Camillus NY knife show and a video to share...

[PocketKnifeJimmy]

Interesting video, and it shows what a good knife their Whittler is.

I don't know the significance of those dates on the shields, 1848 was the Year of Revolutions in Europe but I don't think that's the connexion The Böker firm had been making tools and sabres since the c17th but as far as the Böker pocket knife and razor company is concerned, Heinrich Böker established it in Solingen in 1869. His brothers Hermann and Robert had emigrated to the US a little earlier and set up an import business for the firm's products. Later in the c19th they began knife manufacturing in the US itself-due to both tariffs and demand. Both firms used the same logo on the shields of a Chestnut tree, the American firm anglicised its spelling by dropping the umlaut (ö) and becoming BOKER rather than BÖKER- change in pronunciation too.

The Whittler in the video has a frosted style etch on the blade and I think this elaborate type was used on stainless knives? At least, the Penknife I have with it is certainly stainless but with carbon back spring- the opposite of CASE who have cv/carbon blades and stainless back springs.

I had a Red Bone Stockman with a special 140 Jahre shield from 2009 but it went in a GAW and a Washboard Whittler in Greenbone went to a fellow forumite in Germany- who due to some bizarre EU laws couldn't buy Böker traditional in Germany itself! Some Solingen made Böker have a Federal shield with the Chestnut tree within it. Manufacturing still goes on in Solingen Germany, in Argentina, China and I think US manufacturing has resumed again after a gap but these are Moderns and not the Traditional types. The Chestnut tree symbolises growth and longevity, Böker has managed this under sometimes very testing conditions.

Regards, Will

Thanks for the detailed information
The Boker I picked up yesterday has a 1900 shield, which I have no idea the significance of. But, at least I now know that it's all somehow intentionally meant to be what it is.

Thanks again!

 

[Just Tom.]

For some reason I remember the first time I heard about Camillus knives. It would have been around 1988 and I was in France. I don’t recall how the topic came up, but I remember a French guy being shocked that, as an American, I had never heard of the famous “Cammy-loose” knife. I have to assume he was referring to the large fighting knife, given the context.

 

[PocketKnifeJimmy]

For some reason I remember the first time I heard about Camillus knives. It would have been around 1988 and I was in France. I don’t recall how the topic came up, but I remember a French guy being shocked that, as an American, I had never heard of the famous “Cammy-loose” knife. I have to assume he was referring to the large fighting knife, given the context.

Yeah, they were one heck of a US Military contractor... They made all sorts of different blade tools for the US for many decades.
They also made sooo many knives for other companies.
Camillus Cutlery going out of business was really a big loss for the knife world