Just a quickie!

Found this Camillus-made Buck #333 Toothpick SFO on the bay in a very poorly listed and photographed listing, watched it and ended up getting it for about half of what I paid for the other one I already had. Oh well, the more the better I guess.

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  • Syd Carr

    Thanks Mike. I'm very experienced with ebay, (which isn't a good thing sometimes), I know how to tell a real deal from a professional seller's bulls**t listing practices, (like calling a two year old knife "Vintage" or "Old"). One thing I have learned is that you must know what you are looking at on the bay, and know the relative value or you will get screwed. Haven't been skunked yet and most of my collection came from the bay, (60 something knives and counting).

  • Lars Ray

    Hey Syd...it's time to teach me something please....

    How did you know this is a Camillus-made Buck knife? What are the hallmarks or characteristics on the knife that tells you its Camillus?

    Thanks

  • Syd Carr

    Buck make this style/type of traditional knife in their factory until after 1986, before that the entire 300 Series line was made first by Schrade Cutlery for Buck, and from 1972-1986 by Camillus Cutlery. In 1986 Buck moved that series production to in-house, eliminated several models but kept a few. However, up to the turn of the 21st century Buck still had Camillus make special editions and Special Factory Orders, (SFO). The Buck 333 California Toothpick in the photo is a Special Factory Order knife, never listed in Buck's catalog and only sold at Smoky Mountain Knife Works, (SMKW, world's largest knife retailer in Tennesee). They sold these both in their retail store and in their online catalog. Buck had a relationship with Camillus until that factory closed in 2006. Any new knife marked Camillus nowadays is Chinese. Camillus made knives for many different companies from WWI through WWII and beyond, and they were the largest supplier of knives/bayonets to the US Government up through the late 20th century, all that remains of them is their brand name, and these remaining US-made knives, and that is a true pity.