SEARS KNIFE WORLD

Page 6, post #109. Craftsman Gunstock, built by Camillus was featured with beautiful coloured Jigged Bone, Rats Tail bolster treatment & the Craftsman etch with ST-SHARP as the sub-etch places this knife on the 1942 Catalogue of Sears and Roebuck.

I then posted a Wilbert made Gunstock on page 18, post#352 a Knife nearly exactly the same, I wondered if Camillus took this pattern from Wilbert- was this a request from Sears? After all Camillus own brand name away from Sears ( Sword Brand) had this same knife but with the Sword brand Etch and Camillus stamped on the Tang.

All these questions come into the game, which makes this line of Knife such an interesting one to collect. This Knife with a beautiful Swage grind and stunning Bone Stag and heavily rats tailed Bolster sets this knife off.

So, I was out hunting a while ago and bagged another Gunstock, I knew these were pretty rare, so what better response but to aim, and pull that trigger - that's how we do these things :rolleyes:

So here is another example of a earlier Sta Sharp 1939/1940 Gunstock by Camillus. Camillus had a gorgeous range of Jigged Bone, or as it was marketed back in the day "Bone Stag".
Colours from deep almost charred browns with stunning highlights, to the most attractive almost Orange Bone Stag with amazing jigging and the colours down to the lighter tans / desert colours, either one you have, consider yourself a knife owner who carries a fantastically built knife by one of the greats.

Please don't forget when looking at these knives, they are 85 years old! You could have taken this one home for $0.69 :)
Still has the etch: STA-SHARP. 9465 over GUNSTOCK.

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Campbellclanman said:
Page 6, post #109. Craftsman Gunstock, built by Camillus was featured with beautiful coloured Jigged Bone, Rats Tail bolster treatment & the Craftsman etch with ST-SHARP as the sub-etch places this knife on the 1942 Catalogue of Sears and Roebuck.

I then posted a Wilbert made Gunstock on page 18, post#352 a Knife nearly exactly the same, I wondered if Camillus took this pattern from Wilbert- was this a request from Sears? All these questions come into the game, which makes this line of Knife such an interesting one to collect. This Knife with a beautiful Swage grind and stunning Bone Stag and heavily rats tailed Bolster sets this knife off.

So, I was out hunting a while ago and bagged another Gunstock, I knew these were pretty rare, so what better response but to aim, and pull that trigger - that's how we do these things :rolleyes:

So here is another example of a earlier Sta Sharp 1939/1940 Gunstock by Camillus. Camillus had a gorgeous range of Jigged Bone, or as it was marketed back in the day "Bone Stag".
Colours from deep almost charred browns with stunning highlights, to the most attractive almost Orange Bone Stag with amazing jigging and the colours down to the lighter tans / desert colours, either one you have, consider yourself a knife owner who carries a fantastically built knife by one of the greats.
Please don't forget when looking at these knives, they are 85 years old!
Still has the etch: STA-SHARP. over GUNSTOCK.

dUjrwqB.jpg


ZdKIUID.jpg


k8J39lt.jpg
Click to expand...
That's a special knife for sure 😍👍🤠
 
A fine Whittler indeed!
I have shown an example of this Knife on page 11, post# 213, Very nicely made Knives indeed! not a lot of these beauties around.
Ulster

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Featuring the Underlined Craftsman Etch - Sears first in late 1941 and 1942 starting strong as their knives now known as Craftsman Knives.
The 9473 Whittlers description "Hand Forged Chrome Vanadium Blades" The etch on the Blade in the larger lettering CRAFTSMAN, 9473 0VER CHROME VANADIUM.

The 1941 Fall Catalogue shows all Craftsman Chrome vanadium Knives along the Top Row, having the once ruling Sta-Sharps knocked down to the second row and so on, all knives- even the most spectacular top row could all be purchased for under a Dollar each, this is except for three, way down in the bottom right hand corner under the heading " No Finer Knives made regardless of price" A Gentleman's Pearl Lobster, a three bladed Bone Stag Senator, and this very knife here, all for the higher price of $1.75.
Thank you my friend for the opportunity to purchase this Knife!
 
