Camillus Collectors - What can you tell me about this?

T

The Savage Rabbit

Joined
Nov 30, 2006
Messages
351
Tonight, my mother stopped by and gave me an old pocket knife which belonged to my great grandfather. My father believes it belonged to my great great grandfather originally and that he would have been the one to have used it. My great grandfather was not the type to carry a pocket knife.

The knife is a two blade folder. The tang of the smaller blade is stamped with "Camillus" with "Cutlery" below that "New York" underneath that. The stocks appear to be elephant ivory and show considerable aging. The carbon steel blades, pins, and spring are heavily rusted, but I didn't notice any pitting.

So, Camillus Experts, what can you tell me, if anything about the date of manufacture, value, materials used, etc. about this knife? I'm a knife guy (Spydercos, custom made folders, Randall knives) but know nothing about Camillus knives.

Here are 3 pictures which I felt would be helpful.
Profile
IMG_2675.jpg

Detail of Stock Material
IMG_2678.jpg

Tang Stamp
IMG_2676.jpg
 
It's pretty old, by the looks of the stamp. Maybe around the 40's? I think that is French Ivory, which is a celluloid composition..
 
I agree Hal, I was thinking French Ivory as well.
I do think it may be older than the 1940, maybe as far back as the '20s, but that is just a guess. I am not sure when they used that curved top line on the stamp. The letters have the serifs on them. I am thinking it was long before the '40s.

I can't tell for sure, is it just a 3-line stamp?

Is there a forth line that says U.S.A. ?

Dale
 
3 lines only. My great grandfather was born in 1898. If his father put the wear in the blades, we speculated that it could be from the turn of the last century. Then again, I don't even know when Camillus started making knives, so that is just speculation.
 
From what I can see in Goins', it appears to be from 1902 to 1915.
That appears to be the last time they used the curved top line.

Dale
 
It is probably worth more to you as a keepsake than what you world get for it.
I would imagine it would go between $25 to $50 on eBay, maybe more. maybe less.

Hope this helps,
Dale
 
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