The second knife has arrived, and I'm pleased as punch!!! This knife is even more mint than the last one. It has a stain here and there, but no pitting whatsoever. And no sign of buffing either. All grinds are wonderfully clean and crisp. The covers aren't quite as colorful as the previous knife, but the front cover matches the back especially well. The jigging is impeccable. There is no sign of the main blade ever being sharpened or used. The blades aren't quite as tight on this knife, in comparison to the last one, but the pulls are extraordinary. The main blade has probably the most perfect pull I've ever felt on a knife. It's a smooth 5 or 5 1/2 on the pull, with the last half of the pull springing into place like a bear trap. The whole knife rings as the main blade is snapped closed. Incredible. The other tools are all a solid 4 on the pull, as they ideally should be. The blade wells are stain free, and there's just one spot of patina on the back spring. The bail moves easily, but never of its own accord.
The only odd aspect of this knife is the stamp on the shield. Camillus
U.S.A. stamps are normally very thin and dark, where the stamp on this knife almost looks outlined. The font size and shape are correct. The periods are spaced exactly as they should be. So I'm guessing that the knife was double stamped at the factory, with the two stamps not quite lining up perfectly.
So now the question arises. Which of these two knives should serve as my reference standard? The first knife has more colorful bone, a properly stamped shield, and is perfectly tight fitting. The second knife is more mint, with mind blowing walk and talk, and has perfectly matched covers. I was hoping to use one knife as a reference, and carry the other. But it's gonna be very difficult to pocket either of them.
Buzzbait