Campbellclanman said:
A fine Whittler indeed!
I have shown an example of this Knife on page 11, post# 213, Very nicely made Knives indeed! not a lot of these beauties around.
Ulster

5vH1uc8.jpg


StNfRLy.jpg


waBDQud.jpg


zOLS15D.jpg


X5QGvDM.jpg


Featuring the Underlined Craftsman Etch - Sears first in late 1941 and 1942 starting strong as their knives now known as Craftsman Knives.
The 9473 Whittlers description "Hand Forged Chrome Vanadium Blades" The etch on the Blade in the larger lettering CRAFTSMAN, 9473 0VER CHROME VANADIUM.

The 1941 Fall Catalogue shows all Craftsman Chrome vanadium Knives along the Top Row, having the once ruling Sta-Sharps knocked down to the second row and so on, all knives- even the most spectacular top row could all be purchased for under a Dollar each, this is except for three, way down in the bottom right hand corner under the heading " No Finer Knives made regardless of price" A Gentleman's Pearl Lobster, a three bladed Bone Stag Senator, and this very knife here, all for the higher price of $1.75.
Thank you my friend for the opportunity to purchase this Knife!
Click to expand...
Such a beauty!!!
 
Campbellclanman said:
Page 6, post #109. Craftsman Gunstock, built by Camillus was featured with beautiful coloured Jigged Bone, Rats Tail bolster treatment & the Craftsman etch with ST-SHARP as the sub-etch places this knife on the 1942 Catalogue of Sears and Roebuck.

I then posted a Wilbert made Gunstock on page 18, post#352 a Knife nearly exactly the same, I wondered if Camillus took this pattern from Wilbert- was this a request from Sears? After all Camillus own brand name away from Sears ( Sword Brand) had this same knife but with the Sword brand Etch and Camillus stamped on the Tang.

All these questions come into the game, which makes this line of Knife such an interesting one to collect. This Knife with a beautiful Swage grind and stunning Bone Stag and heavily rats tailed Bolster sets this knife off.

So, I was out hunting a while ago and bagged another Gunstock, I knew these were pretty rare, so what better response but to aim, and pull that trigger - that's how we do these things :rolleyes:

So here is another example of a earlier Sta Sharp 1939/1940 Gunstock by Camillus. Camillus had a gorgeous range of Jigged Bone, or as it was marketed back in the day "Bone Stag".
Colours from deep almost charred browns with stunning highlights, to the most attractive almost Orange Bone Stag with amazing jigging and the colours down to the lighter tans / desert colours, either one you have, consider yourself a knife owner who carries a fantastically built knife by one of the greats.

Please don't forget when looking at these knives, they are 85 years old! You could have taken this one home for $0.69 :)
Still has the etch: STA-SHARP. 9465 over GUNSTOCK.

dUjrwqB.jpg


ZdKIUID.jpg


k8J39lt.jpg
Click to expand...

Campbellclanman said:
A fine Whittler indeed!
I have shown an example of this Knife on page 11, post# 213, Very nicely made Knives indeed! not a lot of these beauties around.
Ulster

5vH1uc8.jpg


StNfRLy.jpg


waBDQud.jpg


zOLS15D.jpg


X5QGvDM.jpg


Featuring the Underlined Craftsman Etch - Sears first in late 1941 and 1942 starting strong as their knives now known as Craftsman Knives.
The 9473 Whittlers description "Hand Forged Chrome Vanadium Blades" The etch on the Blade in the larger lettering CRAFTSMAN, 9473 0VER CHROME VANADIUM.

