Boy scout knives!

[LEOGREG]

Kaboom! You revive a thread and all sorts of good things appear. OK, in addition to the Imperial shown above, I also have a new (to me) Ulster:

On the shield-side, you can see the scale has faded from the original rich brown to a dark tan. I've covered both scales with baby oil to remove the whiteish deposit that collects in the jigs, but is there a way to restore the color? If not, no matter, as it has honorably aged anyway. But it would be nice to fix, if possible.

The color is quite handsome as it is. I wouldn't change it.

 

[zippofan]

I have a few official knives, plus the Case licensed models from the olive, caramel, blue, and tan caliber series. I also have some camper style knives and unpictured BSA (Manager classic, black Wood Badge Huntsman) and plain Victorinox (Swiss Champ), as well as a Wenger SI. My wife has a World Scout Association Wenger Evo and BSA Vic Sentinel in her pack too. My kids have a few, my older son's favorite is his Buck Eagle Scout knife.

Customized #1047 whittler by Glennbad. It used to be similar to the one Thomas Linton posted, but with a round shield:

Camillus Deluxe Camp knife:

Delrin handled whittler:

Camillus Leader's knife:

Then I have my favorite camp knives:

Weidmannsheil

Case old red bone:

my old Case delrin Camper with pliers:

Boker camp knife:

I have an old "demo" knife but I don't carry it often as I'm afraid to have a backspring break, heard too many stories of that happening.

Colonel Coon Jr. Scout

I don't have pics, but awhile back I bought a lot that had 3 official knives. An unused official red handled Bucklite with the BSA nylon sheath, and two well enjoyed Camillus, a white Delrin handled 1047 whittler and a Cub Scout Deluxe. Both need a good cleaning to remove rust and improve the snap. They're on my bench to remind me to get to it!

I don't have a 'standard' official Camp knife yet, I'll get around to it one of these days. I'll probably pick up one or two from the new rough red Delrin series by Case out now. I wouldn't mind getting one of the new Schatt stag handled Scout knives, but maybe after Christmas as they're a bit pricey.

If the guys in my Troop didn't start chatting about knives around the campfire one night...

Cheers,
Z

P.S. Gratuitous shot of my BSA automatic watch:

Now if I could only track down an official BSA shield Zippo. I've only seen two on that great online flea market, one was NOS and went for too much $, the other was beat to heck. Plenty of National Jamboree Zippos and Zippo lobster knives though.

 

[leghog]

I have an old "demo" knife but I don't carry it often as I'm afraid to have a backspring break, heard too many stories of that happening.

If you only have one blade open at any time, you should not have a problem.

 

[AreBeeBee]

The color is quite handsome as it is. I wouldn't change it.

Thanks, I'm coming around to your thinking on this. And it has earned its faded look over the years.

 

[AreBeeBee]

If you only have one blade open at any time, you should not have a problem.

The break becomes likely when you have two blades on the same spring half-open at the same time. That puts maximum stress on the spring. At least, that's what did for my Demo knife — no warning, just >snap<. But if you open one blade all the way before opening the second blade on that spring, you should be fine.

I've seen the problem attributed to inadequate heat-treating. I haven't checked into the archives here, but I'm sure there's a thread or three discussing it.

EDIT: People like to display 4-bladers with two blades half open. Just make sure they aren't on the same spring.

 

[Old Hunter]

If you only have one blade open at any time, you should not have a problem.

That is exactly why you see mine pictured with only one blade open - it was made in 1966 and I don't want to risk it, even for a better picture. OH

 

[AreBeeBee]

....my old Case delrin Camper with pliers:

I really like that Case Camper with the pliers. That looks like a good blade set.

 

[NirreBosse]

The one I carry Edc is the case scout jr as its so handy in size for EDC.
The old cutmaster with the darker brown bone is a gift from kamagong and gets used out in nature sometimes.
The Wenger SI i most often carry in my workthrousers. I have reshaped the canopener to a small screwdriver suitable for electric contakts. Its one of four alox 2 layer SAKs.
The one with Light brown bone scales is unmarked but probably a camillus, the hevyest and beefiest of theese ones.
The EKA is a good representant how the pattern was build here in sweden in the mid 1900ds. A little more thin and delicate than the american ones from the same period.

Bosse

 

[Double Ott]

Shown with my 1960's BS Handbook.

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My Boy Scout hatchets.

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Tom

 

[NirreBosse]

V grinded opening inside the hatchet? What is it fore?

