Love the Scout Knife

My longest owned knife is also the only Scout I've ever had, an Ulster from the early 1960s. It still sees frequent use at home on the workbench.

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leghog said:
Often the best why to take a pic.
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Yes, and it displays the the blade/tools very well.

However, it puts extra stress on those springs... which in many cases may be half a century old or more. Me? I won't do it ever, not even for a nice photo, but of course people can do as they like with their own knives.

Suggestion for (safer) photography: On each spring, open one blade fully, then half open the blade at the other end of that spring. Now do the same for the second spring. This may not produce the classic camper photo, which often shows that two blades on the same spring are cocked half-open. But it may save your knife's backsprings.

Opening/closing sequences are important, too. Always open the first blade fully, then open the other end to half-stop. When closing, close the half stop first, then the fully open. The basic idea — sorry to belabor this — is never to have two blades on the same spring half open at the same time. That's what can produce a breaking stress in a spring that's gotten old.

You can ignore this advice for years and years and get away with it. Then, one day, you'll have a busted backspring.
 
Halfneck said:
Outstanding!

I keep holding out for the day that GEC does a Scout knife, or A.G. Russell does another run.
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I'd be on that like a crocodile on a drunken backpacker having a cooling dip in the creek for the fourth evening in a row.:D
 
I, too, love the Scout knife. There are a bunch of them lying around my house, but here are a few of my favorites. Please ignore the Frenchie on the right...
The green handled one is a Camillus military knife (small blade instead of an awl) rescaled by our friend Glennbad. The Dwight Divine Ulster belonged to my Grandfather. It gets a good amount of pocket time. The Remington RS3333 is a decent specimen for its age. I can't be sure, but it has some transitional features that I think date it to 1927 or thereabouts. The etch is barely visible. It deserves more pocket time.

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SAK Guy said:
I do not know if scout patterns are rising or falling in camping circles but they are, in the enhanced Vic/Wenger versions, the ultimate travel choice. I carried a Champion for nearly 3 months traveling/backpacking in Europe back in 1980 and it met every need. Almost every tool was used at least once including the fish scaler to dig the mud out of boot crevasses. My buddies both had Vic Explorers and had no problems.
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SAK Guy, something you said made me think. A very dangerous thing most times, but there it is.

If the camper style knife has waned n popularity, is it because the use for it has fallen off, or, maybe because all the biggest makers of them are no longer in business. Except for one. Camillus, Schrade, Imperial, PAL, and all the rat are out of business because of poor business models of operation. But, like you point out, the enhanced versions made by Victorinox are still going strong, as the company making them is still going like gang busters. The SAK is still popular among travelers, back packers, fishermen, boy scouts, and many other people. If you think of SAK's as an enhanced scout knife, then they have simply evolved and are still around and going strong. Stores like REI, Hudson Trail outfitters, Dick's, and the like, still have large displays of SAK's and they sell quite a few of them.

Given that Victorinox is still selling models like the tinker recruit, and spartan by the millions, then it stands to reason, somebody is still finding them useful to have. Not to mention all the pioneers and farmers that are being sold. Somebody is putting all those knives to use.
 
I dug this thread up because I just recently scored this beautiful stag bone Weidmannsheil scout without bail (my preference).

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The Zieg said:
Rescued from oblivion (aka Dad's desk drawer) last month. With his permission, of course. 1960s I'm thinking. Finish on the blades looks brand new. Western.

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Zieg
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Great knife. It's one of the few I spent more than 20 smackers (but not much more) to get. Picked one up at a gun show last year.

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willgoy said:
Mine are only modest, but both Red! RR and Schatt&Morgan, stainless.

Few years ago, Weidmannsheil Germany offered a nice looking Scout Knife, some were Green Bone others Ram's Horn I seem to remember, carbon steel.

Thanks, Will.

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Dang it, Willgoy, that Rough Rider looks so good I'm going to have to order me one now! :D

(The Schatt & Morgan looks good, too, but is WAY out of my price range.)
 
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Beautiful Bone on that Schrade. My favorite is the bone on the Ulster Dwight Devine, but this is a close contender.

Dean
 
Of all my many knives, this one has really captured my heart. It just oozes history. One of those knives that I try to imagine what the Scout used it for, did he go on from the Scouts to join the Army for WWII? I particularly like the scales. I haven't found anything else with bone like that. Dean
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