Camillus back in business?

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Bellasdaddy

Joined
Oct 19, 2008
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Probably not the original but I see a new site up and new knives selling at walmart. Anyone have info?
 
Bellasdaddy said:
Probably not the original but I see a new site up and new knives selling at walmart. Anyone have info?
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I saw the same thing. Someone bought the rights to the company. I'm sure other members will chime in and clarify. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Camillus_Cutlery_Company

The Camillus Cutlery Company was one of the oldest knife manufacturers in the United States. The Company, which has its roots dating back to 1876, produced millions of knives until it filed for bankruptcy in 2007 due to fierce overseas competition. Its brand name and intellectual property rights were purchased by Acme United Corporation, which re-launched Camillus in May 2009.
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Basically, offshore knives with the Camillus brand. None are made in the USA, but are made in Japan, China, and Taiwan. I wouldn't buy one.
 
Same as Schrade, Not the same company. Offshore knives.
 
Sigh. It really makes me sad. All that knifemaking machinery just setting there in a dark, silent factory. And all those jobs shipped overseas.

I'm not certain about Schrade, but I remember reading that it was a strike by their remaining few workers that finally closed the doors on Camillus. I'm sure there were other factors, of course, but that seems to have been the proverbial back-breaking straw. Not to be political in General, but I wonder if they could ever try again in a southern state without the same union pressures? Of course, it wouldn't truly be Camillus if it wasn't located in Camillus, would it?

I'll always have a soft spot for them because my first Valentine's Day present from my wife after we were married was a small Camilus folder.
 
elkins45 said:
Sigh. It really makes me sad. All that knifemaking machinery just setting there in a dark, silent factory. And all those jobs shipped overseas.

I'm not certain about Schrade, but I remember reading that it was a strike by their remaining few workers that finally closed the doors on Camillus. I'm sure there were other factors, of course, but that seems to have been the proverbial back-breaking straw. Not to be political in General, but I wonder if they could ever try again in a southern state without the same union pressures? Of course, it wouldn't truly be Camillus if it wasn't located in Camillus, would it?

I'll always have a soft spot for them because my first Valentine's Day present from my wife after we were married was a small Camilus folder.
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The UAW plant where I had 18.5 years went that way. First they shipped a portion of our business and uprooted a few lines and ran a plant in So. Carolina for less than half the wage we were paid and no Union of course.

Even that proved to be too much of a burden for the young man who inherited the 3 Northern USA based plants, that his Dad loved and kept thriving. Upon his getting offers from some multi-National companies, he sold it outright and we were all on the street. They've leveled the old Plant and it makes me feel sad when I drive by this massive hunk of property where I spent my youth working and raising my family. I wanted to retire from there with a full benefit package but instead I get a small stipend from some investmant company that handles these matters.

The Camillus deal sucks bad because they're using a premium name to sell inferior knives. (Inferior to what they were). I have looked at them and they are nothing much. I don't own one and don't plan on it unless I stumble on a NIB Cuda Maxx with a reasonable price tag. :(
 
I don't know about Camillus. However, this makes me want to buy more knives from Canal Street (in the old Schrade factory) and Buck. Both still firmly in the US.
 
I did a review of two of their fixed blade models and the short version is they suck. Had one fall apart as I was takeing out of the packageing and the replacement they sent sounded like it was going to fall apart. QC was badly lacking in the knives I got.
 
Camillus' new product - or rather, knives made all over the place with Camillus' brand name on them - has been discussed here a few times. I had some communication with Acme-United about Camillus at one point; post #4 in the following thread links to other Camillus/Acme-United threads. (The history of my dealings with a couple of guys there is posted throughout those threads.)

http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/s...is-carrying-the-Camillus-torch?highlight=acme

Basically, I wasn't very impressed with how they were managing & running the new product lines. And I still haven't sen any effort to bring any production back into the country.

~Chris
 
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I don't think the name ever actually died. Whoever owns it is milking it. And who could blame them? Own an intangible object, may as well put it to work.
 
elkins45 said:
Sigh. It really makes me sad. All that knifemaking machinery just setting there in a dark, silent factory. And all those jobs shipped overseas.

I'm not certain about Schrade, but I remember reading that it was a strike by their remaining few workers that finally closed the doors on Camillus. I'm sure there were other factors, of course, but that seems to have been the proverbial back-breaking straw. Not to be political in General, but I wonder if they could ever try again in a southern state without the same union pressures? Of course, it wouldn't truly be Camillus if it wasn't located in Camillus, would it?
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You have that a bit backwards elkins45. Camillus' closing was a mixture of many faults. Sure the strike may have played some tiny role in the matter. But the Employees bent over backwards to keep Camillus going. In the end most of them were let go without a note of gratitude. Many were screwed out of wages, severance, vacation pay etc. Some of those peoples families had worked in that factory for generations. In the end it was the Government, Offshore Competition and Poor Upper Management and their poor decisions and Absentee Owners greed that killed the company.

It was a very sad corner of the world here at that time. I'm within an hours drive of Camillus right now.

http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php/457359-Camillus-Closed
 
shecky said:
I don't think the name ever actually died. Whoever owns it is milking it. And who could blame them? Own an intangible object, may as well put it to work.
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They would have made more money by at least making decent knives. By making trash and only getting sales by riding the name, they will eventually lose that ride and basically never make another sale.
 
ohen cepel said:
I don't know about Camillus. However, this makes me want to buy more knives from Canal Street (in the old Schrade factory) and Buck. Both still firmly in the US.
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A big +1

We here in N.America have sold our souls to the devil to save a few pieces of silver, all at the cost of our children's future. OK...I'll stop now.
 
Does the town of Camillus NY at least earn some royalties for having its name used? Highly doubtful. I wish those folks would get some kind of compensation for the brand name they built with their hard work. <dismount soapbox>
 
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