 'hung around' with.
Mike it would be nice to see a picture of your stag Camillus.
kj

[Vit_213]

The bone Camillus 'Peanut' is a #21. This one is #22 which would make sense for a stag Peanut.

I went through all the catalogs that have #22:
1946-1960s - Maize Pyroxylin Handles
1970s - Maize Handles
1980s - Smooth Maize Delrin Handles
There is no stag anywhere.

[kootenay joe]

Thanks Vit. That is very helpful information. But not conclusive as not every knife variation was in the catalogs.
I have owned/handled a lot of vintage knives and it gives you a sense of what is original and what is not. Sort of like a 'sixth sense'. Other experienced collectors report the same and even Bernard Levine has posted about this.
I think this knife came out of the Camillus factory with these handles. Maybe only a few were made, perhaps even for personal use. If Camillus had made a large run then i would expect it to be in a catalog, but so far it isn't in the catalogs vit checked..
Could it be older than 1946 ? Pins are not spun so it could be older but i don't know for sure when the 'Long Underline' Camillus stamp was first used.
kj

[XX Case XX]

These are production knives, not custom made.

Too large to be from a production line in my opinion.

Ain't that kind of what I said?

___________
Mike

[orvet]

I've never seen a peanut pattern Camillus with stag handles. I've seen several with Roger's bone even, iirc with a 4-line tang stamp, but I haven't seen any with stag. Most stag I have seen from Camillas was better fit and better-looking stag. That pile side handle appears to be lower than the bolsters. I might believe someone from the factory made it for themselves, but it probably wasn't one of the regular knife makers. I think someone put stag handles on it after it left the factory but it was done many years ago I don't think it's a new modification.

[New_Windsor_NY]

Thanks.....

The "long line" tang stamp dates from 1960 to the late 1970's.

[carrmillus]

......looks more like rogers bone than stag to me!!!!............. ...........................

[herbva]

Roland, I am sorry to be the bearer of bad news. I have rehandled many knives damaged by outgassing celluloid, and that telltale pitting on the top half of the clip shown in the picture of the pile side is a classic sign of celluloid outgassing I have seen way too many times. (The bottom half of the blade is protected from the corrosive effect of the gas released by the deteriorating celluloid because is sits down in the blade well.) So, I too think the knife was very likely rehandled.

[Vit_213]

Could it be older than 1946 ?

No. The two-digit marking was introduced in 1946.
And I do not believe in miracles - there are too many signs that this knife has been rehandled.

[edge213]

edge, i think you are 'over-reading' the knife. I have old knives with bone handles that have minor gaps at the bolsters. These are production knives, not custom made. They were not all made exactly perfect in all areas. If there is blade corrosion it could be from other knives it 'hung around' with.
Mike it would be nice to see a picture of your stag Camillus.
kj

I disagree. No way these are the original handles.

[kootenay joe]

Roland, I am sorry to be the bearer of bad news. I have rehandled many knives damaged by outgassing celluloid, and that telltale pitting on the top half of the clip shown in the picture of the pile side is a classic sign of celluloid outgassing I have seen way too many times. (The bottom half of the blade is protected from the corrosive effect of the gas released by the deteriorating celluloid because is sits down in the blade well.) So, I too think the knife was very likely rehandled.

Herb, i know exactly what you are saying. I have had knives with bone handles in a drawer with knives with cell handles (all Fight'n Rooster knives) and one of the celluloids off gassed and seriously corroded the exposed part of the blades of the bone handled knife that was sitting about 4-5 inches away.
Seeing the exposed part of blades on this Camillus Peanut corroded by cell off gassing does not necessarily mean it had cell handles I have owned this knife for at least 10 years and i used to have a few hundred cell handled knives, mostly Fight'n Rooster and Buck Creek and many off gassed badly. The cell on these 2 brands is likely the most unstable celluloid ever used. Others have posted similar comments. It is possible the corrosion of this Peanut's blades happened here on my 'watch'. I had too many knives to take care of them properly. I no longer have any Buck Creek or any cell F'nR's.
kj

[herbva]

Roland, I agree with your point. One knife with celluloid scales going bad in a closed storage space can and will damage other knives. It seems like a lot of the bad celluloid knives I have worked on were German made and also some fairly recent knives. I don't understand why reputable manufacturers are still using that stuff.