What is your prescription for this four blade SS camper?

[Cattaraugus225]

I have searched up and down the net for some solid information on this Imperial four blade camper and have found very little information other than another like it was sold some months back. I am curious as to when this all stainless knife was made and how they came to market.

 

[killgar]

I'm not sure if it's of any value, or if you've seen it already, but there is a fair amount of speculation in this thread- https://www.bladeforums.com/threads/imperial-druggist-apothecary-or-pharmacy-knife.1709138

I think maybe speculation is all you might get. If the members here didn't know back in 2020, they might not know now. Or, who knows, maybe they will.

 

[Cattaraugus225]

I'm not sure if it's of any value, or if you've seen it already, but there is a fair amount of speculation in this thread- https://www.bladeforums.com/threads/imperial-druggist-apothecary-or-pharmacy-knife.1709138

I think maybe speculation is all you might get. If the members here didn't know back in 2020, they might not know now. Or, who knows, maybe they will.

Thank you kindly Kilgar.

I went back to that thread and woke it up from a deep sleep. Codger seemed to have indicated that he was going to further the research on the knife, but if he did he did not reply to that thread. I can tell you this, if I were a druggist, I would have to have this knife.

 

[afishhunter]

I don't know the exact year, and I can't enlarge the picture to see the tang stamp for a date range.

I can tell you the can opener dates it to no earlier than 1947.
1947 is the year that style can opener came out.
I discovered that tidbit of info when attempting to narrow the age on my circa 1947 ~ 1956 Imperial Engineer's knife. The tang stamp was used earlier, but it has the "modern" 1947 to present can opener.

Interesting knife. Do you carry and use it?

 

[Stelth]

I've seen that knife in posts here before. I wish I had more info.

 

[Cattaraugus225]

I don't know the exact year, and I can't enlarge the picture to see the tang stamp for a date range.

I can tell you the can opener dates it to no earlier than 1947.
1947 is the year that style can opener came out.
I discovered that tidbit of info when attempting to narrow the age on my circa 1947 ~ 1956 Imperial Engineer's knife. The tang stamp was used earlier, but it has the "modern" 1947 to present can opener.

Interesting knife. Do you carry and use it?

Thank you for the compliment. No, I have not carried it. Here is the tang stamp:

 

[afishhunter]

Thank you for the compliment. No, I have not carried it. Here is the tang stamp:View attachment 1894260

Figures. Not in any of the tang stamp charts. Why isn't that surprising?
A web search for imperial stainless tang stamp brought up a 2016 thread on them over at AAPK. No consensus was reached.

My best guess, based on the can opener, is sometime between 1947 and 1988. pOne guy in that thread claims Imperial started marking knives "stainless steel" in 1965.
The knife being talked about in that thread was more likely from the late 1920' to the 1930's however. It wasn't/isn't the same knife you have.
(Post '88 are Imperial Ireland, since the Prov. RI. plant burned down in '88. Production was moved to Ireland. Apparently it was more cost effective to buy out a going Irish cutlery firm than to rebuild the fire destroyed Rhode Island plant.)