Where to Buy Authentic Boy Scout Knife

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pradeep1

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Jul 4, 2007
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I remember back almost 20 years ago when I was in the Boy Scouts, we used to have this classic knife that had a nice blade, a bottle opener, and a few other useful tools on it. It was the same knife in the old BSA manual. It had a brown plastic handle. I remember it was like $12.00-15.00 for a new knife, and I remember my mother buying me one after I got my Totin' Chip. I have since lost that knife, but I wanted to buy one again.

All the knives I find nowadays are like these super expensive ($60-300) ones at sites like this (the top one is the type of knife I am talking about):

http://www.jaysknives.com/boyscoutknives.htm

You guys know of any good sources, other than eBay, for these. Are they discontinued and now are all collectors items with matching high prices?

Thanks,

Pradeep
 
To the best of my knowledge, there are two manufacturers that had the rights to "official" BSA knives in recent years. These being Camillus (recently went out of business) and Victorinox. Camillus BSA knives are still available at several online retailers and at least some BSA stores still have stock on hand. My local one still has Camillus BSA and Cub Scout knives in clampacks on display. Camillus made several models with the BSA logo.

Victorinox makes several models of SAKs with the BSA logo. The Explorer/Yeoman, the Tinker, the Adventurer, come to mind. I think I missed a couple.

You would probably be happiest with a Camillus as it more closely matches what you remember. They are available in either jigged bone style or smooth red bolsters. I do think that the SAKS have a better fit and finish though. Of the Vics, the Tinker probably comes closest to what you describe. Oddly enough the Soldier exactly matches the blade selection of the classic BSA knives but AFAIK Vic has never done a BSA Soldier.

I know what you mean about losing your BSA knife. I had a BSA Wenger SAK that was OK at the time but not really "cool" when your a kid. Man, I wish I had it today.
 
Eyegor said:
To the best of my knowledge, there are two manufacturers that had the rights to "official" BSA knives in recent years. These being Camillus (recently went out of business) and Victorinox. Camillus BSA knives are still available at several online retailers and at least some BSA stores still have stock on hand. My local one still has Camillus BSA and Cub Scout knives in clampacks on display. Camillus made several models with the BSA logo.

Victorinox makes several models of SAKs with the BSA logo. The Explorer/Yeoman, the Tinker, the Adventurer, come to mind. I think I missed a couple.

You would probably be happiest with a Camillus as it more closely matches what you remember. They are available in either jigged bone style or smooth red bolsters. I do think that the SAKS have a better fit and finish though. Of the Vics, the Tinker probably comes closest to what you describe. Oddly enough the Soldier exactly matches the blade selection of the classic BSA knives but AFAIK Vic has never done a BSA Soldier.

I know what you mean about losing your BSA knife. I had a BSA Wenger SAK that was OK at the time but not really "cool" when your a kid. Man, I wish I had it today.
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Part of the reason why may simply be that the BSA didn't give Vic the rights to the 4-blade while Camillus was still making them. Now, though, I can see it happening. If Vic made the classic BSA- jigged handles and bolsters- they'd sell like hotcakes.
 
One explanation for the high prices you see on that website is that those are all Camillus knives. Since Camillus went out of business, their products have become very collectible and prices have risen.

Over the years many different knife companies have made official BSA knives. I suspect the $15 knife you remember was either a Schrade/Imperial or a Camillus. You might find one just like your's on eBay or elsewhere.

Many of the current BSA knives are available here, from Smoky Mountain Knife Works:
http://www.eknifeworks.com/webapp/e...earchText=scout&list=50&range=1&order=Default

The multi-blade BSA Victorinox are probably the most similar in price and function to the old knife you had.

If you don't care about the BSA licensed logo, you can find plenty of Imperial camp knives on eBay, like item 150082746065. These Irish Imperial knives were on closeout a couple of years ago for $1.99, and are nearly identical to the Imperial BSA knife I had in scouts.

