Camillus Marlin Spike

J

Jeremy Dodd

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Jun 9, 2018
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I recently "rediscovered" a knife I've owned for a year or two. It's the Camillus Marlin Spike. As a Boatswain Mate in the US Navy, I've always had a special place in my heart for nautical-themed knives. The older Camillus was what they issued to members of Deck Department on my ship. It had a sheepsfoot blade one one side, and a locking marlinspike on the other. I can't tell you what the blade material was, but being standard-issue, I'm betting it wasn't great.

I found the new Camillus on sale on Amazon, and decided to pick it up on a whim. I didn't know anything about it, other than the fact that it seemed like an updated version of what I used to carry. It comes with a coated VG-10 sheepsfoot blade and G-10 scales, and it's shaving sharp out of the box. The blade secures via linerlock and the marlinspike utilizes the carry loop to disengage it. It's pretty light and thin, so I wouldn't recommend trying to cut 3" nylon double braid, but for general small line, natural fiber or nylon, it would work just fine. The VG-10 is a good choice for a saltwater environment.

I decided to re-profile it today because I like my rigging knives with a 20° bevel. For my EDC knives I keep a 15° to 17° bevel. After profiling, I stropped it with 1 micron diamond paste on leather. I was very happy with the way it turned out, and I just wanted to share it with you guys. They're currently unavailable at Amazon, and it looks like they've replaced it with a version 2.0 in 440. That's a significant drop in quality, though it will probably still get the job done.
 
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Jeremy Dodd said:
I can't tell you what the blade material was, but being standard-issue, I'm betting it wasn't great.
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Pretty sure The Gov. specified 440A.
Camillus had a good heat treat.

If you don't know, Camillus went belly up in 2007. I don't know who bought the name and intillecual properties.
(In 2004 Taylor Cutlery bought all the other Imperial-Schrade brands and sub-brands (active and inactive), including Ulster, NYKC, and Hammer Brand.)

As far as I know all current Camillus are made offshore. Still excellent knives.

The 440A version will probably perform as well as the old issue knives.

My former employer had a charter yacht for a spell. A Marlin Spike came in handy several times.
 
I didn't know they had been bought out. I've had a few over the years. I can remember my grandpa giving me a Camillus back in the early 80's. As I remember, it seemed old even back then. I wish I had that one today.

I tried to include some pictures of the Marlin Spike today, but I can't figure out how to do it. Thanks for the good info!
 
I just bought one made by Schrade, didn't have a marlin spike so I'm looking forward to owning one. Especially using the spike on a wicked knot.
 
Avast ye! Is someone talking about nautical knives?

I have a fondness for them myself! My old Camillus might not be made of super steel, but it has performed adequately the (admittedly few) times I have put it to use.

full
 
Around 1968 I bought one of those Camillus with the Marlin Spikes, on Black Market Ally in Naha, Okinawa. Was buying a Field Jacket as we could not get one issued, but could get one on the Black Market. I gave it to a friend in my unit who got a Warrant Officer appointment to command a sea going U.S. Army Tug, working out of Hawaii. John
 
abbydaddy said:
Avast ye! Is someone talking about nautical knives?

I have a fondness for them myself! My old Camillus might not be made of super steel, but it has performed adequately the (admittedly few) times I have put it to use.

full
Tidioute
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Wow! Those are great! The one on the left looks quite a bit like one my grandpa gave me as a kid. I've never seen anything like the one on the right. Tidioute? Is that the model? You've definitely piqued my curiosity!

On a side note, how did you upload a picture?
 
Jeremy Dodd said:
I didn't know they had been bought out. I've had a few over the years. I can remember my grandpa giving me a Camillus back in the early 80's. As I remember, it seemed old even back then. I wish I had that one today.

I tried to include some pictures of the Marlin Spike today, but I can't figure out how to do it. Thanks for the good info!
Click to expand...
They weren't bought out. Camillus went bankrupt in 2007, and Acme United acquired the brand name at the bankruptcy auction. It seems to be mostly Chinese made stuff now.
 
