Camillus Heat question

[jhansman]

This is NOT a question about market value or anything $$ related, so I hope this post can be allowed.

I have a Camillus Heat I purchased a long time ago, back when the company was still solvent and in production. At one time I had three of their knives, all basically of the Heat design, just different sizes. What I'd like to know is, how rare are these original knives? If my memory serves, when Camillus went belly up, their patents were bought up (Chinese?) and I see that the same knife is still available online. I would never sell the Heat I own, so I don't care what it's market value is. I just wonder if it is a rarity or fairly commonly owned. Thanks for any info you all can share.

 

[zzyzzogeton]

The HEAT came out in 2005 and was also "available" in 2006. There was probably only a single manufacturing run, No one knows how many were made. Probably somewhere between a run of 500 and 2000.

Camillus filed for bankruptcy in 2007, but they made zero knives in 2007, and probably didn't make many, if any during the last quarter of 2006.

The intellectual property were bought by a company called ACME Inc. The company headquarters appears to be in New England somewhere, but all the "new" Camillus and Western brand knives that have been sold through places like Walmart and Academy Sports & Outdoors, Cabela's, Bass Pro Shop, and others are all made in China.

 

[jhansman]

Many tardy thanks for your reply. My Heat remains one of my favorite blades, and while Kershaw and who knows how many other companies make (and have made) knives that are quite similar, the Heat remains singular for me. I feel fortunate I was able to acquire one while the company was still solvent and producing. I still have the original nylon sheath and printed insert the knife came in.