Off Topic SAD NEWS for knife enthusiasts! Camillus quits!

Bell Charter Oak Holsters

Bell Charter Oak Holsters

Member
Joined
May 16, 2005
Messages
1,880
Reaction score
1,571
I realize this is off topic, but thought I would share this information knowing many of us collect knives.

Effective Wednesday March 14, 2007 CAMILLUS knife company closes their doors and ceases all production. Producers of military and commercial sporting knives for generations. Another great AMERICAN legendary manufacturer bites the dust! Once again NAFTA demonstrates how it is SOOOOOOO helpful to U.S. trade. Schrade kicked the bucket just a few years back and were seeing more and more AMERICAN jobs go to hell.

From a personal perspective, there are only 2 U.S. leather tanneries remaining in production. The third remaining (our tannery) went **** up last year (Westfield/Westan) unable to compete with foreign tanneries.

Sorry for the rant...but it's a damnable shame!
icon_mad.gif
 
Register to hide this ad
I realize this is off topic, but thought I would share this information knowing many of us collect knives.

Effective Wednesday March 14, 2007 CAMILLUS knife company closes their doors and ceases all production. Producers of military and commercial sporting knives for generations. Another great AMERICAN legendary manufacturer bites the dust! Once again NAFTA demonstrates how it is SOOOOOOO helpful to U.S. trade. Schrade kicked the bucket just a few years back and were seeing more and more AMERICAN jobs go to hell.

From a personal perspective, there are only 2 U.S. leather tanneries remaining in production. The third remaining (our tannery) went **** up last year (Westfield/Westan) unable to compete with foreign tanneries.

Sorry for the rant...but it's a damnable shame!
icon_mad.gif
 
They were in business since 1876. I've been reading some posts on another message board which suggest the downfall of the company had more to do with mismanagement, than the press stories alleging (by their lawyer) economic downturn and foreign competition. I dunno...but whatever the reason is....their history.
icon_frown.gif
Camillus made several good knives over the years and most were affordable and could take a spankin'.
 
Dont worry,someone like smokeymountain knife co. will buy the rights to the name and be turning out cheap chinese copies in no time....
 
I still have my Army issue jacknife and aircrew survival knife, both made by Camillus. My company supply sergeant gave them to me new in 1977 when I reported to my first unit in Germany as a brand new 2LT.
 
Originally posted by Combat:
Dont worry,someone like smokeymountain knife co. will buy the rights to the name and be turning out cheap chinese copies in no time....
Click to expand...

I understand that SMKW already had a piece of the company. All that seems left is the brand name, so it seems likely that may happen....too bad.
 
I've had a couple or three Camillus knives, and they were solid, and good performing, if a bit less elegant than Case or Puma products.

It is awful that Camillus and Schrade have passed. Buck is supposedly having some of their knives made abroad.

Friends who own a knife shop told me that sales of pocketknives, even their staple Swiss Army types, dropped after 9-11, as people couldn't carry them on planes or in some other places.

This may have contributed to the closing of both factories. Schools are teaching students that all "weapons" are bad, even ordinary pocketknives. This will have disastrous effects on the cutlery industry.

T-Star
 
About ten years ago I bought up a bunch of real good carbon steel pocket knives (Bucks, Old Timer's, Remington's, Bokers, & Tree Brand) to give to sons and grandsons. The boys have got theirs and no grandson are on the horizon. So, I've still got a box full of knives and one in my pocket. There are 3 or 4 Cases that must be 40+ years old and my Grandfathers K-bar pocket knife. At age 53, 54 the last day of May, I guess I'm set for the rest of my life. Lately, I had wondered why I spent that money, now I know.
 
Barried a bright orange colored Camillus all through college in early 60's;think I got it from someone dropping it during a brawl.
Very quick acting 4" switch blade,and had a 2nd "blade"(non automatic) that was a bottle opener.

Two good "survival tools",the "church key" was mandatory for those 16 oz.bottles of "Off Brand"-or local brewed beer. Used to cost $1.00 for FIVE!
icon_biggrin.gif


Bud
 
lonewolf,

What you are describing sounds like a military issue MC-1 Hook Blade parachuting knife. Does it look like the one on the picture? If so, your beer bottle opener was the canopy line cutting blade!
icon_razz.gif

2cp87ck.jpg
 
YUP! What I flood of memories! That's the one! Thanks,sold it to a collector about 20 years ago!

The "hook" did a great job on Pabst Blue Ribbon(that's when we could get the good stuff!),Dawsons,Narragannsett,Carlings,and some other "non premium" New England brews!

If it was military issue-WHY the orange paint???

Figured it would be OD or flat black!

Bud
 
Read this, opened the desk drawer and

YUP

the issue knife resting there was made by Camillus

Stamped "Camillus" over "New York" on the knife blade. No markings on the other "screwdriver" type blade.

Been with me since 1968/69 time frame.

Lost the Gerber
icon_frown.gif
to the MP's getting on the plane at Cam Ranh Bay, it was laid in the briefcase between orders and other papers and they took it, but the folder was in my pants pocket
icon_smile.gif
and made it home with me.

rayb
 
Originally posted by lonewolf:
If it was military issue-WHY the orange paint???

Figured it would be OD or flat black!

Bud
Click to expand...

It's supposed to be an emergency tool. It was specifically designed in "Day-Glo" fire orange for high visibility.

GB
 
Another one bites the dust.
I carried a Camillus or Schrade folder every day from age 10 (Cub Scouts) till I graduated from High School at 17. They made the Pilot's knife for the Army as well as several folders.
I bought some Schrades right after they closed, put them away in a drawer in the boxes. I think there are some old Camillus's in there somewhere, too.
Bought a Gerber folder several years ago in memory of my old boot knife from the Army.
Got it home and found it was made in China.

Mark
 
Reckon I better raid the local feed store and hardware emporium for Camillus knives tomorrow.

I guess CASE will be the next to go.
 
If any of you guys are Marlin and knife collectors, contact me. When I unpacked my dad's revolvers, there was an original (very early)Marlin 39 and a Gerber signature knife (26 of 300, signed)on which I need info.
Email me to keep this forum clean.
Terry
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Latest posts

Back
Top