Found the box of my most cherished and missed knife, the Camper

[Barry Rowland]

  !!!

[Poncho65]

Glad to hear you tracked some older Campers down FB

[FolderBeholder]

Glad to hear you tracked some older Campers down FB

Thank you, I can't wait, might be here by Saturday! 

[Huntsman]

Hey Folder
I found out that I have a Camper of exactly the right era as the one you lost - Awl with SE - so post 85 - and fluted CS so pre 91
I was going to offer to send it to you - if it is of interest.

I bought it to be a blade donor for a repair - But I have an alternative for that now - So can spare it
It had a Camper inlay but sadly this has fallen out - and the closing snap on the openers is not perfect,  but not bad.
So if you would like it, or if you need pics etc etc  - let me know,

However it looks like you have found exactly the right replacement NIB - How on earth did you do that
Although it seems that there are often very new old SAKs around from some sellers - I bought a few recently - It's great to get a NIB oldie - But only for a good price 

[FolderBeholder]

However it looks like you have found exactly the right replacement NIB - How on earth did you do that

Yes indeed, I did find a replacement.    But thank you so much for your offer.   
I suppose after posting this thread I started looking in ernest for another Camper with foil inlay. Good old auction site came through.....well that remains to be seen, hope the description and photo match what arrives. 

[FolderBeholder]

Received and everything I hoped they'd be!  Brand new old stock in box, with fluted corkscrew.



The seller apparently has more:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/NEW-VICTORINOX-SWISS-ARMY-1-3613-71-KNIFE-MINT-IN-BOX-/172435158831?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[cali-SAK-attack]

  COOL knife

  Way ta step up to help yer fellow SAK'er , HUNTSMAN! 

[FolderBeholder]

These have the saw in them, just like my original.    Happy camper!

[cali-SAK-attack]

Here is a vintage camper box, if yer in need of one ?   
its for: (per SAKwiki) 
3.3611 Victorinox AN: Economy version, red Cellidor scales, no Camping imprint, no toothpick or tweezers; referred to as "Scout 1" in 1980 Canadian catalogue.

link to box $6 shipped
http://www.ebay.com/itm/VINTAGE-ORIGINAL-VICTORINOX-SCHWEIZER-OFFIZIERSMESSER-3-3611-KNIFE-BOX-STIDHAM-/171489350208?hash=item27ed8fd240:g:zx0AAOSw1x1UMsm5

[FolderBeholder]

Thanks cali, I'm good though.  I think I'm one box too many.   

[cali-SAK-attack]

OHHhhhh , ANTI BOX now huh?? 
prepare for all the hate mail PMs from the BOX types  



























(GOOFIN' , Of course) 

[Barry Rowland]

 

[FolderBeholder]

OHHhhhh , ANTI BOX now huh?? 

Your kidding had me   No one can accuse me of being anti-box, I'm Box-Obnoxious, new word 

[FolderBeholder]

Time for an update.
I'm sure glad I posted this thread, it was the motivating factor in looking to find another Camper to fill that void.  I can say now that I have found some closure to missing my most sentimental knife.  She'll always be remembered though.
In my quest to replace the Camper a new-found love of SAKs has surfaced, especially the Camper line.
I've purchased a few as seen below.  The exposed rivet one is amazing, the one next to it is as close as I'll ever find to my most sentimental knife (my first knife), to the right of that is a white Camper (I dig it), then there's a nylon scaled one.  The next photo shows a variant I bought to fill a spot of wanting one with a small clip point post exposed rivet timeline.


This is the one in route:

[Barry Rowland]

 

[FolderBeholder]

I found one on eBay that seemed the closest to my original.  New in box, foil stamped teepee, so it's in route. 

[ddogu]

FolderBeholder, that is a beautie!

And I understand how you feel, my ex had lost a beloved Vic of mine, I know that feeling of having lost something you are attached to. I wish you fun and good times with your new tool     

[FolderBeholder]

FolderBeholder, that is a beautie!

And I understand how you feel, my ex had lost a beloved Vic of mine, I know that feeling of having lost something you are attached to. I wish you fun and good times with your new tool     

Thank you ddogu! 

[Wire Edge]

I think that's really neat how you've kept the receipts and boxes.   I have fond memories of buying things for the first time back in the 80's, but I didn't keep any of the receipts or packaging.

[FolderBeholder]

Thank you Wire Edge, ya know I think I got in the habit of keeping receipts because a lot of items I tend to buy have lifetime warranty or some type of warranty, so I always think they'll need proof of purchase.   Either that or I'm a pack rat, probably the latter! 

