Camillus.
There was a Roman general named Camillus, and he was a very victorious soldier, leading the Legions to victory over the enemies of the empire. There's a city in New York that is named Camillus, and in that fair place was a knife factory. Of course, this knife factory was named after the city I presume. But maybe the city was named after the Roman, I don't know. But what I do know is, the city, and the knife factory there made some pretty great cutlery in their day. If any knife company could be called a hero, I'm sure Camillus could be so. Their fall was a blow to American history.
The Camillus company was once called "The Contract King." By this, it was inferred that Camillus may just have made as many knives for other people under other brands, than they did for themselves. The early Buck pocket knives were made by Camillus, one of which I carried for twenty five years in my pre knife knut days when I was under the fools impression that a man could get by with one knife. Silly me. But when you think of all the millions of knives that Camillus made for other knife companies, and then they had their own knives out there. I wonder if they could have been the biggest knife company in the United States?
Then we have the question, how could we have won WW2 without them. Oh sure, there was some Imperial around, and PAL, Scrade, and even some Kabar's and some others. But looking at the war souvenirs and what came home in the duffle bags and pockets of GI's, sailors, Marines, and many of our allies pockets, I wonder. My Uncle Charlie waded onto a beach in France and walked all the way to Germany with a Camillus TL-29 in his pocket. Aside from the bayonet for his M1, it was his sole cutlery, and he had no complaints. Another uncle, my Uncle Sonny, spent the war living in a drafty Quonset hut in eastern England, flying B17's over Germany. In his leather flying jacket pocket was an issue all steel Camillus MLK knife. The one people call a demo knife. Uncle Sonny became a fan of the scout knife pattern, and for the rest of his 28 year Air Force career, carried one in his flight suit. Another uncle, joined the navy right after Pearl Harbor, and when they learned he grew up handling fishing boats on the Chesapeake Bay, they sweet talked him onto volunteering for PT boat duty. He came home with a Camillus stockman in his pocket that he clung to for the rest of his life. Wouldn't carry another knife. It was even a basic civilian model, with jigged brown plastic handles and "Property U. S. Government" etched on the main clip blade. It was like the armed services were hungry for any knives, and Camillus took strait civilian style pocket knives, gave them a quick etch, and sent them off to whatever service branch was yelling for them.
When it came time for my hitch in the service, I enlisted in the army not long after high school. I really didn't know what I wanted to do with my life, so I figured a hitch in the service would give me time to think and at least get some GI benefits for any college. Just a quick three years I figured. The very first knife I got out of boot camp was at the Engineer school at Ft. Leonard Wood Missouri. The supply sergeant that issued our tools shoved a Camillus MKL knife in my tool bag and I was on my way. Seven years later, when they shipped me out to a little country in Southeast Asia that not many Americans had heard of, they gave me a Camillus MK2 that I shoved in my duffle bag. The little Camillus all steel scout knife was so popular, and easy to get from our supply room, they could be traded off for other goods and services. Okay, mostly services. Toss in a carton of cigarettes and a can of Maxwell house coffee, and you had it made. At least until dawn.
And this is just one family experience. My whole family that ever served in anything having to do with the service, came home with a Camillus in the pocket. I wasn't unusual, 20 years and more after the war, to see some vet, working on his car, the house, by the fishing hole, with a Camillus pocket knife courtesy of Uncle Sam.
I wonder if, with the huge history that Camillus had, if it isn't like the quiet elephant in the corner of the room. Doesn't get a lot of talk or glory, but they sure did their share of knives for the country. I know I was sad to see them go. It left kind of a void, like if mom stopped baking apple pies.
Carl.
There was a Roman general named Camillus, and he was a very victorious soldier, leading the Legions to victory over the enemies of the empire. There's a city in New York that is named Camillus, and in that fair place was a knife factory. Of course, this knife factory was named after the city I presume. But maybe the city was named after the Roman, I don't know. But what I do know is, the city, and the knife factory there made some pretty great cutlery in their day. If any knife company could be called a hero, I'm sure Camillus could be so. Their fall was a blow to American history.
The Camillus company was once called "The Contract King." By this, it was inferred that Camillus may just have made as many knives for other people under other brands, than they did for themselves. The early Buck pocket knives were made by Camillus, one of which I carried for twenty five years in my pre knife knut days when I was under the fools impression that a man could get by with one knife. Silly me. But when you think of all the millions of knives that Camillus made for other knife companies, and then they had their own knives out there. I wonder if they could have been the biggest knife company in the United States?
Then we have the question, how could we have won WW2 without them. Oh sure, there was some Imperial around, and PAL, Scrade, and even some Kabar's and some others. But looking at the war souvenirs and what came home in the duffle bags and pockets of GI's, sailors, Marines, and many of our allies pockets, I wonder. My Uncle Charlie waded onto a beach in France and walked all the way to Germany with a Camillus TL-29 in his pocket. Aside from the bayonet for his M1, it was his sole cutlery, and he had no complaints. Another uncle, my Uncle Sonny, spent the war living in a drafty Quonset hut in eastern England, flying B17's over Germany. In his leather flying jacket pocket was an issue all steel Camillus MLK knife. The one people call a demo knife. Uncle Sonny became a fan of the scout knife pattern, and for the rest of his 28 year Air Force career, carried one in his flight suit. Another uncle, joined the navy right after Pearl Harbor, and when they learned he grew up handling fishing boats on the Chesapeake Bay, they sweet talked him onto volunteering for PT boat duty. He came home with a Camillus stockman in his pocket that he clung to for the rest of his life. Wouldn't carry another knife. It was even a basic civilian model, with jigged brown plastic handles and "Property U. S. Government" etched on the main clip blade. It was like the armed services were hungry for any knives, and Camillus took strait civilian style pocket knives, gave them a quick etch, and sent them off to whatever service branch was yelling for them.
When it came time for my hitch in the service, I enlisted in the army not long after high school. I really didn't know what I wanted to do with my life, so I figured a hitch in the service would give me time to think and at least get some GI benefits for any college. Just a quick three years I figured. The very first knife I got out of boot camp was at the Engineer school at Ft. Leonard Wood Missouri. The supply sergeant that issued our tools shoved a Camillus MKL knife in my tool bag and I was on my way. Seven years later, when they shipped me out to a little country in Southeast Asia that not many Americans had heard of, they gave me a Camillus MK2 that I shoved in my duffle bag. The little Camillus all steel scout knife was so popular, and easy to get from our supply room, they could be traded off for other goods and services. Okay, mostly services. Toss in a carton of cigarettes and a can of Maxwell house coffee, and you had it made. At least until dawn.
And this is just one family experience. My whole family that ever served in anything having to do with the service, came home with a Camillus in the pocket. I wasn't unusual, 20 years and more after the war, to see some vet, working on his car, the house, by the fishing hole, with a Camillus pocket knife courtesy of Uncle Sam.
I wonder if, with the huge history that Camillus had, if it isn't like the quiet elephant in the corner of the room. Doesn't get a lot of talk or glory, but they sure did their share of knives for the country. I know I was sad to see them go. It left kind of a void, like if mom stopped baking apple pies.
Carl.
