Camillus, Mom, and apple pie.

Looked at a few and you are right. No pins show on the NS knives but I do have a PDF file of the "S" cards that Camillus used to make the knives.
 
Plus all the official Boy Scouts of America knives they made for decades. I've gotten a few, and love the #72 Carpenters' Whittler pattern, plus the "Deluxe" Scout pattern with Phillips screwdriver blade.

I like to pick up some more of their Yello-Jaket series too, I have a little one bladed stainless Peanut that fits nicely in my jeans watch pockets.

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I sold a lot, maybe hundreds of them before the company went under and I couldn't get them any more.

Absolutely the best bang for the buck available.

At the end they were doing some odd things - putting together left over parts. I got some that said Camillus on the blades and Buck on the shield. I got several that had one blade or two out of stainless, and the third out of carbon, or the other way around. I still have one Cattle knife that has one stainless spring and one carbon spring.

Having carbon and stainless on the same knife allows easy comparisons between the two. I and my carving class students have and continue to use the heck out of these things and the stainless out perform the carbon hands down.

I have yet to find a better overall performing all around knife than a stainless 4" stockman with delrin scales. At any price. (I haven't tried them all of course, and would be happy to test any contenders.) (A "workout" for my knives does not include apples and potatoes by the way - no offense intended to those for whom it does - It does involve cutting lots of wood with rough cuts and detail.)
 
Their Craftsman line was outstanding.

There were other house brand names they made for Sears & Roebuck like Dunlap, Kiwk Kut, Sta-Sharp and High Carbon Steel. They ran from premium to value-minded but an inexpensive Camillus was still a well made knife. The knife on the right end in this picture is a Kent, which Camillus made as a house brand for Woolworth's. Probably cost 10 or 20 cents when new and it's incredible how tight and snappy it remains now. They could make a knife to meet so many different prices and markets but they were all quality pieces.

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Nice tribute to a fine old company, Carl. Wish I was home so I could post a few.
 
I find it fascinating that Imperial Schrade would have had the Frontiers contracted. Usually its a company like Buck that had no slipjoint capacity or Case with a pattern (scout) they didn't have tools for. As if Schrade could not make the Frontiers. Maybe they would have been too obviously old timers.
 
JACK.....Thank you for an enlightening and absorbing read...what a shameful way for an iconic USA company to expire....I love the few Cammy,s i have..................FES



 
Beautiful post Carl.

This thread brought a few tears to my eyes...............
 
I don't have one that says Camillus on it but I'm pretty sure they made these Remingtons

 
Very interesting post Carl, a pleasure to read as always :thumbup:


Jack, that is an awesome knife. It literally made my heart beat faster. Thank you for posting it. I don't know if it's the pattern, the blade, or the jigging, but that's a knife that is what a knife it's supposed to look like. Thanks for posting it.
 
I'm wearing that Arclite under my shirt right now, combo edge. It's been a lovely knife for me, and I am glad to own it. I put a paracord wrap on the handle, just for fun. It worked out just fine, but the color doesn't match very well. The knife deserves better, and I will make sure I make right.
 
Great-looking knife Fes, they seem to have got everything just right :thumbup:

i totally agree JACK...i carried this when i was cutting firewood last winter and used every tool on that knife in one day...i discovered the curved piece under the screwdriver was perfectly suited for opening beer bottles...Brilliant!!!............................FES

 
Here's an older pruner I got today. 4 line stamp with Sword Brand etch on the blade. Just in time for Wooden Wednesday tomorrow. :)



 
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