For background information on the Modern Bait Knife see my entry at:  http://iknifecollector.com/profiles/blogs/the-modern-bait-knife-by-...

When last I posted I discussed a modern Bait Knife, the Shakespeare Utility Knife.  This entry is going to focus on a much early design first developed in 1951 and pateneted in 1953.  ( I plan on alternating between a modern bait knife and on older utility knife as I continue this discussion on bait knives.)

This particular knife was made by Camillus and offered through their Camco line of knives. For those not familiar with Camillus Cutlery, Camco was their economy line of knives.  While the price was lower the quality was still considered top notch.  This particular Knife is one of the two knives that made up the 670 line of sporting knives, the Fisherman.  As you can see from the Patent information below, what made this knife special was a very interesting  cross guard:

Camco Fisherman

First impressions: 

If the Camco Fisherman knife reminds you of a steak knife it is because it is made using the same handle as the Camco 122 steak knife.    The Fisherman and the Huntsman were the Camco Sportsman duo, both of which are derived from the Camco Steak knife. The principle differences are the Sportsman duo came with a sheath and had a cross guard.  The Steak knives did not.  Camillus later swapped out the blade on the Fisherman with a slender 5 inch serrated blade to make the Camillus Host Knife designed for use at martini/cocktail parties.  In short, Camillus really got its money’s worth out of this versatile fixed blade pattern

Above:  The P122 Angus Steak knife as shown in a 1957 Camillus Catalog.

The Blade: 

The 440 Stainless steel blade has fine edge.  The choil has a small hook which aids in opening beverage cans.  The long trailing point clip along the spine has been gimped to form a fish scaler.  Camco’s literature states the blade is chrome plated.  My particular knife appears to have rarely if ever used as the blade appears un-sharpened and razor sharp.  The blade does exhibit a small amount of flex but not that of a fillet knife.

The Handle:

The handle is made out of Tenite, a type of thermo-plastic developed by Eastman Kodak.  It is impervious to water and most solvents.  However, the handle is also somewhat small.  The fact that the knife is a modified steak knife might explain the size to some degree. Despite its diminutive size its contour makes it easy to grasp and hold.  The cross-guard of the knife features a handy cap lifter and a beverage can opener.  It is also this key feature that turns the steak knife into a outdoors sporting knife!

Above: This can opener is not the the type used on for vegetables but was used to open beverage cans.  Before the advent of pull-tops all liquids that came in cans were opened with this type of opener.  Everything from Beer, to Hawaiian Punch to motor oil!   The cap-lifter still remains a useful item to day as their are still many bottled beverages that have not gone the way of the screw-of cap.

While this crossbar  may seem somewhat gimmicky today back in the 1950s and 1960s this would have been a big selling point. More than once I recall my father searching in vain for such items while on a family excursion.   Perhaps anglers would not be using the one on the knife routinely but to have a built-in spare readily handy would make it an attractive added feature. 

The Scabbard:

Typical of economy knives made in the 1950’s the Camco Fisherman comes with leather sheath that is single stitched and riveted.  It has belt slots cut into the top flap instead of the higher quality belt loop.  It has some pressed embossing on the scabbard portion.  The same sheath was used for other knives made by Camco so the fit is not perfect.

End of the day:

Is this knife a glorified steak knife?  Yes.  Is it better than the typical economy bait knife you buy today?  Probably not.   Does anyone really need a knife with a beverage can opener and a cap lifter anymore?  Again, probably not.  

So why buy it?  The knife evokes a simpler time and a totally different era of angling; to a time before fish finders and easy open beer cans.  The knife with its tenite handle, and stainless steel chrome plated blade takes one back to when the first Zebco and Johnson spin-cast reels were coming to market, when snarled lines were common, and fishing was done in tweed sport coats!   And this little Camco knife was a product of one of America’s Cutlery power houses, Camillus.  It screams the American Dream, filled with craftsmanship, pride and imagination.  You don’t buy it because you can’t buy a better knife today, you buy it because it was a great knife back in its day.

These are getting harder to find with each passing day so they really are becoming a collector’s item.   They occasionally show up on Ebay and sell or around  $20 and up depending on the quality.  With that said, they would make a pretty decent little pan fish knife if one chose to use it as such.  But you need to remember it is really just a modified steak knife that was used as a bird & trout knife.  It was never designed for heavy tasks!

Above: The overall size makes the knife a a neat and tidy little fixed blade.  The blade length is that a the folding fish knives and as this knife is a fixed blade it more handy.   The length is ideal for the top shelf of a tackle box.

Specifications:

Name:  Fisherman
Brand:  Camco
Country of Manufacture:  USA
Pattern:  number: 670
Blade Steel:  440
Length, overall:  7.75 in. [19.7 cm]
Length, blade:   4 in. [10 cm]
Blade Style:   Multi-function trailing point skinner - fine  edge,  scaler spine
Tang:  Partial
Handle:  Ivory Tenite (Composition) with a beverage can opener and cap lifter cross guard.
Lanyard hole:  No Lanyard hole
Sheath:  Leather sheath with embossing.