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Camillus Cutlery Memories

SteveC · 77 · 16812

us Offline SteveC

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Camillus Cutlery Memories
on: January 15, 2019, 11:47:48 PM
This is both cool to watch and a bit sad as well.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SwmeJD5urcw


gb Offline Fuzzbucket

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Re: Camillus Cutlery Memories
Reply #1 on: January 16, 2019, 12:47:30 AM
Well... I intended to watch the first minute or so and bookmark it, but ended up watching the whole lot. Outstanding, what an excellent story, if not a bit sadly predictable. Thanks for that Steve I really enjoyed and appreciated that. :salute:

Funnily enough, I saw a nice Camillus knife on titbay earlier today, if I can find it again I'll send you the link... no doubt you've got ten already though.  :cheers:
« Last Edit: January 16, 2019, 12:48:33 AM by Fuzzbucket »


us Offline David

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Re: Camillus Cutlery Memories
Reply #2 on: January 16, 2019, 02:00:34 AM
Camillus had a good long history. I for one hated to see it go. There are seven Camillus knives within my reach at the moment.    :)
What? Enablers! Are you serrrrious? Where? I dont see any.
Hold Fast


us Offline SteveC

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Re: Camillus Cutlery Memories
Reply #3 on: January 16, 2019, 03:48:09 PM
Camillus had a good long history. I for one hated to see it go. There are seven Camillus knives within my reach at the moment.    :)

Go get em D !   ;)


us Offline toolguy

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Re: Camillus Cutlery Memories
Reply #4 on: January 16, 2019, 05:24:13 PM
I watched the video.This is a sad tale of another cutlery company that has closed its doors.

I then referenced the location of Camillus Cutlery in Camillus,New York.I realized that I had passed that city many times when I was a young kid on our way to visit relatives who lived in Oswego,New York.

So close yet so far.LOL
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gb Offline Fuzzbucket

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Re: Camillus Cutlery Memories
Reply #5 on: January 16, 2019, 05:56:39 PM
I watched the video.This is a sad tale of another cutlery company that has closed its doors.

I then referenced the location of Camillus Cutlery in Camillus,New York.I realized that I had passed that city many times when I was a young kid on our way to visit relatives who lived in Oswego,New York.

So close yet so far.LOL

 :facepalm:


gb Offline Fuzzbucket

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Re: Camillus Cutlery Memories
Reply #6 on: January 16, 2019, 05:57:01 PM
Camillus had a good long history. I for one hated to see it go. There are seven Camillus knives within my reach at the moment.    :)

Go get em D !   ;)

+1   :pok:


us Offline VICMAN

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Re: Camillus Cutlery Memories
Reply #7 on: January 16, 2019, 06:14:54 PM
This is both cool to watch and a bit sad as well.



Thanks for sharing Steve! :like: :tu: :tu:

I agree that it is both cool and sad. :cheers:


us Offline Aloha

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Re: Camillus Cutlery Memories
Reply #8 on: January 16, 2019, 07:00:56 PM
Thank you Steve for sharing this.  I was unaware of this company on the manufacturing side.  I am aware of the Brand and the Pilots knife was one I had.  I'll have to get another if not for anything but the history of the company.   

Esse Quam Videri


us Offline SteveC

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Re: Camillus Cutlery Memories
Reply #9 on: January 16, 2019, 08:37:04 PM
« Last Edit: January 17, 2019, 03:16:26 PM by SteveC »


us Offline Barry Rowland

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Re: Camillus Cutlery Memories
Reply #10 on: January 17, 2019, 03:02:10 AM
Thanks Steve! 
Barry


