Pre '48 Camillus?

Post 1948. 1960s, maybe early 70s from the looks of it. The stamp on the blade is from that time anyhow.

This one is pre 1948

 
Does the style of can opener dictate certain periods, or is the tang stamp the main factor?
 
To support what leghog has noted, the can opener is the one used on the 1946 Boy Scouts of America "Scout" pattern knife. Change the shield and its the same knife.
 
leghog said:
Camillus used the two piece can opener from 1946 through 1948.
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Thomas Linton said:
To support what leghog has noted, the can opener is the one used on the 1946 Boy Scouts of America "Scout" pattern knife. Change the shield and its the same knife.
Click to expand...

Yes, but there is still the issue of the markings. This tang stamp did not exist in 1948. It did not appear until 1960 and was used into the 70s.


A post war pre 1950 tang stamp should look like this, with or without the partial underscore



Whatever the knife is, its not what it seems to be.
 
I would say the information on markings is in error. I have many 1950's Camilluis "Scout" knives and not a one has the two-piece can opener, whereas all the 1946-1948 Camillus BSA "Scout" knives had it. In 1949, the can opener on Camillus BSA Scout knives goes to the more modern, Mirando patent one piece can opener. http://www.datamp.org/patents/displayPatent.php?id=40228

The mod of the Camillus forum told us some years ago that the ywo-piece opener was used as early as 1944.

And we have this:
Government specifications switched to the one piece safety can opener in 1944. With the war and government procurement the Patent didn't matter, all makers could use that pattern. When the war ended and commercial production again resumed they had to revert back to the old styles until the Patent expired or they licensed it from Imperial.

The main point being that during the war, government procurement switched to the safety can opener in 1944 and used it in all the knives regardless of who the manufacturer was.

All the best
Frank Trzaska
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The BSA Scout with the two-piece opener is pictured in Boys' Life:

in August, 1946, at p. 27;
in September, 1946, at p. 27;
in December, 1946, at p. 20;
in May, 1947, at p. 2;
in June, 1947, at p. 37;
in December, 1947, at p. 31;
in May, 1948 at p. 29.

This is not a complete list.
 
If the knife was manufactured in the 60's or later, there's no way it would have a two piece can opener.
 
Thomas Linton said:
The BSA Scout with the two-piece opener is pictured in Boys' Life:

in August, 1946, at p. 27;
in September, 1946, at p. 27;
in December, 1946, at p. 20;
in May, 1947, at p. 2;
in June, 1947, at p. 37;
in December, 1947, at p. 31;
in May, 1948 at p. 29.

This is not a complete list.
Click to expand...

and how many have the post 1960 tang stamp?

leghog said:
If the knife was manufactured in the 60's or later, there's no way it would have a two piece can opener.
Click to expand...


there are many assumptions going on here.........stop looking at the opener and look at the whole knife.......

The knife is not as it came from the Camillus factory. Of course if it has the 2 piece opener, thats not 1960s or later. But if it has a 1960 and later tang stamp, thats not from 1950 or earlier. The knife is a construct, a franken-knife, not original. Who knows what it was before.
 
Good point.

The pictures of Scout pattern knives in Boys' Life do not show the tang stamps.

I have own seven 1946-1948 BSA Scout knives with grooved bolsters and the two-piece can-opener as shown in Boys' Life and the BSA equipment catalogs. Each of the seven has the tang stamp CAMILLUS/NEW YORK/USA, with a partial line under "CAMILLUS." The "USA" can only be seen with the blade at 90 degrees to the frame. The stamps look like this:



I have a knife identical to the OP's with that same tang stamp but with no underscore.
 
Thomas Linton said:
I have a knife identical to the OP's with that same tang stamp but with no underscore.
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Yes, that would be correct for post war up to 1950 or so. There was another tang stamp used in the post war period that was similar to the partial underscore stamp but with no underscore.
 
Are there any other telltale signs, for me to look for, that may shed a little more light on this? I certainly respect all of your opinions, and appreciate your responses. If it's been built by someone outside of the Camillus factory, with different knife parts, it sure was done well. I would've never guessed that. I'd still love to hear more!!!!
 
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