Camillus Peanut

M

mwochna

Joined
Jun 22, 2006
Messages
407
When did Camillus make these and did they actually make them? It says "Camillus - Made in the U.S.A." - printed not stamped. Overall it's 2 3/4". The blades are stainless, the bolsters and liners brass, the springs are carbon steel. The handles are some kind of reddish-brown wood. If it didn't say Camillus, I would say Chinese.
CamillusPeanut.jpg
 
No, right forum! If I remember correctly, these were knives made for Sears when Sears dropped their knife line. The tang stamp was removed and and Camillus etched on the tang.
 
I think that CAMCO would have to answer that for you. I have a copy of the 1993 Sears catalog and it still shows four patterns of Camillus wood handled pocket knives, though not the one you show. When I last bought Camillus knives from Sears circa 2004-05 they were on closeout.

In the 1993 catalog (The last big Sears catalog, by the way) were listed:
#95416 4 15/16" Lockback
#95415 4" Lockback
#95417 3 1/4" Stockman
#95421 2 5/8" Pen knife

All with laminated wood handles, brass bolsters, and stainless blades.

Codger
 
Thanks, Codger. The Sears knives would have been stamped "Sears" or "Craftsman" right? So what RickR is saying is that my knife would have been made for Sears, but Sears cancelled their line of knives, so Camillus printed or etched their name on the tangs and sold them sometimes in the early 2000's.
 
That sounds about right. They were/are good knives. I remember Mr. Williams, the Camillus historian telling me that they never threw anything away. Grinding the craftsman stamp off and etching their own mark would have been the prudent thing to do with leftover stock. Tom can tell us the next time on line the approximate timeline during which Sears discontinued their knives and Camillus sold these. It is very likely that they were sold heavily discounted in bulk to SMKW or another large retailer. I don't know for certain, but I suspect these were Sears #95420. The examples of this number I have seen were stamped:
SEARS
STAINLESS
U.S.A. 95420
 
As always Codger, you are right on the money and 2003-4 is just about right. It may have been as late as 2005 too. I know they were laying around for a while throughout the plant.
 
Well RIck, I appreciate the accolades but I am not always right on the money, though I wish it were so!

I am doing a study of Sears knives made by Schrade Walden/Ulster/Schrade Cutlery Corp/Imperial Schrade (whew!) and Camillus and could use any help I can get on confirming the Camillus numbers.

Michael
 
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