Scout knife question

kamagong

kamagong

Joined
Jan 13, 2001
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A couple of weeks ago my wife and I had dinner with a couple of friends. After an hour or so my daughter started getting restless and since I forgot to bring a toy I gave her my harness jack to hold. (She quieted right up, I think I have a future knifenut on my hands). When my buddy noticed the HJ he took it as his cue to share the scout knife he carried in his pocket. It was an Imperial with black jigged composition handles and beautifully patinaed carbon blade and tools. The knife was his grandfather's and it is one of my bud's most treasured possessions. He doesn't carry it often because he is afraid of losing it, but he does take it out once in a while.

That knife has stirred a longing in me. I never really paid much attention to the scout pattern, but holding one in my hand did something that looking at a hundred pictures never did. I want one now. I suppose I could buy a Victorinox Hiker and be done with it, but I want a scout knife with soul. It's got to have bone scales and carbon blade and tools.

Unfortunately most of the scout knives I've found have black composite handles of one sort or another. I've come across relatively few in bone. Did most of these knives have jigged composite scales? Should I just suck it up and get one, or should I learn to enjoy the hunt and hope I one day find that lovingly cared for old Ulster or PAL? And why in the world doesn't a single manufacturer make a current scout with brown bone scales and a 1095 blade and tools?

- Christian
 
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You can buy scouts now. They are Remington tang stamps, but I think they are made by Bear. Imperial is making cub scout knives. You can get them in you local BSA store for around 12 bucks.
A Dwight Devine Ulster scout would be the one to have IMO.
 
Christian, you need a scout knife.

I don't know why, but they do have a very soulful call that I can't say no to. With all my knives, so many that I had to have the great downsizing, I needed a scout to scratch the itch.

The Camillus scout I had that my dad gave me, had jigged delrin scales, with the boy scout motto "Be Prepared" molded right into them. Leave it to my dad to point out to me that there was no shield to fall out.

I gave that knife to my youngest son, Matt, who still carries it now and then. But a few years ago, I was doing the Saturday morning yard sale with the better half, and I spotted an old scout knife just like the one I had. Even made by Camillus. A little rusty, dirty as sin, but very salvagable. I bought for a cheap price, cleaned it up, sharpened it, and now it's part of my edc rotation. For some strange reason, it fills a void that no other knife fills. The old carbon steel blade gets hair popping sharp, and it brings back soooo many memories. I like to take it out on cold winter days and sit on a log and make a perfect fuzz stick, but never as perfect as Mr. Van.

Everyone needs a scout knife.

Carl.
 
I like some of the old ones. I have two. Somewhere on bladeforums someone chronicled the evolution of the three types of canopeners, but it has slipped my memory.

scouts001.jpg
[/IMG]
 
You must get an old carbon Scout. Once you've carried one no SAK will quite do.
 
Look for an older Case 6445R, discontinued in 1978. Built like a tank and with jigged bone handles and CV blades.
 
kamagong said:
That knife has stirred a longing in me. I never really paid much attention to the scout pattern, but holding one in my hand did something that looking at a hundred pictures never did. I want one now. I suppose I could buy a Victorinox Hiker and be done with it, but I want a scout knife with soul. It's got to have bone scales and carbon blade and tools.
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I can relate! I had a buddy show me the scout knife his grandfather passed on to him, and I got the bug.

I have a dozen SAKs; they're full of utility but they really don't do a thing for me, emotionally. But a good ol' American scout pattern... well, that's a different story. Must be the bail? ;)

I started longing for a replacement for the 1970's Case scout knife I recently lost (bone scales, carbon blades). I had bought that knife when I was a teenager. I found that decent specimens were going for more money than I wanted to spend. But in my searching I saw lots of Camillus versions, albeit with the plastic scales, for a lot less money. Being born and raised in upstate NY, I figured the Camillus would be a good choice.

I bought one in very nice shape and was impressed. So I bought another. Then, I found one with bone scales in great shape. So I ended up spending more than I would have on one Case like the one I used to have, but now I have three from Camillus that I really enjoy. :D

There are plenty of old, orphaned scout knives out there looking for a home. Do the right thing!


Stay sharp,
desmobob
 
That Case would be great. You can still get Schatt & Morgan scouts. They don't have a bail but they are nice. About 89 bucks. Case has small scouts now too.
 
Take a look at the stag Boker. It is a nice thing (Bulldog used to make one too - and you can still get that in celluloid easily)

The springs on my Boker are slow, but OK. No matter how stiff, I always wish springs were stiffer. Blades are 440C
 
One of the Ulster Old Timers is worth looking for, it is the 114 pattern

Ulster_OT_Camper-2.jpg


Scout pattern, but not a Boy Scout knife. There are always a lot of decent Ulsters on the auction site. Many of the BSA issues with Delrin handles. The bone ones are pretty hotly contested.
 
navihawk said:
That Case would be great. You can still get Schatt & Morgan scouts. They don't have a bail but they are nice. About 89 bucks. Case has small scouts now too.
Click to expand...

Big fan of scout patterns. I do like the Case Jr. Scouts a lot - I have amber bone, orange barnboard and stag. They are stainless and a little smaller, but do have a bail. Did I mention I like them?
 
It looks like I should hold out for a bone handled scout. It'll be hard delaying gratification, but I guess I have enough knives to tide me over. Maybe if I close my eyes and pretend I can convince myself that my Imperial Cattleman is a scout.

- Christian
 
tongueriver said:
I like some of the old ones. I have two. Somewhere on bladeforums someone chronicled the evolution of the three types of canopeners, but it has slipped my memory.

scouts001.jpg
[/IMG]
Click to expand...

Do you know the maker of the knife at top in your pic (labelled 'SCOUT' on the shield)? The reason I ask, yours looks very similar to one being asked about over in Levine's forum, here:

http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=801824

He's got one with what appears to be imitation pearl scales, more worn than yours, but otherwise appears to be identical in pattern (right down to the 'SCOUT' label on the shield).
 
knifeaholic said:
Look for an older Case 6445R, discontinued in 1978. Built like a tank and with jigged bone handles and CV blades.
Click to expand...

+1 I found one a couple years ago at a gun shop. It was definitely well used by someone in the past, (even the jigging is smoothed out in places) but it's still in nice shape, has great snap in the blades & has the look & feel that screams character.
No doubt it was a favorite knife of it's former owner.
 
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