Best Wishes,
-Bob
 
Thanks guys for the excellent links. I snagged two of those Imperial Ireland camp knives for myself. :)
 
Thanks guys for the excellent links. I snagged two of those Imperial Ireland camp knives for myself.
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Good for you. Just a quick bit of trivia. The Imperial Schrade Corporation went out of business in 2004 and their Ireland factory closed several months before that. Those Irish Imperial camp knives were sold under the Imperial brand, but also under the Ozark Trails brand name at Wal Mart. When Schrade went out of business, those camp knives were being sold at incredible discounts. They haven't increased in value like many of the other Schrade products have, like the Old Timer series for example, but if you bought them at closeout for $1.99 in 2005 and sold them for $5 today, that's an increase of 160% in only two years. Not a bad investment, huh?

The Schrade brand names were bought at a bank liquidation auction by Taylor Brands, an import company. If they sell anything similar to that Imperial knife today, it's made in China and has absolutely no connection to the Schrade Imperial Corporation.

If you keep scrounging eBay, I'm certain you can find an exact replacement to the knife from your past. If it was an Imperial, it was probably an older model that was made in Providence, RI.

Here's my Imperial BSA knife. Got it as an award for selling popcorn, put it away for safekeeping, and still own it in mint condition. It is shown with two of the Imperial Camp Knives.
ImperialCampers.jpg


Best Wishes,
-Bob
 
Bob W said:
Good for you. Just a quick bit of trivia. The Imperial Schrade Corporation went out of business in 2004 and their Ireland factory closed several months before that. Those Irish Imperial camp knives were sold under the Imperial brand, but also under the Ozark Trails brand name at Wal Mart. When Schrade went out of business, those camp knives were being sold at incredible discounts. They haven't increased in value like many of the other Schrade products have, like the Old Timer series for example, but if you bought them at closeout for $1.99 in 2005 and sold them for $5 today, that's an increase of 160% in only two years. Not a bad investment, huh?

The Schrade brand names were bought at a bank liquidation auction by Taylor Brands, an import company. If they sell anything similar to that Imperial knife today, it's made in China and has absolutely no connection to the Schrade Imperial Corporation.

If you keep scrounging eBay, I'm certain you can find an exact replacement to the knife from your past. If it was an Imperial, it was probably an older model that was made in Providence, RI.
Click to expand...

Very nice. I was not aware of the history of the Schrade Corporation. I do have some nice USA and Ireland made Schrades and they are excellent. I wonder how the Chinese made Taylor Brand ones hold up compared to the Schrade originals. I have a bearhead lockback that is probably 25-40 years old and it is a great knife. I use it for whittling. I saw the modern version of that on eBay, but it is now stainless steel (boohoo) and has a little divot for thumb flicking...what a way to ruin the original.

As for my original BSA knife, I think it was made by Imperial. All I remember was that it was easy to sharpen and the blade gained a patina fast, so it must have been carbon steel. I can't for the life of me find it. I asked my mother to help me find it in our old house and she said it might be in the attic. She packed up all of my sh*t when I went off to college...either that, or it was donated to Goodwill along with my scout uniform, merit badges, etc. Boo hoo.
 
pradeep - don't know if it was mentioned yet, but "campers knife" is a good search word - if you don't need the BSA logo. I found some Case's at Sooners.

Mike
 
I have two exactly like the one in your link. If you have something to swap. I'd be glad to swap you one.
 
Reading this thread the other day prompted me to find another scout knife (I have a Case Scout Jr. Pattern with Bail in 6.5 Bone Stag) so I found a Camillus Cub Scout pattern w/ the Blue Delrin handles Official BSA @

http://stores.ebay.com/GWALTNEY-GEAR

@ a pretty reasonable price. Mine is OTW.

I know you said other than ebay...but this seemed like a pretty good deal. They just don't have their Website up and running yet.
 
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