:) Boy Scout Knives :)

R

Rick1955

Joined
May 6, 2000
Messages
358
I have seen some wonderful collections of Boy Scout knives at a Scout show and at several knife shows.

I was introduced to knives through the Boy Scouts, and I still have my first Scout knife. And I am still active in Scouting as an adult Scouter. I now have many knives including several official Scout knives. I normally carry an Official Deluxe Boy Scout Utility knife in a hand made leather pouch when in uniform. But I have several including a standard utility knife, whittler, a 1940s era Ulster utility and some others.

What about the rest of you? How many of you were/are in Scouting and can tell us about your Scouting related knives?

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Your survival knife is the knife you have on you when a survival situation arises.
 
I have a Ulster BSA four blade utility, a Camillus just like it, a Camillus fixed blade skinner with BSA etched on the blade with a white delrin handle, and some say my vintage Puma stag handle fixed blade with wood saw on the back of the blade was a BSA knife from the 50's/60's era. I would like to find something on this knife, but nobody can tell me anything about it. The only stamping on it is PUMA Germany, with no cat head.
 
Hey Rick, check out my topic in the community forum to see some of the Eagle scouts around here. When I was in Scouting, I carried a SAK Tinker or an Old Timer Stockman.
See you later,
Matt
 
I was never into scouting, but bought a boyscout knife 15 years ago just because it was a good knife for the money. It was an official red Bucklite with the ballistic nylon pouch with embroidered scout emblem.
Showed it to a co-worker who is a scout leader and has two sons into it. When I saw his eyes light up I knew it was a goner. Sold it to him cheap. I guess they're considered collector's items in some circles, but I'd rather see it in the hands of those it was made for.



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GronK
Just 'cause yer paranoid don't mean someone ain't out to get ya!
 
Hi. I seriously doubt your Puma was an Official BSA knife. At least I have never heard of one. Maybe someone else here knows for sure.


<font face="Verdana, Arial" size="2">Originally posted by RattlerXX:
I have a Ulster BSA four blade utility, a Camillus just like it, a Camillus fixed blade skinner with BSA etched on the blade with a white delrin handle, and some say my vintage Puma stag handle fixed blade with wood saw on the back of the blade was a BSA knife from the 50's/60's era. I would like to find something on this knife, but nobody can tell me anything about it. The only stamping on it is PUMA Germany, with no cat head. </font>
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Your survival knife is the knife you have on you when a survival situation arises.
 
When I was a kid in the scouts I carried the standard-issue bulky BSA knife (made by Ulster). Later, though, my older sister scored a few old "junker" pocketknives at a garage sale and gave them to me. One of 'em was a slightly smaller, slimline Scout knife, the likes of which I hadn't seen before. Its awl was broken, but I still liked it more so would carry it to camp instead of the massive Ulster version, whittling with it, dropping it in the sand, learning how to sharpen, etc. What was the slimmer knife? A vintage Remington! Still have it!

 
I used to carry a standard 4-blade scout knife with a bail. I have no idea which company made it or where that knife is now. I made Eagle in '72 and went to the National Jamboree at Farragut Park Idaho where I saw 20,000 people at the same time. For a thirteen year old from a small town, that was pretty impressive.

Although there was no rule against fixed blade carry back then as there is now, my father refused to let me have one. I guess that is part of the reason why I am such a nut about small fixed blade hunters now
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I used my knife for whittling, opening cans, leatherpunching, bottle opening, fuzz stick making, etc. I remember my father getting a Buck 110 somewhere in the late sixties. Everybody seemed to think that was one Big honkin' folder. I never really did learn to sharpen back then, although I spent a lot of time trying, and scratching up my knife.

I wish the Boy Scouts would reconsider their fixed blade ban. Even adults are not allowed to carry on official outdoors events. Silly rule.

I have a vague recollection of Puma fixed blades being available via the BS catalog, but what I remember most clearly was the leather washer gripped Western knives. There is a whole group of collectors who specialize in BSA knives. Many knives were marked BSA, but not all were actually official BSA knives. For more info, check out the Bernard Levine Collecting forum and start reading mags like Knife World.

Paracelsus
 
Paracelsus, there is no official ban on fixed blades. The only thing in writing from BSA is a line about them "not being encouraged". Any policies about them being banned from official BSA owned camps comes from the local camp directors and may be challenged -- most of these camps are not wealthy and when you tell them you will frequent another camp or do camp on your own, they don't want to see you take your troop and money elsewhere.

Bruce
 
I don't know about on the web, but there is usually at lease one person that has Scout knives for sale or trade at gun and/or knife shows.

