Anyone Got Any Interesting Older Celluloid EOs?

I thought I might blow some minds here with this photo.
All original cards full of old Hammer Brand and Imperial shell knives and an older Imperial cattleman pattern cell.
2agky85.jpg

2n6ssbo.jpg
 
Here's one you may not have seen before, these Kameo Imperials were introduced in the early 60s. They are shell wrapped as well and some were deer and others were offered in steer cameo. These deer kameos came with the serrated main and pen blades.
35b9hkh.jpg

This picture shows other offerings, there was also a pearl version with a red cameo offered.
2w6zyo1.jpg
 
Last edited:
You been holding out on me, Perry?

Just when I think I've seen em all, you pull all this stuff out of the archives.

Outstanding!
 
Outstanding photos! Some real treasure there, thanks for sharin' Perry.
 
Sweet Imperial displays! Here is a Topsey EO jack. I recently used it to skin and process a deer... just because!
Sorry for the image quality.
28i9l4p.jpg
 
Wow that would be a long job Codger but I'm sure the knife could do it cause these were built very well.
 
singin50 said:
Wow that would be a long job Codger but I'm sure the knife could do it cause these were built very well.
Click to expand...

It took a while with a 1 1/4" blade, but it was still factory sharp so it wasn't a horrible task. I just had to adapt my grip to not put a lot of pressure on the pivot.

2ql4shg.jpg

22fiib.jpg
 
Well that proves what I have always said. You can do almost anything with these older Imperial shells! Thanks for post this Codger.:thumbup:
 
singin50 said:
Well that proves what I have always said. You can do almost anything with these older Imperial shells! Thanks for post this Codger.:thumbup:
Click to expand...

Yes! That's why they're one of my all-time favorite brands. Some of the best steel I've ever encountered in knives.

~Chris
 
orca8589 said:
Yes! That's why they're one of my all-time favorite brands. Some of the best steel I've ever encountered in knives.

~Chris
Click to expand...

Felix Mirando and Dominic Fazzano certainly knew their steel and their marketing. They were tough competition for everyone in the knife market and were on the rise even as New York Knife Co. was on the decline. In fact, it was at the auction of the NYKC that Albert Baer met them and began the lifelong relationship that built his own cutlery empire. Felix and Dominic bought the Hammerbrand trademark then. That would have been circa 1936, at about the time they also acquired the Steihl and Elosi patents for the shell handle knife construction. This innovation allowed them to produce knives much less expensively and faster, in greater quantities while keeping their blades, springs and liners of the same high quality. Little wonder that, coming out of the depression and with war looming as cutlery after cutlery called it quits, Imperial became a dominant force in the marketplace. Few others could compete with domestic materials and labor. Baer befriended them (Much to Alfred Kastor's angst) and eventually formed an unheard of alliance with them rather than even trying to compete. In essence, they divided the market between themselves with the largest accounts and covered a spectrum of price points no one else could match, not even the Kastor brothers, Albert's former employers at Camillus.

I know that growing up, these Imperial counter cards were my chief source of knives. I don't recall ever wearing one out or breaking one, most likely eitehr lost them through carelessness or in a game of mumbly peg or marbles. "A small knife cannot do what a large knife can do but a large knife can do everything a small knife can do and more". Heh!
 
I think this might be celluloid. I've read of something called a 'shell knife.' Is that the kind where the scales are metal, and then there's a thin sheet of plastic or cell covering? Anyway, I think this is one.
How cute is this?
GCanyonImperial001_zpse39c0d58.jpg
[/URL][/IMG]
GCanyonImperial004_zps00f8755a.jpg
[/URL][/IMG]
 
r8shell said:
I think this might be celluloid. I've read of something called a 'shell knife.' Is that the kind where the scales are metal, and then there's a thin sheet of plastic or cell covering? Anyway, I think this is one.
How cute is this?
Click to expand...

Yep. That is the two blade version of the single blade Topsey Midget I posted above. You are correct with the construction. The cell is wrapped over the metal covers then crimped on to the skeleton. If you look at it with a glass from the ends, you can see the bent over prongs. And yes, it works like a full size knife, great blade steel. Strong halfstop. Positive closing snap.
 
Codger_64 said:
Yep. That is the two blade version of the single blade Topsey Midget I posted above. You are correct with the construction. The cell is wrapped over the metal covers then crimped on to the skeleton. If you look at it with a glass from the ends, you can see the bent over prongs. And yes, it works like a full size knife, great blade steel. Strong halfstop. Positive closing snap.
Click to expand...

Holy Cow! I didn't realize the one in your pictures was this small. How much longer did it take to process that deer?
 
Well, the hand motions are the same but it takes more of them. It took 2 1/2 hours to do what I can do with a Sharpfinger in 1 1/2 hours. But I take my time anyway so it wasn't a big deal. Disjointing the hips and knees was actually easier since it involves reaching around and in the joints to cut connective tissue.
 
Codger_64 said:
Well, the hand motions are the same but it takes more of them. It took 2 1/2 hours to do what I can do with a Sharpfinger in 1 1/2 hours. But I take my time anyway so it wasn't a big deal. Disjointing the hips and knees was actually easier since it involves reaching around and in the joints to cut connective tissue.
Click to expand...

And I'll bet that deer was really getting impatient after that first hour-&-a-half, too. Having to hang around while you took your sweet time with that little pipsqueak knife, processing . . . oh, wait. It's dead. I forgot.

Nevermind. :p

~Chris
 
Well as you can imagine, such a tiny knife isn't a part of my usual butchering routine, but I set out to prove the "big knife only" crowd entirely wrong. I knew from an instance years ago where I killed a deer and had only a tiny Craftsman (by Camillus) pen knife with me that it could be done.

Here is an old E.O. Jack from A. Kastor and Bros. "A.W. Wadsworth Germany", a pre-WWI metal shell handle. These can also be found with words "Easy Opener" embossed in the handle. Also "Boy's Favorite", "Our Boy", "Dime Knife" etc. I have one with an American flag emboss as well.

161gq9y.jpg
 
Here's one I just dug out, a nice SCC...



 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top