Let's see your Scout/Camp knives

AndreLinoge said:
69 pages.. only 2 Challenge knives... Pretty ones, though..

Here's 5 more: the long pull samples are stainless. Surprised me, too.
F8D2dMc.jpg


B42ONDx.jpg


NADjYRF.jpg


Here's 5 more that I carry all the time: Western, Craftsman (Ulster mfr, probably), Imperial Kamp King, Ka-Bar (Camillus mfr?), and my old bone Boker.

5pq01lu.jpg


yJ2gxaO.jpg

Here's a look at that pocket clip lanyard on the Craftsman. Neat stuff, works great.
EsWm3QQ.jpg


And a look at why I love this Boker: small blade, giant caplifter/screwdriverscraperthing. The straight nose on the can opener is an acceptable awl as well.
wX5XOOm.jpg


Group main blade shot.. obligatory, right?

YHlK8PW.jpg


RXTDZ6v.jpg


Enjoy your old knives, fellas. And be careful closing those godawful scale breaking can openers on the samples such equipped.
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Great collection Andre, thanks for posting :):thumbsup:
 
AndreLinoge said:
69 pages.. only 2 Challenge knives... Pretty ones, though..

Here's 5 more: the long pull samples are stainless. Surprised me, too.
F8D2dMc.jpg


B42ONDx.jpg


NADjYRF.jpg


Here's 5 more that I carry all the time: Western, Craftsman (Ulster mfr, probably), Imperial Kamp King, Ka-Bar (Camillus mfr?), and my old bone Boker.

5pq01lu.jpg


yJ2gxaO.jpg

Here's a look at that pocket clip lanyard on the Craftsman. Neat stuff, works great.
EsWm3QQ.jpg


And a look at why I love this Boker: small blade, giant caplifter/screwdriverscraperthing. The straight nose on the can opener is an acceptable awl as well.
wX5XOOm.jpg


Group main blade shot.. obligatory, right?

YHlK8PW.jpg


RXTDZ6v.jpg


Enjoy your old knives, fellas. And be careful closing those godawful scale breaking can openers on the samples such equipped.
Click to expand...


That's a wonderful collection you have. How are the quality of those Challenges? I've seen a few available, but have never pulled the trigger.

I have one of those same crazy Craftsmans with the pocket clip thingy as well. Unfortunately, mine is in terrible condition. Every single one of the tools has inexplicably lost spring tension.

Your Kabar 1152 always rates high on my list. Camillus did a really great job on them, and they're actually based on the same pattern as the Camillus army engineer knife I've been carrying this year. That #14 pattern has a ton of history.

I love your Boker. I have one as well, it's one of my favorite scouts. Boker USA did an amazing job on that model. Everything about it shows careful design details and good quality manufacturing. It's one of the most useful scouts, IMHO.
 
The Challenge Cutlery scouts are pretty tough, but I have 2 stainless ones with broken springs. Maybe something to do with early stainless not liking to be made into springs, perhaps. Otherwise, they're thick and heavy in the tools' spines, and the cams are always smooth and even, if a little heavy on the pulls for the tools.
I just learned that they were stainless for sure when I finally got that nice one in the pic by itself, I was sharpening it and faintly caught the remnant of "STAINLESS" etched into the main. All at once the broken springs made a whole lot more sense, and the great condition of the wells was given a reason as well. I just couldn't figure how they'd been carried that long without a single bit of patina or pitting on the springs or secondaries, but the short pull samples showed such in accordance with their age.. makes sense now.
The one with the corn cob jigging is a splendid sample of old school work, even though it looks repaired, or someone at least took the bail off and ground the pin back smooth.. I still like it. Perfect covers.

The craftsman came to me with a totally squished bail. The ebay listing said "home made bail", it was that twisted. I had no clue what it was supposed to be till I saw that style of bail in a pic on here. Then out came the pliers and it's back to almost new. I wonder why that wasnt a more popular thing, I think its great. I like the Western approach, too; the belt loop thing with the clip was a great inclusion to the package, but the bent bail really struck me as cool.
I have a pair of the really old school 'thin' frame scouts, a Utica and a Seneca with black composite handles and the axe blade/oar whittler style can opener but they didnt get fished out for pics, they're actually dwelling in active camp tool pools right now. I also neglected my Old Timer/Ulster, come to think of it. How terrible.

Always next time I suppose..

I reckon I should tell Glennbad that I FINALLY found a donor spring for my busted Challenge - 3 years after I started on wanting to fix that first one... Lol..
 
Buzzbait said:
Here's the picture from the patent describing how it works.

