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Price is$300$250 ea (shipped within CONUS). If you live outside the US, I will contact you after your order for extra shipping charges.
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Gloomy field trip. Lots of pictures.
- Thread starter TAGannon
- Start date
If I recall my early days as a dealer, before the 14-year hiatus, Camillus was considered the largest US manufacturer of cutlery. The did stuff for lots of names and had a range of quality from basically crap to their OVB stuff (Our Very Best). I loved their yellow handled stuff and their cartridge knives. Great feel, solid lock up and tough blades. I never did get an OVB knife though I did handle them and they were amazing. You would think they came out of a custom shop.
I also believe all their tooling went to China the way of Schrade.
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Thanks again for pictures, sometimes we need to remember what we had vs. what we have.
Kinda off point, but I had some friends associated with the Monticello Raceway (std. bred racing) & visited them a few years back (in the early 80's, well way back . .
), and if I am not mistaken it was close or actually in the Catskills. We spent a day up in the hills in the area (and again please excuse me if this is off some) looking at what was left from all the old hotels from the late 20's & 30"s. I had never experienced such an eerie feeling finding furniture, dishes, clothing, etc. just lying around.
Like I said, I could be completely mistaken about this, but this is what I recall to the best of my knowledge. It was just so strange to see this, yet at that time the surrounding area was so alive. Maybe you could let me know if this is the same area or not.
Be safe.
Kinda off point, but I had some friends associated with the Monticello Raceway (std. bred racing) & visited them a few years back (in the early 80's, well way back . .
), and if I am not mistaken it was close or actually in the Catskills. We spent a day up in the hills in the area (and again please excuse me if this is off some) looking at what was left from all the old hotels from the late 20's & 30"s. I had never experienced such an eerie feeling finding furniture, dishes, clothing, etc. just lying around.Like I said, I could be completely mistaken about this, but this is what I recall to the best of my knowledge. It was just so strange to see this, yet at that time the surrounding area was so alive. Maybe you could let me know if this is the same area or not.
Be safe.
Thanks again for pictures, sometimes we need to remember what we had vs. what we have.
Kinda off point, but I had some friends associated with the Monticello Raceway (std. bred racing) & visited them a few years back (in the early 80's, well way back . .
Like I said, I could be completely mistaken about this, but this is what I recall to the best of my knowledge. It was just so strange to see this, yet at that time the surrounding area was so alive. Maybe you could let me know if this is the same area or not.
Be safe.
I've spent a lot of time in those hills. It used to be called the "borscht belt". Very popular with the New York City Jewish population to visit in the summer. Lots of huge resorts. Now they are all decaying or burned down. "Dirty Dancing" was filmed at one of them. That particular place still exists.
Kinda creepy walking in the woods and stumbling upon cabins or a hotel.
With the new "Racecino" laws here in NY, Monticello is making a comeback. People can watch horse racing, bet on those races or OTB and go into the casino.
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I've spent a lot of time in those hills. It used to be called the "borscht belt". Very popular with the New York City Jewish population to visit in the summer. Lots of huge resorts. Now they are all decaying or burned down. "Dirty Dancing" was filmed at one of them. That particular place still exists. Kinda creepy walking in the woods and stumbling upon cabins or a hotel. With the new "Racecino" laws here in NY, Monticello is making a comeback. People can watch horse racing, bet on those races or OTB and go into the casino.
Errie to say the least. There were brass headboards leaning up against trees, dressers & chests, the old fashioned pitcher & wash bowls, books, just about anything you could imagine. And the area was so overgrown you could be 5 feet from someone and not see them. I remember what this was like seeing it, & I could not imagine how the Camillus factory seems to you. Just glad my memory still has some grey matter left thats working . . .
Thanks again for the information and the shots.
Be safe.
Just1mor,
Ironic that you should mention the Catskills. Just around the corner in Ellenville stands the shell of another great cutlery company that folded a year before Camillus: Imperial-Schrade. Both part of the once great Baer family knife empire. Albert and Henry must be rolling in their graves.
Best Regards,
Paul Tsujimoto
Sr Eng
Prod Dev and Qual
KA-BAR Knives
Ironic that you should mention the Catskills. Just around the corner in Ellenville stands the shell of another great cutlery company that folded a year before Camillus: Imperial-Schrade. Both part of the once great Baer family knife empire. Albert and Henry must be rolling in their graves.
Best Regards,
Paul Tsujimoto
Sr Eng
Prod Dev and Qual
KA-BAR Knives
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Toooj, thanks for the information. The lady I was seeing at the time worked for the U.S.T.A. in Columbus & we were guest of the G/M of the Monticello R/W at that time. I can't remember too much about the town, the track, or even the general location of where we were, but those decayed buildings, the rubble, furniture, etc. really made a lasting impression. Worst thing was spending the cash for an out of town deer license, and then only hunting for two days.
We have several company buildings around the Cincinnati area that have ended up the same way as the ones above. Sometimes you really have to wonder if we are really achieving progress, or if it is really a form of regression . . .
Thanks again Toooj & TA for the information & clarifying my sometimes "cloudy" memory.
