They are back again and better then ever. Another part of the group has joined the originals, now we have all that were present at the time of the auction. 43 knives in total, all from the showroom.
These are the remaining items that were left in the Camillus factory show room when the company was auctioned off. I viewed the ransacked show room and the empty draws. I personally looked into every draw and found these knives under boxes and paperwork. I also personally packed these knives up and took them with me when the auction was over.
Most of the knives shown I have factory documentation on from the markings on the knives or the special way the knife was built. With the help of Tom Williams, Camillus factory historian, I have assembled the "S" Cards and drawings, dates, etc, associated with these knives where possible. Below the knives are short write up of what they are.
The knives will be sold as a group only. Price $15,000.00
#5665 L66: This is the prototype for the WW II Army Air Force survival kit knife. Dated 1/25/1943 on the order. 1200 dozen made in bone and 1466 dozen made in stagged Rosewood
Q30: WW II Prototype made for the 6 inch Hunting knife contracts. Sent to the Jeffersonville Quartermaster, it is essentially a 6 inch Mark 2 with a M3 pommel. Not Adopted, Case and Catt got the Q knife business.
5679 L36: WW II Army Air Corps knife. This is the early AAC survival kit knife with straight line marking. This is the factory reference knife that was adopted
5665: Early 12/29/1939 prototype of the new Camillus design hunting knife. Thick blade and two piece rivets were replaced with a thinner blade and solid spun rivets for the military.
Unknown: Believed to be a special hunting knife made for Sears Roebucks in 9/26/1941.
5665 J86: Prototype dated 3/25/1942 made for the Army Engineers. It was later made with an etch on the blade "Sportsman" and sold through the PX system as well.
5665 J68: Unknown so far, unable to find the S card the compares with this knife. It is WW II era and dual tang marked and etched.
Marbles prototype: Super rare item. Most folks don't know that when Camillus got the bid for the Jet Pilot Knife Marbles made a deal with the government to sell the design and know how to make the knife. Marbles taught Camillus how to do it. This is an early Marbles design with a flat sided pommel to be used for hammering prior to the adoption of the hex head pommel.
5683 L75: The Camillus Mark 1 prototype reference piece. Production date date 3/25/1943. It doesn't get much better then this one.
5684 L77A: Camillus tried to talk Naval Ordnance into using the M3 pommel and guard to improve their knife and help conserve parts. The Navy didn't agree. This is when Camillus re-designed their screw top pommel. This was one they wanted to make but never did. They adopted the single pin larger pommel version we all know. Unbelievable piece.
5684 S50: Dated 8/21/1945 this design uses the Mark 2 blade, large bakelite pommel and multiple spacers. The large guard is nickel silver. This is what Camillus was thinking about at the end of the war, hunting knives from parts on hand. Speechless...
Q31: An almost twin to item number two above but this one has the Mark 2 pommel not the M3 version.
5684: This is the WW II USMC blade marked knife in the factory reference collection. This is the knife as adopted, kept for the factory collection.
The earliest Camillus factory experimental 6 inch Jet Pilot Knife. Camillus wanted to send the knife with a hack saw blade attached to the knife not a saw back. This is it. So far I have not found the S card for this one, it should be a fantastic story to be uncovered one day. Another unknown variant like the Marbles above.
S1408: This is a prototype Camillus sent in to alter the Pilot Survival Knife MIL-K-8662(AER). The blade design is different then the current model. This prototype is date 5/13/1954. The design was not adopted. The new design that was adopted was the 6 inch JPK. This knife fits in with the Above JPK and the Marbles in the 1953 to 1957 time frame.
Unknown Hunting Knife
Unknown Hunting Knife: Kent was a trade name used by F W Woolworths
S3388: When the Marines formed the ParaMarines they needed a knife for training and issue. The USMC solicited bids from several knife companies to design the Para knife. In the testing Western won the contract with their design. This is the #3 knife Camillus submitted for the test. Knife #1 and #2 were never found in the factory collection years ago, this is the only one that survived the Marines. The rarest USMC knife in existence. Dated 10/30/1941
J63: Army Parachutist Knife. If the Marines had a Para knife the Army needed one as well to replace the M2 pocket knife. This was one of the Camillus designs submitted for testing. Made to cut overhead upside down, risers and lines. They did not adopt this knife, as we know the M3 was selected. It doesn't get any better then this...
S-449 A and S-449B Prototype Hunting Knives with different spacer arrangements. Nickel silver guards made in 1948. Hand marked on the blade with S numbers. Model number 5686
S-3647 A prototype that was to have a 10 MM screw compass in the handle grip from the looks of it. Bone stag and CR guard made in 1937.
S-4007 hand marked on the blade, Guardless and serrated with Rosewood grips. This sample made 1939.
About as plain as you can get, this is a prototype paring knife with Rosewood plain grips and brass pins.
Kent Sportsman's knife with stagged Rosewood grips and steel dome pins
Camillus stagged bone grips with brass pins.
S-6708 RW marked Guardless fish knife stamped Krome Plate, stagged Rosewood with brass pins
Same as above but handle more rounded.
S-6541 marked Guarded Version stagged Rosewood with brass pins marked Kent
S-6541 marked, Another as above
As above with different tang markings, still a Kent
An unmarked prototype hunter with Stagged Rosewood and steel domed rivets.
Another unmarked Prototype hunter with stagged Rosewoods and steel domed rivets but with a different grind from above
Keen Kutter etched in blade and tang marked Sharpleigh / St Louis with Indian Trail grooved bone and large rivets.
A Kent marked with Indian Trail and large brass rivets
J-9 marked is another Kent prototype with domed steel rivets
Kent Sportsman with etching and stagged bone and large brass rivets
Another Kent with stagged bone and small brass domed rivets
S-5382 Half guard prototype with scaler back and 3 small brass pins holding stagged bone over black plastic liners.
J-7 marked Kent with Sportsman etching and stagged Rosewood and steel domed rivets.
Kent Stagged Rosewood with steel rivets, same as above.
Another Kent with stagged Rosewood, brass pins and etched.
J5 Forest King etched with prototype J-5 on the blade. Sweeping grind. Made for Sears & Roebucks. Stagged Rosewood, CR guard with steel domed rivets. Made in September 1941.
Heavily used Camillus hunter, possible returned to the factory or used by them.
These knives should be professionally serviced by a qualified technician to remove the surface rust and dirt on them. I have not touched them in anyway, as you see them is how they were in the showroom. That doesn't make it right, it just makes it how they were found from poor storage.
