Let's see your Scout/Camp knives

20210718_175546~3_resize_33.jpgFour-line Camillus, Pal Blade Co., and an Ulster. Nice full blades and good snap. The Camillus has great bone and is fairly minty except for a fair bit of pepper-spotting from age. The tools and blade all have nice crisp edges from the factory grind. However the Pal and the Ulster show signs of having been heavily cleaned. The Ulster's main and tools look like they were cleaned with a wire wheel. I gave the main blade some patina back with a vinegar bath, and it looks quite a bit better.
 
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20210730_070908~2_resize_89.jpg20210730_070624~2_resize_73.jpg20210730_070652~2_resize_67.jpg20210730_070740~2_resize_21.jpg20210730_070814~2_resize_67.jpg20210730_070723~2_resize_85.jpg20210730_070510~2_resize_67.jpg20210730_070530~2_resize_61.jpgSome more detailed views of the Ulster Knife Co. scout and the Pal Blade Co. scout. Ulster shield is double pinned and has "Be Prepared" stamped under an official-looking crest. Hardware other than blade and tools is all nickel-silver with a brass center liner and brass cover-pins. The Pal is a smaller and thinner knife at 3-3/8" long compared to 3-5/8" for the Ulster and Camillus. The Pal tang stamp is "PAL BLADE CO.", arched over "MADE", over "IN U.S.A." Main blade has a long pull with a cut swedge on the mark side. Bolsters and liners are all steel, with brass pins and a nickel-silver bail. Really enjoying these vintage knives. Thanks for looking.
 
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Sventhelumberjack said:
Ulster shield is double pinned and has "Be Prepared" stamped under an official-looking crest.
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Very nice Ulster Scout knife.
Your Ulster is one of the pre-1960 Official BSA knives. Around 1960 the BSA spec'd the current(?) glued round shield.
Only the Official BSA knives could have/use the BSA shield.
Yours, as mine, has the Official BSA blade etch worn off.
View attachment 1609997
Because of the white covers, I'm told mine dates from 1980. An "Ulster" likely made by Camillus.

My understanding is that aside from the Official Scout knives, the Ulster name was history by c1971/1972. Replaced by "Old Timer", either shortly after or during the Reynolds Tobacco Prince Albert and Copenhagen promotional knives that had an "Ulster Old Timer" tang stamp.

I don't know if Schrade shut down the Ulster plant, or if that plant made the Old Timer's sans the "Ulster" name.
 
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afishhunter said:
Very nice Ulster Scout knife.
Your Ulster is one of the pre-1960 Official BSA knives. Around 1960 the BSA spec'd the current(?) glued round shield.
Only the Official BSA knives could have/use the BSA shield.
Yours, as mine, has the Official BSA blade etch worn off.
View attachment 1609997
Because of the white covers, I'm told mine one dates from 1980. An "Ulster" likely made by Camillus.

My understanding is that aside from the Official Scout knives, the Ulster name was history by c1971/1972. Replaced by "Old Timer", either shortly after or during the Reynolds Tobacco Prince Albert and Coenhagen promotional knives that had an "Ulster Old Timer" tang stamp.

I don't know if Schrade shut down the Ulster plant, or if that plant made the Old Timer's sans the "Ulster" name.
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From a little research on scoutknives.net, my Ulster appears to be an official scout knife from the years 1927 to 1940. BSA #1502 (stamped on back of main blade tang) or possibly #1503, or a rebuilt combination of the two. It has the bone handles and lined bolsters of the model ULSC4D, but both the caplifter and main tangs are stamped with ULSTER KNIFE CO., instead of the main being stamped DWIGHT DEVINE.
 
Another vintage camp knife, this one from France. An ISSARD in stainless (INOX, short for inoxidable, or unoxidizable.) This knife is fairly large at 4-1/4". It has exposed pivot pins, 2 blades and 4 tools and great bone handles that are slightly mismatched in color. The jigging and fitment of the bone matches perfectly side to side, so I am guessing the color mismatch is original. If you look closely the cover to bolster joints are curved lines rather than straight, and yet the bone is perfectly fitted. That is one of the things I really like about this knife, is the incredible craftsmanship of the hafting. The cover pins are hammered rather than spun, and the bone and bolster cutouts for the tools, particularly for the awl and corkscrew, are so perfectly fitted as to display the cutler's artistry and skill. 20210730_091107~2_resize_37.jpg20210730_091311~2_resize_67.jpg20210730_092101~2_resize_76.jpg20210730_091934~2_resize_38.jpg20210730_092212~2_resize_16.jpg
 
I just got back from a couple of weeks of road tripping around the Netherlands with my wife and son. I brought my Malga 6, the Maniago makers' take on the camp knife. I used every tool except for the can opener; it saved the day more than once.

Here is a photo, taken on the banks of the Tjeukemeer, a large lake in the province of Friesland, after cutting some slices of the Frisian delicacy "suikerbrood" (literally sugar bread). Friesland is beautiful and worth a trip!

mkm_suikerbrood.jpeg
 
Sventhelumberjack said:
Another vintage camp knife, this one from France. An ISSARD in stainless (INOX, short for inoxidable, or unoxidizable.) This knife is fairly large at 4-1/4". It has exposed pivot pins, 2 blades and 4 tools and great bone handles that are slightly mismatched in color. The jigging and fitment of the bone matches perfectly side to side, so I am guessing the color mismatch is original. If you look closely the cover to bolster joints are curved lines rather than straight, and yet the bone is perfectly fitted. That is one of the things I really like about this knife, is the incredible craftsmanship of the hafting. The cover pins are hammered rather than spun, and the bone and bolster cutouts for the tools, particularly for the awl and corkscrew, are so perfectly fitted as to display the cutler's artistry and skill. View attachment 1610086View attachment 1610085View attachment 1610087View attachment 1610088View attachment 1610089
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Really fine Scout, Sven!!👍
 
Campbellclanman said:
Nice scouts you are accumulating there Sven, I love looking at the Sword Brand Knives- all of them great!
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Thank you Sir. I was pretty happy to acquire some with good blades and good condition covers. Most I see would require a level of rebuilding that is beyond my level currently, or if not are beyond my means. Thank you for the nice comments; your own collection is awe-inspiring.
 
New and Old: I carry the New and leave the Old on my workbench.

jX1llzZ.jpg
 
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