Be safe.
wow, very eerie, and sad......
i love old buildings an factories, would love to buy that building up......but no moola............
if that building was in Vancouver bc, it would be filled with meth and crank addicts, and would stripped of copper and other metals. Very weird seeing it undamaged and unoccupied.....
i love old buildings an factories, would love to buy that building up......but no moola............
if that building was in Vancouver bc, it would be filled with meth and crank addicts, and would stripped of copper and other metals. Very weird seeing it undamaged and unoccupied.....
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A couple of years before Camillus folded ,I wrote them for a catalog. I still have it. It was my introduction to Becker knives as well as they where featured in the catalog. Beckers/Camillus were not available at retailers up in Canada then , at least none that I knew of. I really wanted to try a Becker and now have 5 of them ( BK2 ,7 ,9 ,11 ,13) and a few Remoras.
I have one of my grandfathers knives , a Camillus TL-29 which stands for "trade Lineman" I believe. That knife is pretty old and worn. I tried to acquire more knives from Camillus with no luck. It's sad to see those pics of the defunct factory. They where around for quite a while. I was dissapointed to see Schrade go the way they did also. Two great American classics gone , not to mention a substantial loss of jobs.
I have one of my grandfathers knives , a Camillus TL-29 which stands for "trade Lineman" I believe. That knife is pretty old and worn. I tried to acquire more knives from Camillus with no luck. It's sad to see those pics of the defunct factory. They where around for quite a while. I was dissapointed to see Schrade go the way they did also. Two great American classics gone , not to mention a substantial loss of jobs.
If anything, they are being made in China just like Schrade. Not a lick of machinery in those buildings. It all got shipped somewhere.
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Yeah, I saw the SHOT show vid, that Adam done. Looks interesting, but at the price points that those knives are going for, overseas looks to be the makers.
TAG, thanks for taking me with you on that trip. Gloomy, sad, but historically interesting. The one thing that I will always remember Camillus for is the BSA knife. I had a crate of those things, don't know what happened to them, though.
Camillus made some great stuff, and it as an American company. I hate to see any RWB makers go down, especially ones making BKT.
Thanks a ton, brother.
Moose
TAG, thanks for taking me with you on that trip. Gloomy, sad, but historically interesting. The one thing that I will always remember Camillus for is the BSA knife. I had a crate of those things, don't know what happened to them, though.
Camillus made some great stuff, and it as an American company. I hate to see any RWB makers go down, especially ones making BKT.
Thanks a ton, brother.
Moose
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AKboy, if I am not mistaken (and maybe TA or Toooj will correct me), I thought I had read somewhere that a company called Acme United or Acme Limited had bought the name, brand, and is making certain models "off shore" is the term I think everyone uses now a days. I think I am going to try and find where I read that, could just have been something I saw on one of the forums also. Like I said, maybe TA or Toooj can shead some light on it. Good luck with your search.
Be safe.
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KG, it's sad to think of all the stories & tales that could come out of that building. A lot of history lost for future generations.
Cool signature line by the way, the Moose would be proud of you . . . :thumbup:
Be safe.
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Sigh. :grumpy::barf:
Acme United bought only the Trademarks & Intellectual Property.
It was a single lot in the Auction, it was the only one they bid on.
All the tooling of significance was bought as a single lot & shared by Ontario & Bear.
None of the tooling went to China!!! (Not that they would need it to knock off a line.)
The equipment was bought by US Cutlery Companies, local machine shops, scrap dealers & idiots like myself.
And of course, Ethan did get to buy his name back! :thumbup:
I did actually think of bidding against him on it........., but I never liked German names!
Acme United bought only the Trademarks & Intellectual Property.
It was a single lot in the Auction, it was the only one they bid on.
All the tooling of significance was bought as a single lot & shared by Ontario & Bear.
None of the tooling went to China!!! (Not that they would need it to knock off a line.)
The equipment was bought by US Cutlery Companies, local machine shops, scrap dealers & idiots like myself.
And of course, Ethan did get to buy his name back! :thumbup:
I did actually think of bidding against him on it........., but I never liked German names!
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Acme United bought only the Trademarks & Intellectual Property. It was a single lot in the Auction, it was the only one they bid on. All the tooling of significance was bought as a single lot & shared by Ontario & Bear.None of the tooling went to China!!! (Not that they would need it to knock off a line.) The equipment was bought by US Cutlery Companies, local machine shops, scrap dealers & idiots like myself. And of course, Ethan did get to buy his name back!
I did actually think of bidding against him on it........., but I never liked German names!
Phil, thank you for your information & letting us know exactly what had happened with them. I still can not remember where I had heard or read this, probably will find it looking for something else . . .
Thanks again for sharing this with us.
Be safe.
Sigh. :grumpy::barf:
Acme United bought only the Trademarks & Intellectual Property.
It was a single lot in the Auction, it was the only one they bid on.
All the tooling of significance was bought as a single lot & shared by Ontario & Bear.
None of the tooling went to China!!! (Not that they would need it to knock off a line.)
The equipment was bought by US Cutlery Companies, local machine shops, scrap dealers & idiots like myself.
And of course, Ethan did get to buy his name back! :thumbup:
I did actually think of bidding against him on it........., but I never liked German names!
Thank you Phil, that really sets the record straight.
