Camillus mark on MK2

[camillus]

Hi I am looking at a MK2 that is marked Camillus New York usa on the ricasso does anybody know what period they were marked like that. The Camillus is in script instead of print. Thanks Mike

[bayonetman]

If you are referring to the mark shown here, this is a commercial sales mark and if I remember correctly was not in use until the late 1980s or so. Not a military mark.

 

[sactroop]

From an article that Frank Trzaska wrote in 2005 on the (Post War Knife, Combat, Mark 2):

 

"Camillus dropped the “U.S.” marking on 3/1/89 when they changed over to the Camillus logo stamping. It consists of the stylized Camillus with line over and under the name / New York / U.S.A. in three lines. This marked the departure of the Camillus knife from the government procurement program, as it no longer conformed to the specifications laid out for markings."

 

This is the best information I've seen yet on the time frame for the marking changes on the Mark 2 knife from Camillus.

[camillus]

thanks, are all three line Camillus marking commercial, also I have seen some US over Camillus no NY

[sactroop]

U.S./CAMILLUS N.Y.-1962 to Feb 1974

U.S./CAMILLUS- 1974 to 3/1/89, as per Frank's 2005 article referred to in post 3.

 

Camillus is known to have sold all three types of markings as commercial products. While the three line marking your referring to is not a knife known to have been sold as part of a Government contract, it is possible that AAFES,(Army and Air Force Exchange Services), think of PX and BX services on bases, may have purchased three line marked fighting knives for personal purchase on bases. The Navy/U.S.M.C. have their own system.