Hobie - Camillus

[Old Savage]

Hobie in your collecting of Camillus working man knives - here is a Buck look alike that you will rarely see along with a Buck.

[Hobie]

That's neat. I knew they'd copied Buck a bit but that's the best illustration of the similarities and differences I've seen.

[Modoc ED]

Camillus didn't copy Buck. Camillus made many of the early Buck slipjoints.

[Old Savage]

Wonder if there is a way to tell if Camillus made a particular knife.

[Hobie]

Camillus didn't copy Buck. Camillus made many of the early Buck slipjoints.

Would it be more accurate to say that Camillus copied the design they had previously made for Buck? There are design features intended to reinforce the brand identity and then to imitate that closely enough to "encourage" sales to those with a predilection for the Buck product rather than the usual Camillus jigged bone or plastic handle product is, to my way of thinking "copying Buck".

As to telling who made what as Fred mentioned above, now that would be interesting. I'd have to see if I could tell on any of the Buck knives I might still have.

[Modoc ED]

There is a fellow at www.allaboutpocketknives.com that goes by the user name "300Bucks". He is THE AUTHORITY on Buck 300 series knives. You might contact him.

Quite a few companies (such as Buck) that got into the slipjoint knife game looked around and picked a particular knife they liked being made by another company (such as Camillus) and had that company make that knife for them but with their name on it. It was and still is a common practice.

Many companies make knives that are badged with another company's name (i.e., Great Eastern Cutlery (GEC) made knives with the Bulldog Brand tang tamp etc.).

[Old Savage]

Hobie "...Camillus jigged bone or plastic handle product..." Plastic???? What??? Why that is genuine Delrin used in those handles!

[piller]

The Camillus is almost an exact copy of an old Old Timer I have, even down to the serrated edge on the sheepsfoot blade.

[Old Savage]

Picture?

[piller]

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I am trying. Hope you can see it.

[piller]

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Maybe this will show up better.

[piller]

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Here is a larger picture to see the Old Timer a little better.

[Dan May]

About 20 years ago I worked for a security company that had the contract at Camillus. I got the opportunity to work there a couple times and walked the whole plant. It was like going back in time, they never really "modernized" all that much. It was very neat, pathways worn in the wood floors from the feet of the dedicated employees, carefully organized work stations with tools worn to the nub and finger grooves worn in the handles, the smell of the oil and steel from a hundred years was wonderful. I'm glad I was able to see it and it is a shame that it is no more.

[Old Savage]

Welcome Dan, thanks for the info and insight - I bought my first one, a Model 51 in the 50s. Subsequently stolen in Davenport, Ia across the street from the Quality Inn where I worked in while I went to Chiropractic college there. Last year I finally got an exact replacement. Certainly would like to have seen what you saw there.

[bdhold]

Queen Cutlery Titusville has held on with specialty knives - they make their line of Schatt Morgan knives, the Moore Maker limited edition knives, and Great Eastern knives (Tidoute Cutlery)



not quite the blue collar knives they once made.

My blue collar knives include some nice old Soligen-made hardware store knives, including Shapleighs, Simmons, and HSB&Co

[Old Savage]

Similar blade pattern to the Camillus Model 23.

[1894]

About 20 years ago I worked for a security company that had the contract at Camillus. I got the opportunity to work there a couple times and walked the whole plant. It was like going back in time, they never really "modernized" all that much. It was very neat, pathways worn in the wood floors from the feet of the dedicated employees, carefully organized work stations with tools worn to the nub and finger grooves worn in the handles, the smell of the oil and steel from a hundred years was wonderful. I'm glad I was able to see it and it is a shame that it is no more.

Welcome Dan !!
Your post fits right in with what I've heard , read , and believe to be true about the downfall of Camillus Cutlery.
It was not that the greedy steel workers wanted to keep their pay over the ten - eleven dollar mark , it was the grand kids of the original owners that just kept any profits for themselves and refused to upgrade machinery or re-invest the money back into the company in any way.
Wish I had the opportunity to walk the floors there just once .
The stone building is still there . The factory building is gone now.

[Old Savage]

Phil, any pics of this stone building?

[1894]

Guess I was wrong , mostly brick with some stone on the front .
The building on the far right burned down this year .



Going in to the town there used to be signs like this one .

[Dan May]

Our neighbor's wife growing up worked at the factory for years. She used to bring home seconds that didn't make the quality control cut and shared a few with me and my dad. He carried a little wood scaled lockback that had a broken tip for many years. He reshaped the tip and sharpened it, it was an awesome knife and I still have it. It is just as tight today as the day it was made.

Some of the best trout fishing in the area is right across the street from the factory in Nine Mile Creek.

[Old Savage]

Not a Camillus but one of the most useful knives in our kitchen.

[1894c]

Camillus didn't copy Buck. Camillus made many of the early Buck slipjoints.

being born, raised and in Camillus, NY...and having friends and relatives work at Camillus Cutlery
I know for a fact that they made knives for Buck and allot of other folks too... :)

[Old Savage]

You can also read some of that history on the Blade Magazine Camillus collectors section. I like the steels they used as well as the knives themselves. Sad they are gone.

[Old Savage]

30wcf was kind enough to send me the Camillus US knife and 1894 sent me the Bird knife also a very kind gesture during my recovery. Both much appreciated.

[1894]

I ran across another grungy old Camillus knife the other day . Not sure the model , but something along the lines of a Sunday go to church knife.




Still got this one , broken snap and all , still in its original bag.

[Old Savage]

[Old Savage]

Comparison of Barlow styles

[Old Savage]

This Imperial Barlow from Ireland compliments of Pitchy