new guy with camillus 26 Hunter questions!

IVANKERLEY

IVANKERLEY

Joined
May 30, 2007
Messages
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First time poster here!
I have a camillus 26 folder, wonderful knife my father gave it to me about twenty years ago, similar to the one you can buy now (if ya can find 'em), 'cept the blade has the Sword Brand Handmade etch on the blade, i know nothing about the knife except it was my grandpas. Questions, does anybody know what years Camillus started producing these? when did they start/stop the sword brand branding? I scoured the 'net but turned up very little, i have found a few on ebay, most without the branding and are new, any help would be much appreciated. It truly is a large beautiful knife, anybody else own one?
Cheers!
ivankerley f.n.g
 
As to when they first made them, and when they changed the stamping and etch, I can't tell you. The knife you describe is shown in my 1976 Camillus catalog though with the Sword Brandd etch. It is called "Big Jack" and is presented as new, a part of the Prestige Line of Indian Stag knives. CAMCO (Tom Williams) can give you more precise information though.

Codger
 
every little bit of info helps, if i had to guess the 70's would make sense, just hoping to get a time frame down, and if i never really do at least i still have a nice knife.
Thanks again
ivankerley
 
The pattern itself is evidently older than the 1976 catalog. I find it also listed in 1973, but they don't mention the "Prestige Line Series". The handles are described as Indian Stag. Evidently, that was a new mold jigging for their molded Delrin handles. 1973 also shows the Sword Brand etch and refers to the knife as a "Bench Made Folding Hunting Knife". MSRP in '73 was $12.50.

Michael
 
Thanks for the info, ive noticed the camillus stuff is getting snapped up quick, somebody has a 26 on ebay that i noticed a few bids on.
12.50 wish i good get a second one at that price...
Think camillus is gone for good? shame
Thanks
ivan
 
somebody is bidding it up when i found it last week it had 1 bid, $9 i think, last i checked it was at $41 so there ya go, i have never seen another one, used to get comments on mine all the time usually regarding the size... the knife that is (ha)
Some web sites still list them new from $60.00+ i imagine they will go pretty fast.
Cheers
ivan
 
codger, what does "Bench Made" mean in '73 catalogue description of model #26 ?
 
assume its referring to being hand made, dunno.
So anybody here thinking of picking one up yet?
Cheers
ivan
 
rprocter said:
codger, what does "Bench Made" mean in '73 catalogue description of model #26 ?
Click to expand...

It refers to a knife being assembled and finished by a single master cutler at his bench. "Bench Made" is an old term and does not refer to the modern company by that name. Imperial Schrade had a line of "Bench Made" fixed blade hunting knives circa 1973 which were initially hallmarked.

Codger
 
Ivankerley, i think i bought the Camillus Sword Brand # 26 on ebay which you are referring to (for $52). i am not a wealthy man (monetarily), but i think that is a good price. i expect it to be a very well made knife; it looks to be in v. good condition. it is also a piece of Camillus history, and American history too, reminiscent of a bygone era when carrying a large folding hunter was more common than today. it will also bring pleasure showing it to friends, and, i hunt a lot in the Fall, so i'll sharpen it and use it. somehow, i think it will give me more satisfaction than when using one of my few high-end knives like Sebenza or my new Hinderer XM 18; knives which i expect to do everything. i think you get a lot of bang for your buck collecting well made older knives. and really, relative to everything else around us, it's not that expensive. roland
p.s. it was reading this thread that sparked my interest when i saw the # 26 on ebay.
 
Congrats on the purchase RP! If your New-Old 26 is like mine it'll be a really nice, solid knife, opens and closes nicely and its huge, despite me owning and carrying it as a teenager, somehow it has survived, im no expert but it says something of the quality of my old 26, none of the other knives i had then have survived, just this one... shame camillus folded
Congrats on the knife you should post some better picts of it when ya get it and if ya ever find any info on the Sword Brand 26's please let me know!
Cheers
ivan

ps did ya get a sheath with it?
 
no sheath, but i have a beautiful 125OT, with customized handles and the correct OT sheath. at 5 1/4 in., it is the same size as the Camillus #26 in length,so i think it will fit this sheath. (OT is 1 blade, #26 has 2, so might be too thick).
i now have a few interesting OT's and Camillus' and will post some display pics when i get them cleaned up. (a jeweller friend is selling me an old buffing machine). roland
 
hi, i dont know how long they made the camillus folding hunter with the crossed swords etch, but narrowing the time frame ,i think would be a little tough since smkw were selling these brand new in the mid 90s with the sword etch,latest i could find was about 96, in their catalogs,thanks, by the way just bought one on closeout from knives plus for 46 dollars a few weeks back, must have been the last one because their website says sold out, but anyway a big heavy duty knife almost to nice to use.thanks
 
congrats on the knife, with help from codger and camco think mine is mid 70's, as you pointed out strictly a guess-timate though.
enjoy the new 26
cheers
ivan
 
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