Offline Ray S

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Re: Camillus Cutlery Memories
Reply #11 on: January 17, 2019, 06:25:08 AM
I've seen this before and would agree that it is indeed a very sad story. I have many Camillus knives as well as their many offshoots(which number about a hundred)made around the world. Used to go by the town(but sadly never stopped)on my way east to Massachusetts from Michigan.My relatives lived in Jamestown and virtually all the major knife manufacturers were located right off route 17(which I believe is now Interstate 86).
One of my favorite knives is a 3 line Camillus easy open jack with ebony handles that I bought in an antique shop in Ashtabula Ohio. It pre-dates WWI and was never sharpened. I opted to leave it as found and wondered what stories it might tell if it had the ability to talk.
CamillusEasyOpen3LineUnsharpened.jpg
* CamillusEasyOpen3LineUnsharpened.jpg (Filesize: 46.68 KB)


us Offline David

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Re: Camillus Cutlery Memories
Reply #12 on: January 17, 2019, 11:42:20 AM
Ray that is a great EO Jack you got there!
What? Enablers! Are you serrrrious? Where? I dont see any.
Hold Fast


us Offline Barry Rowland

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Re: Camillus Cutlery Memories
Reply #13 on: January 17, 2019, 01:41:22 PM
 :iagree:. I wish they could talk!
Barry


us Offline SteveC

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Re: Camillus Cutlery Memories
Reply #14 on: January 17, 2019, 02:01:13 PM
Nice old knife Ray !


gb Offline Fuzzbucket

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Re: Camillus Cutlery Memories
Reply #15 on: January 17, 2019, 02:29:59 PM
:iagree:. I wish they could talk!

Well... depending on how discreet they can be.
« Last Edit: January 17, 2019, 02:32:41 PM by Fuzzbucket »


us Offline Aloha

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Re: Camillus Cutlery Memories
Reply #16 on: January 17, 2019, 02:35:38 PM
« Last Edit: January 17, 2019, 03:16:56 PM by SteveC »
Esse Quam Videri


us Offline SteveC

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Re: Camillus Cutlery Memories
Reply #17 on: January 17, 2019, 03:17:26 PM
Here is the website that I meant to post 


http://www.collectors-of-camillus.us/


us Offline Aloha

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Re: Camillus Cutlery Memories
Reply #18 on: January 17, 2019, 04:31:10 PM
The more I read the more its a bummer they didn't make it to today.  Shame the building burned too.  I did like how the one guy continues on making knives.  Kinda funny how knives are still being sent to the old factory for warranty work. 
Esse Quam Videri


us Offline David

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Re: Camillus Cutlery Memories
Reply #19 on: January 17, 2019, 10:53:35 PM
The more I read the more its a bummer they didn't make it to today.  Shame the building burned too.  I did like how the one guy continues on making knives.  Kinda funny how knives are still being sent to the old factory for warranty work.

My guess is outside of hard core knife people very few folks who are still carrying a Camillus knife know the Company finally went under in 07.
What? Enablers! Are you serrrrious? Where? I dont see any.
Hold Fast


us Offline Aloha

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Re: Camillus Cutlery Memories
Reply #20 on: January 17, 2019, 11:12:10 PM
I actually have the orange paratrooper switch blade knife.  I thought I had moved it on.  Neat knife btw. 
Esse Quam Videri


us Offline eTripper

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Re: Camillus Cutlery Memories
Reply #21 on: January 22, 2019, 06:21:15 AM
My 'first knife' was an 'official' Cub Scout [late-50's issue] with blue scales, and a Wolf Den emblem on it.  It was either a four-blade:  Camillus, or Imperial make.  Looked similar to the 1970's one below.  I remember the 'press lock' tabs on it.  You had to earn your "Totin' Chip" card in order to carry-it.  :D



« Last Edit: January 22, 2019, 06:29:57 AM by eTripper »
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us Offline Dean51

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Re: Camillus Cutlery Memories
Reply #22 on: January 22, 2019, 12:36:52 PM
The more I read the more its a bummer they didn't make it to today.  Shame the building burned too.  I did like how the one guy continues on making knives.  Kinda funny how knives are still being sent to the old factory for warranty work.