Bosse

 

[Stich2442]

My first knife, 1978 Imperial Kamp King

My Ulster Boy Scout knife 1980's

A WWII era Kaster/Camillus

It's beefy

This is my favorite Dwight Divine & Sons puts it 1923-1941, If it was Dwight Divine & Son it would be 1900-1923

This odd duck Imperial

Various Vic SAK's favorites being the Farmer & Rucksack, no need for me to post pic's there are enough you all know what they look like

Pete

 

[Shotgun]

I haven't found a modern folder yet that will kick my SAK electrician out of my pocket. It's a scout pattern with a modified sheepsfoot blade instead of the can opener. Great knife.

 

[Double Ott]

V grinded opening inside the hatchet? What is it fore?

Bosse

It's a nail puller. It is found one many hatchets, shingling and carpenters hatchets. It doesn't work very well on any of them.

Tom

 

[SAK Guy]

Hello everybody! First real post. I love SAK Alox Farmers, Pioneers and Soldiers!

The 2 open Red Alox are my EDC knives, usually in a kydex necker sheath.

My Boker Classic 940 Scout knife is in this group on the lower right.

Links fixed--

 

[pinnah]

I have an old "demo" knife but I don't carry it often as I'm afraid to have a backspring break, heard too many stories of that happening.

So... Can I suggest a path for a return of a US made camper?

The thing is, the maker needs to be equal part cutler and equal parts tool maker. Helps to be able to produce at scale.

So... Look hard at that classic Camillus Demo knife and then look hard at a Leatherman Micra or older PST.

See a family resemblance?

I bet Leatherman could do a dandy Demo knife!!

 

[AreBeeBee]

So... Can I suggest a path for a return of a US made camper? The thing is, the maker needs to be equal part cutler and equal parts tool maker. Helps to be able to produce at scale. So... Look hard at that classic Camillus Demo knife and then look hard at a Leatherman Micra or older PST. See a family resemblance?

I bet Leatherman could do a dandy Demo knife!!

I bet they could. What's standing in the way may be market fractionation. Which would explain why we have these bazillions of different tools and SAKs bristling with doo-dads, each collection aimed at a particular segment of knife buyers.

Maybe a camper is too generalized to be marketed today, even allowing for swap out a couple of blades for newer ones. I'd like to be wrong about this, but when you look at the "knife-tool" market it's all special this and special that. Even Vic is careful not to innovate too much on the camper pattern with the Pioneer (as traditional as it gets) and the Farmer (tradition + saw).

I see a parallel in the stockman pattern which obviously sells well, but no one is trying to swap a new blade or two into the design. Campers will get made, but they'll be the traditional pattern. Heritage sells; new ideas &#8212; even wrinkles on traditional patterns &#8212; have to take a different path to acceptance.

What I think is happening is the "high voltage, low current" phenomenon. That is, a comparatively small number of people intensely want something, but their numbers aren't sufficient to get over the threshold that cutlery companies erect as part of deciding what to make.

I'd like to be wrong.

 

[galvanic1882]

I have a Cattaraugus scout knife that I will post later but here is a picture of a lithograph that hung in the old Cattaraugus Factory.

http://www.allaboutpocketknives.com/knife_forum/download/file.php?id=94163&t=1

 

[Sword and Shield]

Shown with my 1960's BS Handbook.

Ah, my favorite of the handbooks. Did you ever notice the mistake on the cover?

(Whited out in case you haven't) His belt's on backwards- look at the end tabs.

 

[Thomas Linton]

Ah, my favorite of the handbooks. Did you ever notice the mistake on the cover?

(Whited out in case you haven't) His belt's on backwards- look at the end tabs.

Those who had used the prior edition hated it as it was too large to carry in a pocket.

Belt buckle is backwards, part of a tradition of errors in BSA books (example of vintage BSA utility knife in latest Handbook is a German "Boy Scout" knife; all illustrations of first BSA utility knife have "Be Prepared" banner upside down.)

 

[AreBeeBee]

Those who had used the prior edition hated it as it was too large to carry in a pocket.

Belt buckle is backwards, part of a tradition of errors in BSA books (example of vintage BSA utility knife in latest Handbook is a German "Boy Scout" knife; all illustrations of first BSA utility knife have "Be Prepared" banner upside down.)

When the "Norman Rockwell" handbook came out and I went through it carefully, it was the first time in my life when I realized something older was in fact better.

Edit: What irked and disappointed me was mostly the change in illustrations from somewhat abstract pen-and-ink to the more detailed and realistic style. Pen-and-ink showed the essence of what you needed to know and encouraged you to translate its abstractions into the concrete world around you. In short, it told you to think and to interpret.