[VICMAN]

I found one on eBay that seemed the closest to my original.  New in box, foil stamped teepee, so it's in route. 

YAY!!!!!!!!!!!! I am glad you found one like you wanted with the original box. Way to go FB! 

[FolderBeholder]

I found one on eBay that seemed the closest to my original.  New in box, foil stamped teepee, so it's in route. 

YAY!!!!!!!!!!!! I am glad you found one like you wanted with the original box. Way to go FB! 

Thanks Vicman, this one had best arrive or I don't think my nerves could take it.

[NorCalJim]

I found one on eBay that seemed the closest to my original.  New in box, foil stamped teepee, so it's in route. 

YAY!!!!!!!!!!!! I am glad you found one like you wanted with the original box. Way to go FB! 

Thanks Vicman, this one had best arrive or I don't think my nerves could take it.

Great news!!!

[FolderBeholder]

Great news!!!

Thanks NorCal! 

[SteveC]

Congrats on finding one 

[FolderBeholder]

Congrats on finding one 

Thank you, it was a labor of love. 
There's a part of me that thinks now I don't have to buy any more SAKs.
And then I think, who am I fooling. 

[VICMAN]

I've only lost one knife in my life, and it still bothers me to this day, over 3 decades later.
I remember standing at the store counter, looking at the display trying to figure out which implements were most important to me.....it had to have a saw, until this day I still like saws in my knives.
The knife I chose was a 1986 Victorinox Camper.  I called the Camper, my Maui knife, a name of a former pet.
I always had the knife with me and I always remembered Maui.

Some 5 years after purchasing the knife, I lost it in a movie theater.  I went back in to find it, but it was gone.  Since I had a habit of tapping my pocket to make sure Maui was still there, not much time elapsed between losing it and realizing I'd lost it.  A few years ago I did buy another Camper, but it just wasn't the same.

I ran across the original box recently (wishing the knife was nestled in there).  The receipt states it was purchased April 20, 1986, total cost $14.81.  A lot of money for someone making $400 a month as an instructional assistant at the local elementary school.

I'm now seeking another knife to be the special one and I may have found it, it's up in Canada getting some spa treatment, so once it's done I'll post photos of it.

Here's the box that brought back all the memories of my cherished knife.  My camper had a foil stamped teepee on it.




The knife that will hopefully be my new special one....at least it has a pocket clip on it for a little added security:  It's getting spa treatment, and likely get a saw added! 


Thank you for indulging me, I hoped you all can understand having an attachment to a knife.

I can relate to how long you have had to wait to find another Camper.  I am 65 years old and have collected knives since I was 8 years old, but there are 4 knives in my collection that each took over 30 years to find, and I was able to find NOS in each case. It was worth the wait, and I am sure you will be glad you were persistent in looking for another Camper.

I am definitely happy for you.

[FolderBeholder]

I can relate to how long you have had to wait to find another Camper.  I am 65 years old and have collected knives since I was 8 years old, but there are 4 knives in my collection that each took over 30 years to find, and I was able to find NOS in each case. It was worth the wait, and I am sure you will be glad you were persistent in looking for another Camper.

I am definitely happy for you.

Thank you Vicman, and I'm happy you found NOS for those 4. 

[FolderBeholder]

I am waiting for FedEx to deliver my new Expedition Kit, I'm thinking it will become my every day carry....just knife, I'll have the kit for when I'm hiking/camping.
Here's a fun fact, I bought my original Camper on 4/20/86 and 32 years later to the day, my Expedition kit was shipped on 4/20/18.   

Photo from Victorinox.com
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[jalind]

 

Congrats on finding one - I know the feeling when I thought I had lost my late 1970's Woodsman, knowing it would be all but impossible to replace. In the search I stumbled across the limited 2015 reissue for the Mexico market only and snagged a number of them. Was much luckier than you as I found my original one a couple months later, right where I had left it in the footlocker I had used for a short weekend trip.

Your Gemco receipt was a trip into the Wayback Machine, a membership discount department store owned by the Lucky Stores supermarket chain. For those in the midwest, particularly in Illinois, and perhaps D.C. on the east coast, Memco was the same store under a slightly different name for some reason. Best guess is avoiding the same or similar regional trademark name use predating them. Gemco closed the same year you bought the knife. Lucky Stores was absorbed by Albertsons.

I was living in California when all of this occurred.

John