auction at factory

geegee · Aug 18, 2007

The last couple of preceding posts are depressing. How the heck can a company turning out top quality products made by such committed employees, be run by people with such little appreciation for what's in front of their eyes?

This is more than a loss of jobs, it's one more piece of Americana that's been chipped away, and won't be replaced. Really maddening.

Codger_64 · Aug 18, 2007

geegee said:
The last couple of preceding posts are depressing. How the heck can a company turning out top quality products made by such committed employees, be run by people with such little appreciation for what's in front of their eyes?....

Codger_64 said:
Albert and Henry Baer were the "grandfathers" of the cutlery industry in America and had the respect of their peers. They built the world's largest cutlery manufacturing empire. With operations in Mexico, Canada, France, England, Germany, Portugal and other countries as well as the U.S., they supplied not only pocket and hunting knives but kitchen cutlery, electric knives, electric can openers, safety razor blades, stainless table flatware, kitchen gadgets, and military knives. Above and beyond this, they were philanthropists. Albert was the co-founder of the International Heart Association, member of the post-WWII think tank responsible for the election of President Eisenhower and unofficial ambassador to Japan following WWII.

Henry Baer, inducted into the Cutlery Hall Of Fame in 1983, died at age 88 in 1987. His younger brother Albert was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1992 and died in 1997 at age 92, having been a part of the American cutlery industry since 1922, 75 years. They had respect for their workers and competition, and the workers and competition respected them.

Codger

Upon Albert's death, the ownership passed to his children and grandchildren. They grew up with the income and, evidently, the grandchildren had no interest in the business, just the money it generated. The people whose livlihood depended upon their jobs there were unimportant "little people". Faceless, nameless, unimportant. Day to day operations were left to the in-plant management who, for the most part, did what they could with what the new owners gave them to work with. Several of the top people in engineering and management took their retirement early rather than continue under near-impossible circumstances. The braintrust...corporate memory if you will, left the building. Already gone were the management greats like Nilo Miori, who assumed the presidency in 1963 (under the direction of AMB... Albert Baer) and retired in 1987. Under his direction, the company expanded, upgraded equipment, and became the successful "Quiet Giant" of the cutlery industry.

geegee said:
This is more than a loss of jobs, it's one more piece of Americana that's been chipped away, and won't be replaced. Really maddening.

If you think it is maddening from a collector/consumer/cutlery history buff standpoint, imagine the position of the former employees and managers, the designers and suppliers. From a company running three shifts and employing more than seven hundred workers during WWII, the depleted company had forty or so employees left when it finally closed this past February. Better yet, read their own words here in this forum using the search function.

Codger

CAMCO · Aug 19, 2007

I will be at the auction. I hope to see some of the former cutlery employees and meet some of the members of BladeForums.
If the price is right I would like to but some equipment and knife parts.

Tom Williams

wjzgma · Aug 21, 2007

the bad side effect of a global economy...and worst off, greed...so sad

teather · Nov 14, 2007

The New York Central Railroad, The Pennsylvania Railroad and several others are gone. Montgomery Ward is gone as is the steam locomotive, gas lighted streets and many other relics that have no place in our high tech society.
So goes Camillus Cutlery...the price of progress.
Camillus Cutlery is dead, long live Camillus Cutlery.
P.S. There is money to be made selling the relics of yesteryear.

Culpeper · Dec 2, 2007

So, I'm glad I got that Camillus trench knife from Brigade. I checked today and they still have it in stock. I didn't know the company was killed off by the heirs. You know, even the current American going concerns are farming out overseas like Marbles. This same thing happened to the Schrade line and Western Cutlery. Out of curiosity I purchased a new Schrade Barlow. Christ, it was one piece of chinese shit. To whomever purchased the license to use the Schrade name.....:jerkit::barf::thumbdn:

Same thing will happen to the Camillus name.

ilbruche · Dec 2, 2007

Culpeper said:
So, I'm glad I got that Camillus trench knife from Brigade. I checked today and they still have it in stock. I didn't know the company was killed off by the heirs. You know, even the current American going concerns are farming out overseas like Marbles. This same thing happened to the Schrade line and Western Cutlery. Out of curiosity I purchased a new Schrade Barlow. Christ, it was one piece of chinese shit. To whomever purchased the license to use the Schrade name.....:jerkit::barf::thumbdn:

Same thing will happen to the Camillus name.

Well KaBar is taking over Becker so hopefully Camillus will not be ressurected like Schrade has been.

I just got a nice old Schrade 960T in trade for a G10 Case trapper. The old Schrades are pretty good knives, they just didn't keep up with companies like Buck and Gerber.

rosconey2 · Dec 2, 2007

i put away a becker bk10 with micarta handles- a ag russell non assist dominator and a mother of pearl small lockback

Culpeper · Dec 2, 2007

ilbruche said:
Well KaBar is taking over Becker so hopefully Camillus will not be ressurected like Schrade has been.

I just got a nice old Schrade 960T in trade for a G10 Case trapper. The old Schrades are pretty good knives, they just didn't keep up with companies like Buck and Gerber.

I've got a parody on Ebay right now concerning Schrade. Keywords: SCHRADE BARLOW POCKET KNIFE (BRAND NEW)

Anyway, if anybody does post a bid it will go to the USO.

DaveinNY · Dec 2, 2007

Nice work culpeper.
Guys you gotta read this ad. Here is a testimonial from the discription.

buyer beware, November 9, 2007 By "TES" (UTAH) -

"The knife is not a Barlow like those from my childhood. It's very poor quality in materials, workmanship and constructions. The knife is made in China and broke the first time I used it. I had ordered 2 and sent them both back."