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This one's cut through its fair share of rope...


tsellati
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..., but with it being a 4-line Camillus I just could not say no. I would like to hear everyone's opinion regarding time frame of its manufacture and use. I am thinking WWII era based upon the smooth wooden grip scales rather than WWI era, an example of which I imagine would be sporting jigged scales.

 

Here are some photos -

 

CamillusWWIIRopeknifecomposite.jpg

 

CamillusWWIIRopeknifeleftside.jpg

 

CamillusWWIIRopeknife4-linelogo.jpg

 

CamillusWWIIRopeknifesmoothwoodscales.jpg

 

Tim

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Still-A-Marine

I have seen these showing up on eBay and have been curious about them. To me they look like the WWI U.S. Navy knife minus the manicure blade and wooden scales verses bone. My guess (and that is all it is) is that it is made for the civilian market. Timeframe would be WWI and between wars. Again that is just my guess.

 

Bill

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I bought this knife from Frank Trzaska and here is the question I posed to him -

 

Am I correct in thinking this knife may be of pre-WWII, but post-WWI manufacture? The reason I ask is that Michael Silvey states on page 40 of his book "Pocket Knives of the United States MIlitary" that of the single blade rope knives made for the Navy, quote "All have jigged bone handles and a bail". The example pictured on page 40 looks remarkably similar to the one I just acquired from you, except it has the jigged bone handles and mine are smooth wood. These smooth wood handles are reminiscent of those found on the TL-29 style knives of WWI and WWII though, of course, they are dual blade knives.

 

The answer I got back from Frank was the following -

 

I think the rope knife is of the WW II era due to the wood handle. Bone was used pretty exclusively prior to WW II in Navy knives. Wood was used when they could not get enough bone.

 

If anyone has Camillus catalogues for the inter-war years it would be interesting to see whether this style rope knife is pictured. Otherwise, I am inclined to think it might be very early WWII era. No big deal one way or the other because I bought it because it's a Camillus, not because I thought it could be dated to a specific wartime period.

 

Tim

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Here is a 4-line Camillus knife in my collection that I believe is of WWI manufacture -

 

USNRopeknifecomposite.jpg

 

Another interesting feature to note on this WWI version is the relatively smaller font size used -

 

CamillusRopeknife7.jpg

 

This font size is definitely smaller than that seen on the original knife I posted photos of.

 

Tim

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Still-A-Marine

I'm sure Frank Trzaska would know better than me. But the blade looks like the one used in WWI. I wonder if this could be early WWII? Before the the newer single blade Navy Rope knife?

 

Bill

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Still-A-Marine

Here is a 4-line Camillus knife in my collection that I believe is of WWI manufacture -

 

USNRopeknifecomposite.jpg

 

Tim

 

Silvey says this one is WWII. See page 104.

 

Bill

 

post-4347-0-55038900-1355187499_thumb.jpg

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Bill,

 

Right you are! I have the book in front of me, signed by Mr Silvey no less :D . Actually, I just emailed him with the hyperlink to this thread. Hopefully, he will have time to chime in.

 

Tim

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I wonder if the size of the font indicates the time frame of manufacture and/or whether the knife was made for the commercial market or military issue.

 

Tim

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Still-A-Marine

I wonder if the size of the font indicates the time frame of manufacture and/or whether the knife was made for the commercial market or military issue.

 

Tim

 

The size looks the same as the WWI version. I really think the blade is the same as used in the WWI knife. Maybe leftovers from WWI?

 

Here is page 40 from the book. The manicure blade is closed in the picture.

 

Bill

 

post-4347-0-93310000-1355189011_thumb.jpg

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Here are 3 different - I also believe them to be post war commercial.

 

The top knife in this group of three looks to be a dead ringer for mine. So, this example of mine may in fact be a post WWI commercial rope knife.

 

Tim

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Still-A-Marine

I wonder if the size of the font indicates the time frame of manufacture and/or whether the knife was made for the commercial market or military issue.

 

Tim

 

Both sizes were used in WWII. Look at page 106 of Silvey's Pocket Knives of the United States Military. The fishing knife shown was issued with both the small and larger fonts. So the transition from smaller to larger occurred during WWII.

 

Bill

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