The 1941 Fall Catalogue shows all Craftsman Chrome vanadium Knives along the Top Row, having the once ruling Sta-Sharps knocked down to the second row and so on, all knives- even the most spectacular top row could all be purchased for under a Dollar each, this is except for three, way down in the bottom right hand corner under the heading " No Finer Knives made regardless of price" A Gentleman's Pearl Lobster, a three bladed Bone Stag Senator, and this very knife here, all for the higher price of $1.75.
Thank you my friend for the opportunity to purchase this Knife!
Click to expand...
Two wonderful knives - you may have to open a museum to display all the historic knives you are collecting. OH
 
Thank you Charlie, Bruce and Jeff 😊
Jeff that Whittler Sir is 3 & 3/4 inches closed.
Hey Cal! It should do my friend, I wanted to include that last sentence to you for allowing me to purchase a nice handful of very nice knives! 🙏😍
 
Campbellclanman said:
A fine Whittler indeed!
I have shown an example of this Knife on page 11, post# 213, Very nicely made Knives indeed! not a lot of these beauties around.
Ulster

5vH1uc8.jpg


StNfRLy.jpg


waBDQud.jpg


zOLS15D.jpg


X5QGvDM.jpg


Featuring the Underlined Craftsman Etch - Sears first in late 1941 and 1942 starting strong as their knives now known as Craftsman Knives.
The 9473 Whittlers description "Hand Forged Chrome Vanadium Blades" The etch on the Blade in the larger lettering CRAFTSMAN, 9473 0VER CHROME VANADIUM.

The 1941 Fall Catalogue shows all Craftsman Chrome vanadium Knives along the Top Row, having the once ruling Sta-Sharps knocked down to the second row and so on, all knives- even the most spectacular top row could all be purchased for under a Dollar each, this is except for three, way down in the bottom right hand corner under the heading " No Finer Knives made regardless of price" A Gentleman's Pearl Lobster, a three bladed Bone Stag Senator, and this very knife here, all for the higher price of $1.75.
Thank you my friend for the opportunity to purchase this Knife!
Click to expand...

Duncan that is a fantastic whittler!
 
"If you build it they will come."
It's true , great knives . I'm still pondering the Wilbert farmers jacks, especially after your intimation of Camillus copying. I have a Stiletto FJ that may have been made by Napanoch, it has some semblance to the frame and bone of the Wilbert FJ that I think are Camillus , but not the guts.
 
Hi Lyle
Oh boy, your Farmers Jacks are something else thats for sure!

Napanoch or Empire Lyle under the Sears owned Wilbert Brand name? If the guts are different could it be more towards Empire more so than Napanoch? ( just thinking out loud without really knowing my friend).
 
Campbellclanman said:
Hi Lyle
Oh boy, your Farmers Jacks are something else thats for sure!

Napanoch or Empire Lyle under the Sears owned Wilbert Brand name? If the guts are different could it be more towards Empire more so than Napanoch? ( just thinking out loud without really knowing my friend).
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It's definitely not Empire, they’re very different frames. I still think my Wilbert FJ was made by Camillus until someone convinces me otherwise.
The Stiletto's ( Napanoch supposedly ) liners are much thinner and best I can tell the small bolsters are different sizes.The Camillus rooster knives have extremely thick liners, not seen on any other FJs I know of, except the Schrade shadow patterns.
 
That's interesting, Lyle I wouldn't be surprised if Camillus did produce the Farmers Jack for Wilbert (Sears), after all It is Sears name, I went there in my mind as well with Camillus making the Wilbert Gunstock - the ONLY reason why I did that is because of the existence of a early Sword Brand Gunstock Knife that is exactly the same as the three Gunstocks I have displayed, and yet Sword Brand is Camillus owned, so there is a very real chance that Camillus did make the Wilbert's of our discussion here Lyle.
 
I would say the evidence is almost conclusive.
I don't know that much about gunstocks , but I’ve seen and studied over 200 farmers jacks . Either Camillus made the Wilberts or Camillus copied the assumed Napanochs, of which I know of no Napanoch rooster combs and no other similar construction of the Wilbert FJs by any other company than Camillus .

The only manufacturers of the rooster comb ( flat sided blades and the modified spey) farmers jacks known are Utica, Camillus, and Schrade. Sears claims to have invented this pattern, but I doubt they manufactured it. The Wilbert is 100% not Empire or Schrade. The Utica blades are not even close to matching the Wilbert or Camillus blades.