John A. Larsen said:
Around 1968 I bought one of those Camillus with the Marlin Spikes, on Black Market Ally in Naha, Okinawa. Was buying a Field Jacket as we could not get one issued, but could get one on the Black Market. I gave it to a friend in my unit who got a Warrant Officer appointment to command a sea going U.S. Army Tug, working out of Hawaii. John
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Ah, Pacific side I see! I was on the east coast, so the Mediterranean was my stomping ground. Getting anything issued was like pulling eye teeth for us too. We had Navy divers on our ship, and they always seemed to get the really good stuff well before the rest of us. I'm curious, do you happen to remember how much you paid for that knife in 1968?
 
Arathol said:
They weren't bought out. Camillus went bankrupt in 2007, and Acme United acquired the brand name at the bankruptcy auction. It seems to be mostly Chinese made stuff now.
Click to expand...
That makes me wonder if the one I have was made before they went bankrupt. I have no idea how long that design was manufactured. It's the VG-10 blade that makes me question it. It just seems like an odd choice if they were simply trying to mass-produce stuff with the Camillus name.
 
Jeremy Dodd said:
Wow! Those are great! The one on the left looks quite a bit like one my grandpa gave me as a kid. I've never seen anything like the one on the right. Tidioute? Is that the model? You've definitely piqued my curiosity!

On a side note, how did you upload a picture?
Click to expand...
The knife on the right is a GEC #46 Whaler. Its really a swell-center sunfish pattern. Tidioute is a brand used by GEC.

Uploading pictures
Open a free account at a host site such as Imgur.
Uploads images to the host site.
Locate the image on the host site, and copy the BBCode url. It will be formatted like this -
Code: 
[img]https://i.imgur.com/vRJpgTI.jpg[/img]

which will make a picture appear in-line with the text.
vRJpgTI.jpg
 
Jeremy Dodd said:
That makes me wonder if the one I have was made before they went bankrupt. I have no idea how long that design was manufactured. It's the VG-10 blade that makes me question it. It just seems like an odd choice if they were simply trying to mass-produce stuff with the Camillus name.
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The Camillus 697 was introduced in 1962 as I remember and was made into the 1970s.
uV8ZSZT.jpg

If its VG10 its probably Chinese made.
Need pics of the knife and markings.
 
Arathol said:
It seems to be mostly Chinese made stuff now.
Click to expand...

Jeremy Dodd said:
That makes me wonder if the one I have was made before they went bankrupt. I have no idea how long that design was manufactured. It's the VG-10 blade that makes me question it. It just seems like an odd choice if they were simply trying to mass-produce stuff with the Camillus name.
Click to expand...

Arathol said:
If its VG10 its probably Chinese made.
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Don't worry too much about if made in China or Japan.
Both have a long history of 1500 plus years making swords, knives, and spears.
They can - and do - make contract knives to whatever quality standard is specified.
I have an offshore Schrade Old Timer 858OT and 858OTB Lumberjack stockmans. (difference: OT had saw cut Delrin and 7CR17MoV blade steel. OTB has saw cut bone and 9CR18MoV blade steel)
Over-all quality of both are at least as high as my vintage 1978~1984 Old Timer 858 (no "OT" on the tang stamp, Schrade+ 440A blade steel) Lumberjack stockman.
OH!!! There is one major difference between the offshore and onshore knives. The offshore knives use standard pinned construction. The vintage used Swinden Key construction.
Personally, I prefer pinned construction for strength and durability.
I figure if the keyed construction was "better" other companies would have used it after the patents expired. None did or are.
 
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I came across the remainder of a career Sailors estate at an antique mall several years ago. I bought two riggers knives, a Camillus and a Schrade-Walden. They were both etched, the Camillus with Deck #2, the Schrade I don't recall (using pictures I took then). The Sailors other effects were there, uniforms, books, etc. I wrote down the three ships he served on while possessing (and using) these knives. If I can find were I have stored it I will add it to this post. OH
Camillus_Rigger_-_USN.jpg

Schrade-Walden-USN-Riggers-Knife.jpg
 
Arathol said:
The knife on the right is a GEC #46 Whaler. Its really a swell-center sunfish pattern. Tidioute is a brand used by GEC.

Uploading pictures
Open a free account at a host site such as Imgur.
Uploads images to the host site.
Locate the image on the host site, and copy the BBCode url. It will be formatted like this -
Code: 
[img]https://i.imgur.com/vRJpgTI.jpg[/img]

which will make a picture appear in-line with the text.
vRJpgTI.jpg
Click to expand...
Hey thanks for the info! I appreciate it!
 
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