JtbiGqW.jpg


And here is the full page. I just happened to find the picture on Etsy last week. There's a vendor selling t-shirts with this pic.

FFnnFnX.jpg


Now what I'm finding super-hilarious are the words our very own @Bartleby from an older conversation we had, regarding the modern claw type (Mirando) can owner found on scouts:



But as it turns out, the very same two prong can opener that devastated our armed forces with jagged can cuts, prompting the creation of the Mirando claw style can opener, was patented by the very same Michael Mirando!!! He was both our bitter enemy and our savior. LOL
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veitsi_poika said:
Glad you posted this Buzz because I was about to start opening a can of diced jalapenos (with pictures) just for the heck of it LoL :D It really does work great once you get the hang of it... just have to push the crotch of the claw up tight against the edge of the lid and make sure the pry arm is tight against the top sidewall of the can and pull up :thumbsup:
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leghog said:
AKA "hand opener".
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Thanks for the answers guys and the cool patent pics. Thanks for the warning as well, I would not have know those were a problem before.
 
Interesting the Challenge Scouts to have come up in conversation.

The Challenge Knives are extremely well built, the quality is right up there with the Older New York Knives, also there was a HJ that I picked up recently that was definitely Challenge blood lines- but sported an Empire Punch - I am 100% sure that it was a contract Knife by Empire for Challenge - when comparing the HJ to other Challenge Jacks- it made one wonder if Empire had their hand in those as well, when looking at my old Challenge Scout- the remarkable build of the Knife is so good that its hard to differentiate between Empire, New York etc.... so when comparing to such elite Cutler names I feel the quality of the Challenge Scout is fantastic!
 
Looks like we need more Challenge Scouts in this thread!:)
This one has bone handles that look like NYK, and the quality is decent. I am pretty sure it was made after WWI, and before WWII.
It was etched for the Swedish - American Steel Corp. for a premium, give-away or an award maybe.
Challenge A.jpg Challenge B.jpg Challenge C.jpg

If it was made by NYK, I wonder if they made older ones with the "roll-over" type punch that NYK was famous for???? :rolleyes:
 
Stumped from Easton writes, There seem to be several types of can opener, which I thought you could look at and work out age and first use of. I always thought that the earlier type of can opener was probably what I think Charlie referees to, as the “roll over type” looks like a very small spear blade with thumb stud. Then there is what I refer to as the open mouth style with thumb stud ISKRA mentioned above. Following up with the last type pattern made, the one with the hawkbill shaped piercing blade. Always wanted to know as I have an old NYK scout/utility with the second can opener described and a Schrade Cut Co scout with the roll over type can opener, which to me then throws my theory way out.

Russell
 
By the way Kevin, Very good find on that Kingston! Fantastic condition.

Charlie, love that old Challenge and the blade etch to boot.

Russell
 
Rusty1 said:
Stumped from Easton writes, There seem to be several types of can opener, which I thought you could look at and work out age and first use of. I always thought that the earlier type of can opener was probably what I think Charlie referees to, as the “roll over type” looks like a very small spear blade with thumb stud. Then there is what I refer to as the open mouth style with thumb stud ISKRA mentioned above. Following up with the last type pattern made, the one with the hawkbill shaped piercing blade. Always wanted to know as I have an old NYK scout/utility with the second can opener described and a Schrade Cut Co scout with the roll over type can opener, which to me then throws my theory way out.

Russell
Click to expand...
The Schrade Cut Co is older than you thought?
I thought the evolution of the can opener blade was in the same order, too.
 
Buzzbait said:
Is that really bone, or just exceptionally well jigged Delrin? If it is indeed bone, another scout has been added to my short list of knives to track down.
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I just went and dug it out. It's not bone!!
Sorry about that. :oops:
 
Oh Charlie - Awesome - that HJ is to die for!
Those Scouts are simply Gorgeous! So looking at the Punches- again its a strong pull toward Empire Manufacture?
Heres my Challenge, and Charlie I know what you mean- the Bone- whew!!! The Challenge Scout could sit among New York Scouts and it would blend in so nicely- I find that the Challenge Scouts- their beautiful Handles are very round Convex-wise.
tOlHEa7.jpg


What I love about this Challenge is the Dynamic Deep Blade Etch, and also a bit of provenance - the Top bolster is beautifully engraved with name and address- and obviously very old - that engraving was an art in those days..
IcJHfak.jpg
 
I don't know Duncan! The secondary blades aren't quite the same. I'll find some time to do some more CE-ing and CF-ing!!
 
Thanks, Kevin!! It took me a number of years to find that nice one. I have owned three others in between, which had worn blades, cracked pearl, etc. etc.
Not too many Pearl Scouts around!!
 
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