Most older Scout knives are not in very good shape unless they were very well cared for or put away after little or no use by the owner. One in a while you will run into a well maintained older knife but not often. Scout knives used to be relatively inexpensive when new and were meant to be used - and they usually were.

Good luck.

<font face="Verdana, Arial" size="2">Originally posted by cardimon:
Gotta ask, where on the web can one find and buy Boy Scout knives?</font>
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Your survival knife is the knife you have on you when a survival situation arises.
 
My nephew carried a Polkowski Polecat at his ceremony just a couple weeks ago when he made Eagle Scout. Blade was just under 4", nothing illegal about it. Given to him by his father. The whole thing was verrry nice.

Broomhilda

 
I started out with an Ulster scout knife. We were "encouraged" in our troop to get a Buck 110, which I did. I carried that and a Buck Prince. Most of the older scouts in my troop carried Buck 110's. That was 20 years ago, and I'm still looking for my old Buck 110. Hopefully I'll find it one day in a box somewhere.
 
I was at a camp once where many of the staffers carried Buck sheath knives - now all sheath knives are officially discouraged in the BSA - I don't know why.

I never saw may Scouts or Scouters carry Bucks 110's or 112's. Ironically, may BSA camps ban folding lockblade knives - again, I don't know why. I have carried a 3" blade Bucklite sometimes in Scouting.

<font face="Verdana, Arial" size="2">Originally posted by sbar:
I started out with an Ulster scout knife. We were "encouraged" in our troop to get a Buck 110, which I did. I carried that and a Buck Prince. Most of the older scouts in my troop carried Buck 110's. That was 20 years ago, and I'm still looking for my old Buck 110. Hopefully I'll find it one day in a box somewhere.</font>
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Your survival knife is the knife you have on you when a survival situation arises.
 
<font face="Verdana, Arial" size="2">Originally posted by Rick1955:
I was at a camp once where many of the staffers carried Buck sheath knives - now all sheath knives are officially discouraged in the BSA - I don't know why.

I never saw may Scouts or Scouters carry Bucks 110's or 112's. Ironically, may BSA camps ban folding lockblade knives - again, I don't know why. I have carried a 3" blade Bucklite sometimes in Scouting.



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When I was last in Scouts (a dozen years ago), my Troop had a ban on carrying fixed sheath knives. I was fairly disappointed, since on my 16th birthday I got a Western/Coleman hunter that I couldn't take camping!
frown.gif

Our troop had a policy that you had to have your "totem chip" and "fireman's chit" (IIRC) before you were allowed to use the troop's axes and hatchets. (For those who don't know, those are safety and responsible-use qualification tests.)

As for sheaths, I made a sheath for my Ulster BSA Deluxe pocket knife, and another for my Victorinox SAK Adventurer lockback, and I carried both of these on almost all campouts, including twice to Philmont.

Matt in Texas
 
Let's hear from all of you other current and former Scouts about the knife or knives you had/used in Scouting and maybe even what do you carry and use now.

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Your survival knife is the knife you have on you when a survival situation arises.
 
When I was in Scouting everyone carried a
fixed blade as well a folder. I think the
"ban" on fixed blades is not absolute. I have
sent several bulk orders of fixed blade Mora
knives to various Boy Scout troops. They
require a totin-chip to carry, and tell me
there have been no problems with this.
When my neighbor's son made Eagle, I gave
him a Norwegian Scout knife (by Helle, a
fixed blade), and his leader seemed to have
no problem with it.
I still have my early knives, and use them
regularly. The best is the Mora, which cost me $1.98, including postage (about 40 years
ago).
Ragnar
www.ragweedforge.com

"A knifeless man is a lifeless man."
-old Nordic proverb
 
You are correct, there is not an absolute ban on fixed blade knives in Scouting - they are to be "avoided". For most Scouting activies though, a fixed blade knife is not needed.

<font face="Verdana, Arial" size="2">Originally posted by Ragnar:
When I was in Scouting everyone carried a
fixed blade as well a folder. I think the
"ban" on fixed blades is not absolute. I have
sent several bulk orders of fixed blade Mora
knives to various Boy Scout troops. They
require a totin-chip to carry, and tell me
there have been no problems with this.
When my neighbor's son made Eagle, I gave
him a Norwegian Scout knife (by Helle, a
fixed blade), and his leader seemed to have
no problem with it.
I still have my early knives, and use them
regularly. The best is the Mora, which cost me $1.98, including postage (about 40 years
ago).
Ragnar
www.ragweedforge.com

"A knifeless man is a lifeless man."
-old Nordic proverb</font>
Click to expand...



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Your survival knife is the knife you have on you when a survival situation arises.
 
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