Another uncommon fixed blade from the 1930's by Camillus

Codger_64

Codger_64

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By now many of you know that I like exploring the old patterns made by Camillus and the knives they imported for sale here. I just bought a fixed blade that I have never seen an example of before.

Previously I have bought their Sportsman pattern, eventually acumulating three of them. Simple plain flat ground blades, guardless construction, full tang with pinned rosewood handle covers. These were well made, full polish and branded by Camillus for sale to F. W. Woolworths as low price point hunting knives.

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Next I found a nice seemingly higher quality knife made for the same merchant by Camillus with chrome plated blade, guard and wormgroove bone handle covers. I have a pair of these. Mr. Tom Williams said this one was introduced circa 1938.

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Recently I acquired a knife similar in ways to the first, earlier knife, but it is not a hunting knife. It is a hawkbill utility knife with upscale features over it's sibling sportsman pattern. The tang marking is unmistakably similar, but the utility knife has jigged (wood? bone?) handle covers attached to the full tang with brass rivets.

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I haven't queried Mr. Williams or Levine about this one yet, but I am supposing that it is a companion time wise with the earlier sportsman, circa mid 1930's. Anyway, I thought that some might like to see it.

Michael
 
As always Michael - very interesting - I have always just LOVED that Worm-groove Camillus - absolute beautiful Fixed Blade you have there Sir!
 
Cool find. Looks like a very simple and useful design,and I'll bet it cut some linoleum in its day.
 
r8shell said:
Cool find. Looks like a very simple and useful design,and I'll bet it cut some linoleum in its day.
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I find this interesting. To my eye (only have the auction pictures at the moment), the knife appears to have hardly been used, particularly for the number of years since it's manufacture and retail sale. One need only look at a sample of old folding and fixed hawkbill pruning and utility knives to see how the blades wear down and the pattern of deep scratching. Often the tip is the first to go, wearing to nearly rounded. Of course until it is in hand I have no way to know how much it has been sharpened down and reprofiled since it's birth. This is what led me to purchase three of the sportsman knives. The first one looked minty, but still not quite right. The next two were in better condition as far as blade wear and I could see how the first had been reprofiled over the years. Perhaps you can see this in this picture:

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Codger_64 said:
I find this interesting. To my eye (only have the auction pictures at the moment), the knife appears to have hardly been used, particularly for the number of years since it's manufacture and retail sale.
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I said some linoleum, not a lot of linoleum:D You're right of course, the blade seems to be all there.

(odd coincidence, I picked up a Kent pocketknife at a pawn shop yesterday. Now that's a knife that's seen some use)
 
r8shell said:
I said some linoleum, not a lot of linoleum:D You're right of course, the blade seems to be all there.

(odd coincidence, I picked up a Kent pocketknife at a pawn shop yesterday. Now that's a knife that's seen some use)
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I love the Kents! I guess by now that is pretty apparent. They represent some very good deals on early Camillus knives and the variety seems neverending. I guess I should take some more pictures and start a Kent pocketknife thread. But if I do my secret will be out and I will have more competition for them. Hmmm... what to do, what to do?

John Goins identifies the use of the Kent mark on F.W. Woolworth knives as being "c. 1931 - 1955". 1931 was on the cusp of Albert Baer's promotion by the Kastors to general sales manager of Camillus, and when he acquired all of the shares of retiring partner August Kastor.

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In his memoirs, he tells his tale of how he landed the Woolworths account and earned the undying loyalty of their buyer, P.G. Franz (he is always the hero in his own story). So for many years, Camillus had that cutlery account locked up. And Woolworths was huge with stores in every major city from coast to coast. Knives they bought and sold were low price point, but generally of good quality.

I read no long ago that an older industry survey revealed that cutlery manufacturers estimated the average lifespan of knives to be only three or four years. Such was the average useage of knives back when.
 
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Cool knives and a great lesson in the history of US cutlery.
Thanks for the continuing education Michael and congratulations on the new/old knife.
 
Kind of unrelated, but I have a Utica fixed blade of very similar pattern to the Sportsman. It was purchased in a dime store in the 70s. My grandfather used an almost identical knife as his "fish knife" for cleaning and scaling panfish (not a filet knife, these are too small to filet). His was probably purchased in the 40s or 50s. Stout, simple pattern with a lot of utility.
 
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