Some more finds

D

dalee100

Joined
Mar 15, 2008
Messages
1,539
Hi,

Since I'm being garrulous today, I thought I'd add some recent finds. I went garage saleing with my wife a few weeks ago. And I found this trio of Camillus slippies.

101_0210.jpg


The TL-29 was an interesting find. Truly a brute of a slippie! The two little Peanuts were found at different locations about 3 miles apart. I bought the first one because, for a buck, I couldn't pass up a Camillus USA stamped knife. Then several hours later, I found the second. What prompted me to get it, was the markings. The second one has no tang stamp, just CAMILLUS etched into the main clip. Everything else is identical between the two. Very nice half-stops and the frame is eased to make opening the small pen blades easier. They even have the same tiny bit of blade wobble on each clip blade. My camera isn't the best for closeups.

101_0212.jpg


101_0213.jpg


Can anyone shed any light on why they are like that?

dalee
 
Very nice score on the trio.

Would they be Camilluses or Camilli? Sorry I couldn't resist. I am sure someone will be along to answer your question.
 
Well I have a Camillus Roughcut tobacco stockman, that ain't stamped either, only etched.

I'm pretty sure that was just when they closed their doors, and slapped all the leftover parts together. They made some funky knives: carbon/stainless blades mixed in one knife...

Peter
 
Hi,

I think it's Camilli.:) I'm starting get a small collection of them going here. I think I've got 5 pieces so far. And I've been hunting for a bone scaled Camillus Peanut.

Peter, I kind of wondered if that is the case. But I don't know much about Camillus knives. The blades certainly don't show the polish of my few older Camillus knives. I can feel a roughness to the surface of the blades. Like they were trying to save money on labor.

I'm curious, does your Stockman show a similar lack of finish? And does the etching look the same?

Thanks,
dalee
 
dalee100: Great finds! If I may ask -

What's the general appearance of that electrician's knife? Is the back finished & polished flush? Is the lock lever on the screwdriver finished flush with the middle liner, until it rises to lock the screwdriver?

I just bought a Camillus electician's knife, and I swear it must be a 2nd, or a reject that was auctioned at the closing auctions. The scales aren't flush, and neither are the springs.

thx - cpr
 
dalee100 said:
I'm curious, does your Stockman show a similar lack of finish? And does the etching look the same?
Click to expand...

Yes, the etching looks just as faint. I don't remember how many tries it took me to get it to show well on the image, but it sure took some time.
The blades are more polished than the ones on your peanut though.

DSCF3101.JPG


Peter
 
I swear I have seen a chart someone made up showing the dates of Manuf. of Camillus by the tang stamp design. Does that sound familiar to anyone? I do know they through together some Buck knives right at the end that had miss-matched scales and brass hardware instead of nickle-silver. It's kinda sad how people think they have found a rare/different knife on auctions sites and turns out to be a brand new parts knife, they still say Buck on the tang. I don't know what they will do about the forever warranty on those..........300

Brown scale a Klien&Son TL-29, Black scale a newer Camillus, screwdriver blade mirror polished.
TL-29s.jpg


My proud old rosewood soldier from the 40's, like a special gun a knife for a lifetime.
TL-29test1.jpg
 
orca8589 said:
dalee100: Great finds! If I may ask -

What's the general appearance of that electrician's knife? Is the back finished & polished flush? Is the lock lever on the screwdriver finished flush with the middle liner, until it rises to lock the screwdriver?

I just bought a Camillus electician's knife, and I swear it must be a 2nd, or a reject that was auctioned at the closing auctions. The scales aren't flush, and neither are the springs.

thx - cpr
Click to expand...

Hi,

I consider the finish on my TL-29 to be what one would expect of a hard work tool. The blade and screw driver are well polished. And the plastic scales are flush to the bolsters on the sides and bottom. But the brass liners and center spacer is a bit proud along the back springs. On the top, the liner is flush with the sides until it rises to form the lock.

The one I have is the only one I've ever seen and handled in person. So I wonder how consistent fit and finish is for these tools.

dalee
 
Dalee,

I have handled a dozen, new and pretty old, some were better finished than others. My old Camillus is perfect. New Cami the center liner sits below springs edge and a little way around the rear. Scales and liners are fine.

The Klein&Son fit is right on but the plastic wood grain scale makes it look cheap. It has a little bit of the ole half moon drag marking on the blade tang........300bucks
 
Hi,

300Bucks, I can see that as a working tool made to a price point, the finish could vary. Particularly from differing eras and makers, since this pattern has been widely copied. I don't think I will being carrying it any time soon. It's pretty big for my pocket. Maybe if I made a belt sheath for it.

Stockamn242, thanks for the picture of your stockman! I'm going to have to keep and eye out for a similar one. Your's seems to have a Camillus marked shield and steel bolsters. Those little peanuts are all brass. I would worry about wearing them out quickly if I carried them. I just noticed that on the tang stamped one, it's also stamped 710 on the back side of the tang. I did a quick search and interestingly, Camillus 710 comes up as the Camillus HEAT 710 Assisted Opener. Things must have been really crazy on the factory floor during the plant closing.

dalee
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top