My guess is outside of hard core knife people very few folks who are still carrying a Camillus knife know the Company finally went under in 07.

I didn't start looking online for knives until 2009 or there about. I found out Camillus was out of business by asking the local CoOp why they didn't have Camillus any more. Kind of the same with Schrade/Old Timer. Before that I knew Camillus was getting hard to find but didn't realize they were close to closing their doors.

 


cy Offline dks

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Re: Camillus Cutlery Memories
Reply #23 on: January 22, 2019, 12:41:07 PM
I have a few. The good ones are really good, even at 60 years old. The bad, well, if all their products were perfect then they would have still been in business.
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us Offline Dean51

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Re: Camillus Cutlery Memories
Reply #24 on: January 22, 2019, 04:20:30 PM
It's hard, if not impossible to look back at a company 20 plus years after their doors closed and judge their products. Their stock has been sold out, the New Old Stock you see on ebay may well be a retailer's left overs, snatched up during a going out of business sale. You never know what's happened to a used knife even if it looks virtually unused. I read all the time about someone complaining about or sending a knife back because the spring was .003 high or low at half stop. Or it was a tiny bit off center. Those are standards that never existed before. Really what difference does it make if a spring is a tiny bit high at half stop, you don't use a blade at half stop. Knife knuts are becoming a very picky lot.

You have to look back to 1980 to understand why companies went under. Labor costs were on the rise and the modern knife was born, Spyderco, Benchmade etc. were coming out with modern knives with new steels at a low price. Cheap Japanese imports and clones were flooding the market.

The old companies didn't have engineers they had craftsmen that were unable to adapt to the newer designs. There were attempts at modern designs but they failed to understand the new market. Labor costs were rising yet the unions fought to stop new modern manufacturing techniques that would have lowered cost and improved quality. Because it would have meant a temporary loss of employees (aka union dues). Those old family owned companies were also suffering from bad management, that was unwilling or unable to make the needed changes.

Buck streamlined  and branched out to modern knives. Case streamlined production and survived, by turning 80% of their production to candy colored novelty knives and collectibles. Now the flood of cheap RR's is forcing has Case to experiment with a line of Chinese made moderns.

In short times changed and the old companies didn't.


us Offline SteveC

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Re: Camillus Cutlery Memories
Reply #25 on: January 22, 2019, 05:34:47 PM
I have a few. The good ones are really good, even at 60 years old. The bad, well, if all their products were perfect then they would have still been in business.


Kind of a simplistic view and not at all true.


cy Offline dks

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Re: Camillus Cutlery Memories
Reply #26 on: January 22, 2019, 06:36:48 PM
My view.

I live in a free country.
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us Offline Spartan19

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Re: Camillus Cutlery Memories
Reply #27 on: February 12, 2020, 11:09:24 PM
It's sad to see the factories close. To see what they once we're and now what's left. Car factories in Detroit. The steel and railroads of my own home state left to rot and fall apart. I'd love to be able to re open the old plants and start making old timers and camillus in the states again
Send In the spartans


us Offline Aloha

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Re: Camillus Cutlery Memories
Reply #28 on: February 13, 2020, 07:00:12 AM
Dean51  :salute:

@Spartan.  It would be great to have bought up all the Camillus stuff and relaunch them.  Its unfortunate how fickle the knife community is.  Its darned if you do and darned if you don't.  GEC might have it right?  Case is slugging it out it seems and good for them. 
Esse Quam Videri


us Offline Spartan19

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Re: Camillus Cutlery Memories
Reply #29 on: February 14, 2020, 04:40:44 AM
Dean51  :salute:

@Spartan.  It would be great to have bought up all the Camillus stuff and relaunch them.  Its unfortunate how fickle the knife community is.  Its darned if you do and darned if you don't.  GEC might have it right?  Case is slugging it out it seems and good for them.

I hear that aloha! I didn't know that case was bringing in Chinese knives for their lineup. Does anyone know which ones they are?
Send In the spartans


 

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