I also have an early stamp Camillus with pick bone handles which matches the Wilbert timeframe. I have little doubt that the Wilbert farmers jacks were made by anyone other than Camillus.
The Wilbert pictured has a Schrade on the left and an Empire on the right. They are an 1/8" longer than the Wilbert with the pruner pivot pin outside the rat tail, to which they are unique to all other FJs. The much different Utica and Wilbert pruning blades is not as evident out of hand.

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wlfryjr said:
I would say the evidence is almost conclusive.
I don't know that much about gunstocks , but I’ve seen and studied over 200 farmers jacks . Either Camillus made the Wilberts or Camillus copied the assumed Napanochs, of which I know of no Napanoch rooster combs and no other similar construction of the Wilbert FJs by any other company than Camillus .

The only manufacturers of the rooster comb ( flat sided blades and the modified spey) farmers jacks known are Utica, Camillus, and Schrade. Sears claims to have invented this pattern, but I doubt they manufactured it. The Wilbert is 100% not Empire or Schrade. The Utica blades are not even close to matching the Wilbert or Camillus blades.

I also have an early stamp Camillus with pick bone handles which matches the Wilbert timeframe. I have little doubt that the Wilbert farmers jacks were made by anyone other than Camillus.
The Wilbert pictured has a Schrade on the left and an Empire on the right. They are an 1/8" longer than the Wilbert with the pruner pivot pin outside the rat tail, to which they are unique to all other FJs. The much different Utica and Wilbert pruning blades is not as evident out of hand.

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Those are amazing. Merry Christmas, Lyle! Thanks for all you do!
 
wlfryjr said:
I would say the evidence is almost conclusive.
I don't know that much about gunstocks , but I’ve seen and studied over 200 farmers jacks . Either Camillus made the Wilberts or Camillus copied the assumed Napanochs, of which I know of no Napanoch rooster combs and no other similar construction of the Wilbert FJs by any other company than Camillus .

The only manufacturers of the rooster comb ( flat sided blades and the modified spey) farmers jacks known are Utica, Camillus, and Schrade. Sears claims to have invented this pattern, but I doubt they manufactured it. The Wilbert is 100% not Empire or Schrade. The Utica blades are not even close to matching the Wilbert or Camillus blades.

I also have an early stamp Camillus with pick bone handles which matches the Wilbert timeframe. I have little doubt that the Wilbert farmers jacks were made by anyone other than Camillus.
The Wilbert pictured has a Schrade on the left and an Empire on the right. They are an 1/8" longer than the Wilbert with the pruner pivot pin outside the rat tail, to which they are unique to all other FJs. The much different Utica and Wilbert pruning blades is not as evident out of hand.

View attachment 2742403View attachment 2742404
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Love this! Thank you Lyle! It definitely makes sense with these comparisons- in both the Gunstock Knives shown earlier and your gorgeous Farmers Jacks that either Camillus simply copied Wilbert's patterns or made them originally.

While on the the Topic of copying, another Knife - earlier than the Gunstocks, this case the Knife being a A.D.Wadsworth "Austrian Hunter" that Sears imported, and actually stated that the build wasn't quite up to standard and in Sears Words "...... the quality was not first class, but because of the shape of the Blade and handle had made the knife was popular enough to reproduce...... So Sears copied this pattern ! - Just what rights were purchased if any I am unsure, but Lyle wouldn't it be nice to get the paper work of the dealings with any of these subjects that we are talking about and share them to the Knife World.

What has this Austrian hunter got to do with the original Gunstock Knife or the Farmers Jack? Simply just the fact that this pattern was copied, if with this Knife, why not others such as the Gunstock and the Farmers Jack, as much of this went on in the Knife World.

Shown below is the actual knife I am talking about, the Austrian Hunter made by Wadsworth that Sears originally sold and yet said they weren't happy with the quality. Handling the Knife- it's fairly decent imo, this knife you press the Pen to release the lock of the Main Blade.

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The Catalog Page here from 1902, this knife you see down the very bottom of the page

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Edit: Correction of spelling.
 
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